Sharon Jessup and Emilia Cortez

00:04 My name is Sharon Jessup, and I'm headed for my 84th. Birthday. Today is date is Saturday September 14th, 2019. Where in Yuma, Arizona and my partner my wonderful partner is Emilia Cortez?

00:26 My name is Emilia Cortez age. 34 today's day is Saturday December 14th, 2019?

00:34 Am location Yuma Arizona, and my name of my interviewer will be Sharon Jessup and she's my girl scouts sister, but also mentor

00:48 Okay. Alright, so let's just start talking.

00:52 What did you bring today in Sharon?

00:55 I brought all kinds of bits and pieces of memories through over 55 years as an adult Girl Scout adult registered Girl Scout. I am in my husband and I were military people we traveled all kinds of places that you would ever believe and I was involved in girl scouting in Alaska and in Virginia and in Alabama and in, California,

01:32 And of course in Arizona, and I probably missed a few other places along the way, but we moved all the time, and I met new girls and had gave them new experiences and believe me. I had a few new experiences to I love it because even with the leaders that you you have mentored here in Yuma are so many liters does girl that you've you've seen evolved. I see there now my leaders that are currently active and running troops, which I am blessed and they have their traditional way about looks and Adventures. Would you like to explain some of the adventures that you you can I know last area team meeting you did a great story by well, maybe maybe I could start with girls.

02:24 I would not say girls women that I am still in touch with with her what you were my girl scouts long ago and because I lived in all of these places. I am still in touch with girls. One of my girls has been missionary in Tanzania for over 40 years and she works mostly with orphans and you've touched by HIV and one of the big money razors that she has had to try to take care of these kids has been some jewelry call Bongo beads, and these banga beads are made out of paper and she learned this craft in Girl Scouts and this is help support her Mission with the young people are in her latest letter this fall of 2019.

03:21 Other than school supplies and those kinds of things for her children, she writes of a lack of mattresses in the homes and only 40% of the children sleep in the bed and the other 54% of our children are sleeping 3 to 6 people on some kind of a pad on the floor while so they are now trying to get enough money to have mattresses for all of these these children. Well, that's a great way that she took on what she learned from Girl Scouts into into bringing something fruitful for her passion. Well, and another one of my Scouts is in Massachusetts and after leading troops of her own. She's been the assistant leader to her daughter for granddaughters troop and 2018 was the seventh year working together as three generations. Wow, and the girls are the girls during the Bronze award.

04:21 And they were chosen by the National Council to critique the new NASA Space page, which was to come out this year. Nice. If so, they're the ones that came out on our media real that we have on production. I'm looking forward to seeing that and then the third girl was the daughter of the commanding officer at ypg when we were there and she was a Junior Girl Scout when she left and then of course we later left but last fall I got a telephone call and she and her brother were on a memory trip and she wanted to see you wanted to come by the house and see me and so not only did we have a good seeing bit. She's getting prepared to retire from teaching Noel and she brought her Junior badge sash for my PG and she wanted to show me that's when she left when they move she did not quit girl scouting.

05:21 All these badges up and down the stairs and then she said I want to show you the one that was the greatest ones that I remember and I was at roop's own badge and the truth could witness and it was on the desert as interview at ypg. We learned about why's it so there's I'm still hearing from Girl Scouts were in many different areas, but I've been touched in there touching others. What did you guys have to do to earn the ypg desert? Like what was it Kirkland for that? I have absolutely no idea at this stage of the game what the requirements were, but I know that we spent a lot of time at the desert and learned about all the different variants and the actress in and the animals and what have you had a lot of fun. I would like to bring that to you my

06:17 And see if we can rework a. And then one more story my very best friend who had been co-leader with me and Girl Scouts in Yuma. Yes. We were co-leaders for seven or eight years. And then after that we did many other activities for Girl Scouts and you have a but a month ago. I was at her service who died unexpectedly. Yes, and as I was sitting in a chair prior to the service this young or middle-aged woman came up to me and leaned over to me and she said I just want you to know the impact that you and mrs. Calvert had on my life. And so the whole thing is that leaders do have an impact on girls lives and girl scouting can be so important as it's an experience that I myself was a Girl Scout.

