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JACKSONVILLE BEACH -- The members of Girl Scout Troop 459 sat mesmerized, their attention riveted on objects a world away from their small meeting room in the Carver Center.-->


Last modified Sat., November 26, 2005 - 02:06 AMOriginally created Saturday, November 26, 2005

Girl Scouts get inspiration from international artwork


By Susan D. Brandenburg, Shorelines correspondent
JACKSONVILLE BEACH -- The members of Girl Scout Troop 459 sat mesmerized, their attention riveted on objects a world away from their small meeting room in the Carver Center.
As the girls observed works crafted by artisans in countries such as Cameroon, Chile, the Philippines, Kenya and Indonesia, their eyes sparkled with excitement and 17 young pairs of hands moved restlessly in laps, obviously yearning to reach out and touch the curious objects. Laughing, Lori Armstrong began to pass around some of the sturdier pieces of artwork for closer examination.
Owner of A World Away, Atlantic Beach's new fair trade store, Armstrong was the guest speaker at one of Troop 459's recent weekly meetings. She was at the community center to help the girls launch an entrepreneurial project that involves investment, production and sales.

Girl Scout troop leader Cindy Persico shows Troop 459 members Kiara Watts, 6, (center) and Aneliese Waters, 8, an African art piece from A World Away gift shop. GARY WILCOX/The Times-Union
"The girls will use clay to create their own unique works of art," said troop leader Cindy Persico, "and, much like the artisans in faraway places ... they will then place their creations for sale on consignment in Lori's store and, after paying expenses such as a portion of the cost of the clay and a small percentage to the store, they will reap the profits for themselves. My goal, with Lori's help, is to teach them about economic empowerment and fair trade and how it works in the real world."
Armstrong demonstrated items such as a tiny clay bird whistle fashioned by hand in the Congo, an onyx frog from Pakistan, a three-legged clay good luck pig made in Chile, a hot pad woven from recycled newspaper in the Philippines, a casa basket from Bangladesh, and a djembe drum from Kenya.
One of 140 partner stores in Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit program of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches, Armstrong's A World Away in Atlantic Beach is a reflection of her personal convictions on humanity.
"There is a face behind each of these pieces of art," she told the girls.
"There is a woman in Kenya who sculpted this head of an African child," she said, holding, but not passing around, an exquisite sculpture that elicited "oohs" and "aahs" from the group. "She made her own clay by going down to the swampy areas of the river and digging up mud, sifting it and kneading it until it was ready to shape. She worked very hard to make it beautiful so that she could earn money to buy seeds for crops to grow food for her family and maybe even send her children to school."
At the mention of school, a few of the girls giggled.
"School is a privilege we all have in America," Armstrong said, "but there are children in many countries around the world who are not as lucky as we are."
The girls of Troop 459 do consider themselves lucky. Since the troop was formed a year ago, they have learned several new crafts, sewn their own art aprons, decorated and mailed cards to U.S. troops in Iraq, visited and entertained at Avante Nursing Home and Shands Pediatric Ward, attended a Girl Scout birthday party and sleepover, sold Girl Scout cookies and gone on a camping trip.

Kiara Watts (from left), Brianna Thornton, 10, Rebecca Williams, 10, and Karla Williams, 5, start creating with clay. They'll sell their art at A World Away, learning entreprenurial skills and about fair trade. GARY WILCOX/The Times-Union
"We ate s'mores and slept in tents," said Felicia "FiFi" Williams, 12, "and we looked through telescopes."
"Working with the troop is the highlight of my week," Persico said. She said her entrepreneurial spirit and years of work as a counselor led her to the Carver Center.
"Last October, I decided to seek hands-on volunteering and I contacted the Girl Scouts to see if I could help with a troop," she said. "When they told me that the girls at the Carver Center had been waiting over a year for a troop leader, well, I was hooked. We're still working on getting uniforms, but we've just been designated a Community Development Troop by the Girl Scout Council, and we've got some exciting things coming up."
As the grand finale of Armstrong's presentation, a spirited drum and rattle session, ended, the girls donned their art aprons and, with instruction from Carver Center counselor Adrienne Veatch, dug their hands in clay to begin their entrepreneurial project.
"I'm going to make a mask," said Shamara Scruggs, 9.
"I'm making a person with braids," said Nycole Rice, 10.
"A turtle!" declared Yasmine Lanier, 9.
Seven-year-old Trionna Lane decided to create a pitcher, while 10-year-olds Brianna Thornton and Stacie Williams agreed they would both make clay hearts. Five-year-old Karla Williams fancied the three-legged good luck pig idea, and Casey Henson, 12, thought a baby shoe would be fun.
For 10-year-old Rebecca Williams, the acknowledged artist of the group, this was just another step toward her goal. "I have a mentor who is like a grandmother to me," she announced, as she concentrated on creating a tiny bear. "She helps me a lot with my art. It's something I plan to do all my life."







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