THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 13, 1995 TAG: 9510110286
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Kelly D. Farnham, 17, of Deep Creek always wanted to take a Girl Scout trip outside Virginia.
This summer, Kelly's wish came true. With support from the Girl Scouts and other local organizations, she raised $800 in donations, which covered the full price of a trip to Atlanta.
With 99 girls from the United States and other countries, including the Republic of Georgia, Canada and Ireland, Kelly toured the facilities for the upcoming 1996 Olympics and tried daring sports like whitewater rafting.
The trip was part of a national Wider Opportunities program organized by the Girl Scout Council in the Atlanta area. Kelly was the only Girl Scout from Hampton Roads.
During the two-week vacation, Kelly learned how to live with others from different backgrounds and cultures. She was amazed that some of the girls didn't have the things she has taken for granted as an American.
The girls from the Republic of Georgia had never used a washing machine, Kelly said. And some girls from other parts of the States had never seen a beach.
The group also toured Georgia Tech University, CNN's studio and a Coca-Cola plant and visited elderly women at a nursing home.
Faye Rutherford, who organizes local Girl Scout activities, guided Kelly through the application procedure.
``Kelly is very shy,'' Rutherford said. ``I got her to talk about herself a little bit more, to show that she's an all-around person.''
At the initial interview for her application, Kelly said she was asked about her personal interests, hobbies and her Girl Scout experience.
A senior Girl Scout now, she has been part of the organization for nine years.
``Being a Girl Scout is the No. 1 hobby,'' Kelly said.
As for her other interests, Kelly said she likes helping people.
Kelly is hearing impaired and doesn't play sports much herself. But she enjoys helping out at the local Special Olympics and on her school's track and field team.
She has assisted at Scout camps, Brownie troops and Scout Sunday events in conjunction with the Deep Creek United Methodist Church.
It's not easy to be a Girl Scout when the leader is your own mother. Donna L. Farnham made sure that her daughter earned every credit on her own.
``She does get out to get all the training for a Girl Scout,'' Donna Farnham said.
Mother and daughter teamed up with local Girl Scouts and organized a roller skating party and car wash to raise some of the money for Kelly's trip. Other donors included national and regional Girl Scout councils, Donna Farnham's parents, Deep Creek United Methodist Church and local Ruritan and Lions clubs.
Kelly, a junior at Deep Creek High, hasn't chosen a college, but has decided to become an X-ray technician.
Kelly might have been influenced by volunteering at Chesapeake General Hospital. Over the summer, she worked in the hospital's radiology department three days a week, taking X-ray results to doctors. She's still works there once a week for four hours.
Kelly has been browsing through a directory of schools and hospitals that offer college training in her field of interest.
She believes the Atlanta visit has prepared her for college. During the trip, she and the group stayed at Agnes Scott University.
``Now, when I go to college, I will be able to be on my own,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Deep Creek High junior Kelly D. Farnham, 17, joined 99 girls from
the United States amd other countries in Atlanta.
by CNB