Virginia Beach Girl Scouts Visit Chocolate Factory

Virginia Beach Girl Scout Troop 152 is a group of lively and energetic second and third graders. The troop meets each week, and together, the girls earn badges, explore the great outdoors and make a difference in their community. In the weeks since Girl Scout Cookie season ended, the girls have toured a police station and earned their Letterboxing badge. On April 20, the girls got together for a “sweet” meeting at the Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Virginia Beach, funded by the proceeds that they earned from cookie sales.

For the troop members, it is important to plan meetings and outings that they can all take part in together, including Aly. Aly, who now lives in The Albero House, an adult care facility at St. Mary’s Home, is a volunteer assistant leader with the troop. Aly was a member of the Girl Scout troop at St. Mary’s when she was younger, and she enjoyed all of the opportunities that she had with Girl Scouts, from building a butterfly garden at St. Mary’s Home to taking a trip to Washington, D.C. Judy Salway, support coordinator at St. Mary’s Home, was looking for a way to get Aly more connected with the community. Knowing all of the fun that she had in Girl Scouts, she contacted her daughter-in-law, Heidi Salway, who is a leader of Girl Scout Troop 152, and the rest is history. Aly is an integral part if the troop and enjoys taking part in activities with the rest of the troop members.

At the Schakolad Chocolate Factory, Aly and all of the troop members made a Girl Scout Trefoil-shaped chocolate lollipop, dipped a marshmallow in chocolate and decorated their own chocolate bars. They also enjoyed a short movie to learn about where chocolate comes from and about the history of the delicacy, and they watched a live chocolate mold demonstration.

“My favorite part was decorating my own chocolate bar,” Olivia, a third-grader in the troop, said. “I can’t wait to get home because I am going to split it in four pieces to share it with my family.”

Troop 152 still has plenty of fun planned before they take a break for the summer. Next on their agenda, the girls will be learning about genealogy. Each girl took home a family tree to fill out at home and share at the next troop meeting as part of earning the My Family Story badge. With cookie season complete and warm weather in the forecast, the troop is looking forward to a spring full of fun and adventure together.