SCOUTS LEARN WATER SAFETY

Suanne Baker and Amanda Benn listened carefully and followed the directions precisely as they climbed into a canoe floating in Central Municipal Swimming Pool Saturday.

The sixth-grade Junior Girl Scouts from Franklin Elementary School didn't want that canoe to flip with them in it.

"I think you could fall in real easy," said Benn, after she safely exixted the canoe. Baker agreed. "I was thinking our canoe was about to flip the whole time."

But the girls agreed that the canoe was their favorite part of Saturday's Junior Splash event.

Two hundred fifth and sixth graders from across the region attended the exercise, coordinated by the Otahki Girl Scout Council and Cape Girardeau's Parks and Recreation Department.

During the morning, girls earned a water fun badge. They learned basics of boating safety, using personal flotation devices and assisting a troubled swimmer. Girls also learned water games, got an introduction to competitive swimming and a tour of the facility.

"This is a great opportunity to get a lot of kids in here and utilize our facility and our staff," said Doug Gannon, city recreation coordinator.

Often, he said, people think the pool isn't available to the public during winter months. In fact, the pool has public hours every day.

In addition, he said, staff are available for special projects, like the Junior Splash.

Katherine Davis, also a sixth grader from Franklin, said the tour was her favorite part of the program. An avid swimmer, she already knew much about water safety. She was interested in the design of the pool's bubble cover and all that goes into operating the pool.

Jessica Watters from Franklin said the day was just plain fun. "We're learning all the basics, but the best part is the canoe."

Girl Scouts from Southern Illinois, who don't often have access to public swimming pools, also attended Saturday. Several of the girls didn't know how to swim.

Alesha Humble, 9, of Mound City, Ill., plunged into Saturday's activities with enthusiasm. "We were learning the basics," said Humble, who doesn't know how to swim. "We're learning how to use the kickboard and the flotation devices."

Tamara Sawyer, 11, also from Mound City, had a little scare when she slipped off the edge of the pool into the water. She doesn't swim either. "That was very scary," she said. But it also emphasized the importance of wearing a life jacket.

Segan Humble, 9, from Mound City, said the canoe was her favorite part of the day. "It feels wavy, like your going to fall, but you don't," she said.

Kathie Brennan, who coordinated the water activities for the Girl Scout Council, said the idea is to help prepare scouts for summer camp activities.