To the Editor:

It is with great sadness that I have to say farewell to another sister Girl Scout leader who has made a big influence in my life. 

Ms. Wilma, as she was known to all her Girl Scout family, will surely be missed in our community.

I have had a few role models before her, such as Evelyn Taylor, Jean Sharpe and Janie Mitchell, that had green blood flowing through their veins and supported scouting  till the very end. Women, such as these, don’t come by very often anymore.

Ms. Wilma took two of her daughters to the highest Girl Scout awards. Cathy received the 1st Class, and Samantha, the Gold Award.  Then she was right there supporting her granddaughter, Leanne, up to the Gold Award also.

And helping them reach those lofty goals did not stop her. She kept right on encouraging her great granddaughters by still being a troop leader.

Ms. Wilma loved Camp Darden, as much as I did, and was right there camping with us a year ago.

We don’t have the dedication of volunteers anymore that can see the future of our young children, and want to be a part of making them strong community leaders.

Girl Scouts is much more than selling cookies. It is instilling goals, showing them they can be whatever they want to be, and exploring new possibilities. Ms. Wilma knew this and was faithful to the end.

Goodbye dear friend, you will truly be missed.

Kay Byrd
Girl Scout volunteer
Ahoskie