07:18 In Los Angeles and then came for C Yuma and continued my girl scouting. It was a really fun activities to do and the difference to from a city life to a desert life and more camping than I did how here versus more tent camping and things like that. And even you mentored me on training how to do outdoor training up in Betty's Kitchen. So by white PG, so it was really interesting to see the difference of cabin camping with AC and heater versus not having anything other than just a water buffalo and a Port-A-Potty. Yeah. So he's a it's a it's a good skills that you learn life skills that you learn this as you grow. Well in the past years the council's all over the United States got squirreled around and change it around by national and until that time we were

08:18 Phoenix Arizona, and so before that I didn't have very much connection with with Saguaro and let the people at Arizona cactus Pine. We had outdoor trainers that were something I've never seen anything like it in my life and then they were flexible and let us kind of go from their training because in all other parts of the state when a girl scout troop went camping for a day would go into an area where a wooden and now in Yuma, if you took a girl's a different adaption you had to take your water you had to take you there was nothing there a bathroom in Arizona cactus game was very very welcoming and good to us to let us incorporate and try some of these things that we had to deal with the best is

09:18 When I get a new Scout a new girl scout into a troop and then she's hasn't Camp before she'll bring her flat iron to Betty's Kitchen or bring some electronic that she thinks that she has electricity and it's an eye-opening thing that when you remove the phones and technology of how they how they is like fish out of water. So it's so interesting to see. Yeah, it's true. You have a difference of how you adapt to an area and we had a a troop leader who work maybe from the BLM or anyway, she spent all of her time in the desert and she was really put out that she had to come to this training because you knew it all and after the training she came up to me and she said I cannot believe how many things I learned and that was that. It's a diff.

10:18 I opening training, especially when you if you do it for work. You have us some president already visual of how you have to connect to work as the BLM, you know Personnel, but it's different when you're taking girls and how you have to adapt to make sure that they're safe but also have fun as well as learn exactly the what else you would you have on your plate will I got lights of lots of things? I guess. I'll say one thing that I would I would like to tell you about some Adventures that I had and as a troop leader you try dude have enriching program and exciting things to introduce the girls to and then when you look back on it, you realise. Wow, that was an outstanding experience in my life.

11:10 But in Alaska two of us as leaders, and because we were always connect also connected to a little wives but covered Magazine on our post. We were invited to go on a military mission.

11:24 And we flew with Lowell Thomas Jr. To the top of a training place. You're in the Lassen Glacier in NH 21 helicopters call Flying bananas. The mission was to test the mobility of troops in ice and snow and parachuters came out of aircraft over the glacier. Whiskey's attached to their bodies Steve dangle by chords blow their legs so that they can see him.

11:56 They could then untie the skis put them on and they were ready to go in the snow and bright no jumper could untie the court with the skis and it ended up on the top of the glacier that those that were there.

12:12 They were trying to find anything. They can find to be able to untie those and it turned out that there were two Girl Scout leaders on the top of the

12:26 Each had a Swiss army knife in our park in our pants and your pocket.

12:39 Okay. Sorry, you're fine.

12:45 That is pretty cool. They were up in the glaciers. And that's that you guys had pocket knives to undo those.

13:10 Thank you very much. You're welcome.

13:14 One of the other outstanding experiences I had was

13:18 And ypg, I had a troop of of Cadette Girl Scouts and we backpacked into Havasupai in the Grand Canyon and all year. We've prepared for this and by the time we had prepared made-up Preparatory hikes and had gone into the canyon. We had hiked 50 miles with loaded backpacks and all of the

13:43 All of our Gear with death was with them. And so it was one of the most memorable trips that I made by but when we got down to the bottom of the canyon we had one of our Girl Scouts who didn't like outdoor bathrooms didn't really like the outdoors but she like the company and she came along and we got to the bottom of the canyon with a little buddy have a suit and we put all of our backpacks against the fence and went and they had a little restaurant and we had ice cream right and along the fence came and Indian Kerr dog and the dog March down the line and why do you know who's backpack that dog lift his leg on

