Cape Girl Scouts office to go

From the state's east side to its west side, Girl Scouts in southern Missouri will be governed by a new Scout council that will replace five existing councils as part of a nationwide restructuring of the Scouting organization.

The reorganization will eliminate the eight-county Otahki Girl Scout Council, headquartered in Cape Girardeau as well as four other existing councils in southern and central Missouri.

The new council will extend from the Mississippi River to the western boundary of Missouri and include the cities of Cape Girardeau, Springfield, Joplin, Jefferson City and Columbia.

The vast region is home to about 25,000 Girl Scouts, said Otahki Girl Scout Council executive director Denise Stewart.

It's unclear if any Scout camps in Southeast Missouri would be closed as a result of the restructuring, but local Scout leaders hope a new horseback riding stable in Cape Girardeau County will be kept and even expanded.

Stewart envisions that the stable could operate year-round to serve scouts from throughout the new council area.

Consolidation of the councils won't start officially until October. The merger could take 18 months, Stewart said.

Girl Scout officials nationally say the goal is to boost membership and funding.

Nationwide, the Girl Scouts organization plans to cut its number of councils from about 300 to approximately 100, Stewart said.

That should reduce overhead expenses, she said. One computer system, for example, could keep track of the finances for even as large a district as the new one planned for southern Missouri, said Stewart.

The new council -- which has yet to be named -- could be headquartered in Springfield, the largest city in southern Missouri. Another possible site is Jefferson City because it is the state capital, she said.

But Stewart and the executive director of the Scout council in Dexter, Mo. -- Cindy Weber -- believe some Scout offices will remain in Southeast Missouri.

"I absolutely envision a presence in Cape Girardeau," said Stewart.

The Otahki Girl Scout office is located in masonry building at 1432 Kurre Ln. Nine paid staff work out of the building, serving about 2,600 Girl Scouts in an eight-county area.

Stewart isn't sure if she'll have a job after the reorganization. The consolidation is expected to eliminate some executive director positions.

But Scout troops still will need to rely on the services of some local staff, Stewart said.

She envisions the possibility of setting up a program center in Cape Girardeau where Scouts could meet and participate in activities.

"We know from listening to our volunteers that it is harder and harder to find places where we can hold events," Stewart said.

Churches and schools often are booked for other activities and insurance liability issues also discourage Scout use, she said.

Scout leaders say restructuring will include new activities designed to keep older girls interested in Scouting.

Girls often drop out of Girl Scout troops starting in middle school as they get involved in other recreational and school activities.

"It begins to wane in the fifth and sixth grades," said Weber who heads up the Cotton Boll Council in Dexter which also has about 2,600 scouts.

While specific new activities have yet to be drawn up, Scout leaders nationwide have said the goal is to allow girls to sign up for individual activities rather than have to commit to a year's worth of troop programs and projects.

"It's more activity oriented," Weber said. Girls could sign up for six-week or four-week programs, she said.

Stewart said restructuring ultimately should provide more resources for Girl Scouts and allow the new council to adopt the best practices of all five existing councils.

Weber said the ultimate goal is to make Scouting relevant to today's girls and future generations.

"We want to be there to serve the girls of tomorrow," she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, ext. 123