McKinney Girl Scouts help donate more than 3,000 books to Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas

By Melissa Gosling
Contributing writer
Created at 4:35 p.m. on May 25, 2009

McKinney Girl and Brownie Scouts recently helped make children's lives a little bit better in the Dallas area as they worked with a charity to help donate more than 3,000 books to the Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.

Pictured on the left are members of Brownie Girl Scout Troops No. 9323 and Troop No. 416 who delivered more than 3,000 books to the patients at Scottish Rite hospital in Dallas on May 16. The Girl Scouts collected the books in community book drives that they helped plan and organize. Submitted photo by Melissa Gosling

Local Girl Scouts organized book drives throughout the community and collected new and gently used books for Connor’s Books – a local charity founded by a McKinney Girl Scout family to honor their late son, Connor Ellis McLuckie who died from a congenital diaphragmatic hernia after 14 hours after he was born. Connor’s Books donates books to Scottish Rite Hospital of Dallas annually on Connor's birthday, May 15. Since 2001, more than 4,100 books have been donated to the hospital. For more information on Connor’s Books, please visit www.connorsbooks.org.

Girl Scout Troops in McKinney, Anna, Princeton, and Melissa contributed to the drive, which was spearheaded by first grade Brownie Girl Scout Troop No. 323 and third grade Brownie Girl Scout Troop No. 416. The troops are members of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

“What was great about this project was that it tied in so well with the Girl Scout program of building girls of courage, confidence and character that make the world a better place,” said Pam Hinterscher, leader of Brownie Girl Scout troop No. 9323. “I think it was amazing that this group of 1st and 3rd grade girls were able to rally the community to help kids in need.”

The Girl Scouts led all facets of planning and organizing the project which included deciding how and where to collect, making posters to advertise, and counting and sorting the books. Upon completion of the drive, the Girl Scouts presented the books to hospital in a ceremony attended by Connor’s Books founder, Amanda McLuckie and Scottish Rite representatives. The girls then toured the hospital to learn more about the children that they were helping.

“I really liked collecting the books so that we could help the kids at the hospital,” said Braelyn Wiseman, of McKinney Girl Scout Troop No. 416. “It also made me feel good to help Connor’s family remember him.”

The donated books will be used by the hospital in their library and will also be given to patients.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas serves nearly 42,000 girls and 15,000 adults in 32 northeast Texas counties. For information on how to join, volunteer or donate to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas call 800- 442-2260 or visit www.gsnetx.org.

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