Girl Scouts celebrated Mother’s Day with a ‘par-tea’

Being a mother is a full-time job — and once a year, everyone takes a little extra time to say thank you. In celebration of Mother’s Day, the Girl Scouts of West Hempstead and Franklin Square threw a tea party for the special women in their lives.

“I love my mommy because she helps me when I have trouble,” Charli Castiglia, 7, said. “She teaches me new things and she supports me and takes care of me, loves me and makes me so happy.”

“I love my mom because she’s really, really nice and she takes care of me and calls me ‘love bug,’” Julianna Ruocco, 6, said. “She gives me really great hugs and kisses and she always makes all my boo-boos feel better.”

The girls and their mothers celebrated with a photo shoot, decorating mugs, sipping tea, and of course, dancing.

“I loved the craft,” Lola Campbell, 6, said. “I decorated a mug I know my mom will love, because she loves to drink coffee.”

Nalah Hill, 6, said her favorite part of the party was dressing in fancy clothes and having a fun time with her mother, who is “funny, creative, gives the best hugs, and pretty.”

The bond between scout moms and their daughters is the fuel of Girl Scouts — mothers are largely responsible for organizing troop events and programs, coordinating cookie sales, and making Girl Scouts a fun and safe environment for young girls to grow up. And in turn, Girl Scouts further deepens the bond between mothers and daughters even further.

“Girl Scouts was a big part of my childhood,” said Jen Ruocco, Julianna’s mom and co-leader of Daisy Troop 1551. “And I am so glad my daughter enjoys it as much as I do.”

“I loved that I, along with other moms, had the opportunity to simply be with our daughters and share in an experience that they led,” said Lattefah Campbell, Lola’s mom and co-leader of Troop 1551. “In this moment it was most clear why I love that Lola is a Girl Scout. It allows her to be a leader and have a voice.”

Celebrating impactful women is especially fitting for an organization that aims to empower girls. Being a Girl Scout teaches girls to “work collaboratively to learn about leadership, gain new skills and make a difference in the community,” said Kerri Castiglia, Charli’s mom.

“Girl Scouts is an awesome organization,” said Desiree Hill, Nalah’s mom and co-leader of Troop 1551. “It provides opportunities for girls to learn leadership skills, build friendships and engage in community service. Having my daughter involved is meaningful because it helps her become a confident, capable leader in her own right.”

And among the best highlights of the party, the girls and moms agreed, was making new friends with the other troops.

“It reinforces that we are sisters to every Girl Scout,” Jen Ruocco said.