Girl Scout for life: Worcester resident, 95, receives 85-year membership pin

WORCESTER - When she first signed up for the Girl Scouts at Harvard’s Camp Green Eyrie in 1938 when she was 10, Alberta “Birdie” Chase likely thought she would get her last pin after two, maybe three, years. On Thursday at the Eisenberg Assisted Living Center, Chase received her 85-year membership pin.

“We have a saying; Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout,” said Dana Carnegie, communications manager for Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts, adding that Chase brings traditions from her time in Girl Scouts to the residents of Eisenberg through inclusion and community.

Residents describe her as a welcoming committee to Eisenberg, who ensures new arrivals find an activity group where they can fit in and start building a friend group within the community. “Birdie is a wonderful representative,” said a resident who gave her name only as Brenda. “When you come in, you’re lost,” she said. “Birdie goes over to every new person, asking, ‘What do you like to do?’ and she’ll find a group for you, no matter who walks through that door.”

During the pandemic, Chase was the Girl Scouts’ woman on the inside, when Girl Scout members could not visit the facility, she facilitated cookie orders between residents and the troops. Chase has lost count of the cookie boxes she has sold over her lifetime, though this year she broke her sales record at $800.

Chase, 95, said that the lessons that have stayed with her over the years are of patience and service. “I think [I learned] to be patient with people,” she said, “and I’ve volunteered all my life, so I wanted to do something for the community. Who would have thought after 85 years I’d get this - never in my dreams.”

Camp Green Eyrie in Harvard will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester resident receives 85-year Girl Scouts membership pin