Milton Girl Scouts honor beloved leader
The day began with a short ceremony where the Girl Scouts heard about Effort and the four generations of her family who were in Girl Scouts. For the next five hours, the kids scattered across the camp with their vibrant rain boots and raincoats, along with the co-ed Scouting Boston Scouts, to partake in a range of supervised outdoor activities.
They cheered on their friends as they successfully sawed off a piece of a log, and accepted their friends' help on a ropes course. The kids remained unfazed by the rain and cold. They worked together throughout the day to build campfires, take outdoor cooking lessons, and shoot some arrows over in the archery zone.
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The kids raced between more than five different activities, and right after the rain stopped, they came together for a wrap-up ceremony where the girls sang a song and lowered the American flag together.
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Effort spent nearly 40 years as a troop leader in Milton, and 38 years as a reporter for a Pittsburgh news radio station. Effort, who also co-founded the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation,
died on November 6, 2024, at 74 years old.
'Elaine was a beloved, inspirational mentor whose sudden death left a void and caused considerable heartache in the Scouting community,' a press release about the day said.
The day brought together a community of both Boy and Girl Scouts to show them there is a lively network beyond their individual troop, while celebrating someone who loved being a scout.
'This special day allows the Girl Scouts to make the most of an incredible resource while strengthening connections, having fun and living out the Girl Scout spirit together by learning outdoor skills,' the release said.
Eugene said she wishes her mom could have seen the success the troop had this year, especially with the implementation of working with its first sister troop and her daughter, Effort's granddaughter, earning the bronze award.
When Effort died unexpectedly, it was Eugene's co-troop leaders and the group's parents who stepped up to not only keep the troop going, but to support Eugene and her family.
'Our Milton community is really strong and that's due to so many amazing people,' she said. 'Today was just a wonderful day and brought me so much joy.'
Talia Lissauer can be reached at
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