14:30 And this was we could not believe that that it happened to her. Right? And this was a very difficult situation for her to deal with but it turned out years later the same girl who now lives in Seattle Washington that backpack backpack trip meant so much to her that when her niece got old enough to make the trip. She took her niece back to Havasupai and she was the only one of any of our troop girls that did that so strange happen with the Friday with little experience is that they have yes, how old ypg Yuma Proving Ground how long have they been running as a troop? Do you know cuz I've been in Girl Scouts in Yuma County for almost thirteen years and

15:23 I got 13 plus what you

15:26 Do you think it's been running like 4:20 or I have no idea when I got to ypg there were two there were two Girl Scout Troops and I left the volunteer director there and we had five troops. I have two troops right now currently and the little ones are overflown those daisies and brown, but wow, okay, it's just the wonderful that we keep you doing that as well as MCAS. There are Marine base. So I love exactly one of the things to the one we were ypg. We started incorporating canoeing into our schedule and it's halftime. There wasn't information about canoeing down the Colorado River. We didn't know how long it took to get from place to place. My husband did all of these

16:23 Bookings and tabulations and what have you and we did we leave the girls all learn canoeing skills and we did have several overnight trips on the river. And the first one we had we practically had to be towed in because it took much longer than we had ever anticipated. Right? So this was one of the things but on one of these canoe trips and we had over 30 that girls we are going down the Colorado River and there is another flotilla of canoes and their young men and young women and as we passed them

17:08 They looking they're all all of them are in the nude.

17:14 So there were lots of unusual Fisher's Landing into a bar girls. Yeah. Yeah girl the daughters of the owners of his right, but when we got there they had they had a big remodel set up and they did hot dogs in the whole whole thing for all of us. But when I stepped out of my canoe one of them one of the parents was there and of course this would not be in today's world break, but see they handed to me a bottle of Cold Duck because they thought that I need that wine after that two-day condition. That was another on the right My Girl Scout leaders would call it grown up tea.

18:08 And I was always wondering what grown up to you until I figure out what that was.

18:14 And then I know that carries they did a lot of canoe trips in in our Colorado road for hearing and then I was in later years and my husband was the one that I was able to get the canoes in the Trailblazer. The trailer was custom-made by the Quan. Yes. Yes. Kristen little actually was one of the Girl Scouts who fundraise to get those canoes for Yuma County. So it was really nice to still have those and was still being used in wonderful. Wonderful. Well, there's another little story. Ypg The Girl Scouts did a badge that included basketry and they had to connect they had to collect Reeds on the river and they had to be identified and cut and cleaned and placed in a dark place until they were ready to leave.

19:10 Well at ypg the only dark place I can find was under the double bed in our master bedroom. So this is where they stayed and I don't know how many weeks they had to be there. But my husband began having breathing problems, and he sneezed and yeah, they were the problems and that's why I had the discomfort for those reasons why underneath the bed he was allergic so they were then removed at the scout building. They were soaked in large tubs of water.

19:53 And then beautiful baskets were woven by over 30 girls course, you can't see it over the microphone. But this is a beautiful basket that I love all those years ago of the read under the bed and all those girls with many girls still have those asks because it was a real labor of love. Wow. Those are really done really. Well. I'm look like you bought it at Hobby Lobby mint.

20:23 Well, and another story. I'd like to tell you this is a these are scary story scary camping stories my first camping in the desert. The older Cadets have their own can't and it was time to tear down and they started to drop their Tans and has been set up over scorpion nest and hundreds of scorpions when every direction and everyone was fine, but that was an experience of a lifetime because we had never experienced and another camping trip. Are you at mystery Lake? The older girls were in a big military Camp from the nail six or eight girls and they all started screaming.

