A State House Invitation
February 20, 2024
Three Juniors from Harpswell Troop 1263 had the pleasure of visiting the Maine State House in Augusta this February break after receiving a personal invitation from local Maine State Representative and parent of one of the troop members, Cheryl Golek.
Girl Scouts, Ingrid, Margaret, and Payton were able to make a day of their visit by receiving a tour of the historic facility as well as getting to be Honorary Pages during the full session. According to the Maine State Legislature’s website, “The Honorary Page program gives students an opportunity to participate in the process and interact with legislature,” from the Senate Chamber.
“All of the girls said that their favorite part was being an Honorary Page and running messages between representatives. It kept them busy during the session,” says Troop 1263 Leader Abigail Svenson.
Throughout the day, the Girl Scouts learned several new aspects of Maine politics including how bills get voted in or out.
“The girls learned that a bill can be voted on in the House of Representatives, the representatives can advocate or object to it, and then they vote. If they vote it in, it gets sent over to the Senate,” says Svenson.
At the beginning of the session, the three Juniors were introduced by the House and received much applause upon their entrance. Of course, another favored moment of the day was watching the Speaker of the House use the infamous gavel!
