THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605070139
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Katie Simmons and Allison Howerton have been in Girl Scouts together since they were 5. For the past three years, the two 16-year-old den mates have helped younger Scouts explore Virginia's illustrious history.
Simmons and Howerton volunteer at the Francis Land House, working as tour guides to give Girl Scouts a glimpse at the way colonial families lived and played.
The two Tallwood High School sophomores spent last Saturday taking Brownies back 200 years. They not only hosted the ``Exploring the Past,'' program, but Simmons and Howerton planned the day as well.
The Brownies learned about the house and its occupants, played games like the Land children did in centuries past and saw how clothes were made. They looked out at the garden where flax for linen thread and rope grows in the summer. About 100 Scouts turned out for the tours with the history lessons.
The tours included a look at the cellar where the Scouts were able to see the hand-hewn beams and joists of an earlier period. They studied the 20-inch-thick walls and contrasted them to today's construction methods.
Several of the little Scouts gazed in amazement at the well. They looked down into the abandoned source of water and listened as its use was explained to them.
Patricia Hedeen and Ashley Robinson tried their hands at yard darts, a game of yore.
``It shows them what it was like before video games, Nintendo,'' said Simmons.
Ashley went from the yard darts straight over to the hoop rolling.
The Scouts rolled the hoops with a wooden stick. In the process, they learned what a ``cooper'' is: the man who made barrels and put the hoops around them.
After spending two hours touring, learning history first-hand and playing, adults Janice Ketz, Linda Jeter and some Scouts from Troop 638 stretched out a blanket beneath one of the ancient trees and ate a picnic lunch.
``It was very informative,'' Jeter said. ``The children learned many things, such as what a pinwheel is and that kind of thing. Plus it's such a beautiful place.''
The girls received Francis Land House/Colonial Coast Council patches for their uniforms. MEMO: The Francis Land House, at 3131 Virginia Beach Boulevard, is open
Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12
noon until 5 p.m.. For more information, call 340-1732.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Katie Simmons, left, and Allison Howerton are volunteer tour guides
at the Francis Land House, where Girl Scouts get a glimpse of
colonial life.
by CNB