21:11 And a huge tarantula was on the ceiling in the 10th. And of course is that minute I was the only adult anywhere nearby, of course inside charged in it. And those girls thought I was so brave and I'll never forget my fries. I know right? I do know these tarantulas are abnormal like what you see there at the pet store so different from the wild they're bigger and no no no, no don't like spiders.

21:44 Oh, yeah, one of the other things that ypg the cadets Spencerville well with us for working on.

21:53 Challenges challenges at that point and one of those parts of a challenge they worked with a group called trough teens reaching out to help and this was a handicap group of people that handicapped group of teens that were in Yuma for many years and the Miracles were done with his group, but the girls weren't several Mornings in Yuma with a handicap group and the director came out and in. The girls what to do that to me how to do these things but those girls were so with their work that one morning that many of them came back Saturday after Saturday in the group and actually two of them as they were in later life and adults they came back and also worked with a group of handicapped because they were so touched and of course it was all through my scouting

22:53 And then

22:57 They were confronted with the challenge of emergency preparedness.

23:03 And

23:04 They had to learn all of these different things and then a challenge was presented to them and they had to pass a challenge and the challenge of emergency preparedness took place on the road out of horse tanks near Stone cabin in Arizona, LOL. Yeah, and they use their skills when they came across an orchestrated accident on the road. There were broken legs. They were bloody body parts and the girls were incredible and they and they were together and then another thing that happened was in March of 1974. They made a trip to San Luis Mexico earning the global understanding badge and they visited a tile making plant downtown tourist business has a typical family's home and they have lunch in Saint Louise and they met their met girls. They're their same age and they they gave these girls small craft.

24:04 Gift thanks for being there. And each of the girls were given a Mexican crepe paper flower, but the host was an owner of a business there. He orchestrated the whole the whole I think they were for our adventure activities. Exactly and one of the things they eat they to each of them to visit the historical Catholic Church. Yes in Saint Louise. And another thing they did that they visited the voting booths at AWC. Oh, okay. Yes and part of the challenges and they had an it was an incredible experience in the timing was just right who is the president that was getting? Of course, you think I remember they

25:04 Ending officer's wife at ypg and they came in to Yuma on a text to her and the mayor and told them where their taxes went foot what paper stop signs what play sidewalks time.

25:23 The they visited the water plant was brand new and you met that time, right and they visited the water planet. We have pictures of the mayor touring all of the alleles from ypg, but here they were on a bus being told where the money was all going nice. So we had some kind of incredible.

25:46 Experiences in the desert I know and that's why I wanted to bring you here cuz I know you are a knowledge of two stories around Girl Scouts and and how we do it. You know, how you bring? What's presents? What do you think about how what do you think about Girl Scouts now? How's it going? I know it's it's something that always I always want to ask traditional leaders. And you know, I when the program started changing so much I bought a couple of the books to try to turn myself in but I am so distance and the changes are so many. I I just I don't understand everything you were so science-based Mel and stem is a huge thing. One thing that I learned while working at Girl Scouts is that we were the first entrepreneurs to develop them.

26:41 And the the government of course provide us with a Department of Education because we're the ones that Innovative that idea to to do Grant and things like that. So because of Girl Scouts that's a huge huge Frontier thing that we did and so we started semi as you can give no stem activities for science technology engineering and math is our basics of every batch that you mentioned or even conducted as a troop leader that you are.

27:16 One of the things I knew that I knew that when they were going towards damn there was a national uproar because they were going away from the out-of-doors have ended up. I understand bringing back the out-of-doors. Yeah camping. And yes those skills. I don't think it is much as impact that happened in Yuma County cuz we're sew outdoor driven anyways, but I felt bad. Yes for other communities that are very stem driven, but and you might nothing I did. I think we adopted it more to be outdoors because we have the Colorado River right there. We have all the Necessities that we do we have the West Wetlands Park to camp. We also have Betty's Kitchen or a little area right there that we usually do Campari and jamborees coming up and it's going to be at Roper lake. So yeah, I think it's going to be awesome that you might hasn't changed that aspect.

