Girl Scouts hold book drive

JACKSON, Mo. -- Girl Scouts collected and donated 70 new books to the Jackson Public Library Saturday as part of Make a Difference Day.

Saturday was the 11th annual Make a Difference Day.

Each year, Make a Difference Day, sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine and its carrier newspapers, encourages people to look around their community and see what needs to be done.

As a result, the Tsalagi Girl Scouts of Otahki Council sponsored a book drive. About 50 girls from Oak Ridge and Jackson school districts participated.

"Our library needs new books," said project coordinator Jayne Tiehle.

"This is the library we use. My daughter came home with a book that could have been there when I was a girl," she said, adding that the book had yellow pages and a faded cover.

Girls were to purchase a book and use it as an entry fee to a birthday party held in honor of Juliet Gordon Low, founder of the girl scouts.

This is the second year the Girl Scouts have participated in Make a Difference Day.

Since the girls had been celebrating Low's birthday for several years, it seemed natural to combine the two efforts, said troop leader Kristen Bell. Last year, the entire council made cards to send to people who had made a difference in their lives.

Low, who was born Oct. 31, 1860, founded Girl Scouts in March 1912. Now there are Girl Scout troops in 140 countries.

"She had a lot of interests in her own life that she brought to scouting," Bell said.

Scouts first met for the party at Immaculate Conception Church, then piled the books in a red wagon and pulled them to the library, where they gave the books to library assistant Faith Crutsinger.

abuchanan@semissourian.com

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