28:16 Outdoors because my leaders in the girls crave it so that's so important in you know, many of my I've told you about older girl younger or older girl. God bless. My underwear was just such an important part of the funds right in their lives, right Maria Duran, which was one of your Girl Scouts in the Goldsmith building always talks about a trip to Julian and

29:04 And their campgrounds and that she's shoot they had it is called.

29:11 Elephant rock or something like that over there and they would walk towards it but it felt like it was Miles and Miles, but now that she did it has her daughter's in Girl Scouts and is older she says it wasn't that Emily would like less than a mile. But for her it was you know, it was like this like whole Adventure throughout the you know that I took all day but it's funny to say that she she loves it and you know, she's driving and then she always says, oh my God, I'm working for Girl Scouts every day and even having Aaliyah her daughter as being part of Girl Scouts now, it's she's having a blast and she she thinks that a lot for you.

29:51 I just course I didn't girls getting to bring girls adventures and buy and to attend to watch them grow and it was so absolutely incredible. I would like to turn to another Direction and that is that I was in Panama for 30 years and had some absolutely incredible experiences there a first of all I was one of the neighborhood they had thousands of Girl Scouts in the Canal Zone. Now, of course, that's all gone. But I was the neighborhood director for what was called tropical troops No One Fort Kobe and I was a Cadet troop leader for part of the time there and one of the things that I led troop Cadets to the experience of touring and island called barro, Colorado Island, which was run by the Smithsonian Institute.

30:52 And they did all kinds of aspiritech experiments in and studied bugs and birds and all this time. And in order to take my girls there. I had to make two trips because they didn't know it was like guests were invited one and there were only so many that could come but first of all, we had to get a railroad train Panama City and then we went from the Train the train let us off in the middle of the Jungle, LOL that by the tracks and we waited until they both came to pick us up to take us to the island and we had a hundred steps up onto the island. Where are everything was happening and this what happened to make barro, Colorado Island one day.

31:43 Flooded in the water to make the the Panama Canal they made a lake and is Lake then and Compass some of these islands and this island particularly. Once it was flooded. Nothing could go from it where it's all pristine and was

32:04 You know quite a thing to have happened, but when we took these girls we spent hours there. We have lunch. Howler monkeys and made all our now. That's awesome. And the whole that whole trip on Safari act like that is so awesome. Girl scout Trail and this was the Betrayal was across the Isthmus from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. And this is where the slaves carried gold from one end of the Isthmus to the Atlantic side where there were warehouses and they put the goals in the warehouses and then they would that ships would come and the golden taken to Spain.

33:04 So the girls once a year made this trip halfway across the Sol and the experience. They had to have three Preparatory hikes jungle height and

33:18 Hiking in the jungle is incredible be great with SNAP. You can't even hear anything that might have to kick a funny and you cannot reach your hand out to touch anything. He already fall because right there are trees that have huge black stickers all down. The man you will absolutely will penetrate your hands if you touch them. So anyway, I prepared and put together this this height for two years and I was I was not able to go on at myself because I had to haul stuff the girls did not carry a chance while but the second year that we were there when they were to come in the second day. They got lost in the jungle and they came in like 5 hours late a while in the dark and lumber fees had come in and cut down trees and head the one way the past and Sprite the markings.

34:18 That trip was the coordinating saying was absolutely incredible. And then there was another opportunity girls had an older girl opportunity. They had they had the opportunity to camp for 1 week on an uninhabited island of San Blas Islands on a coral reef could the boat trip back and forth primitive camping and then snorkeling on that on that Reef, but they couldn't they had to learn how to to set up a tent and have the the anchors to the tent. They had to figure out how to hold the tent down because it couldn't

35:08 It couldn't go in right and anyway, these girls went out for a week on a boat and camped on the island and I couldn't because I had a two-year-old seven. Oh what a blessing. I am. So excited that I had the opportunity to interview. Did you today about the many Girl Scout experiences? And what a Girl Scout is in to document this for for Yuma County and then your other experiences that you did like, Alabama. He said Alaska and all that stuff, Sharon. I appreciate your time. I value your input and the sword that you do.

35:49 An experience that you had