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Photo by Steve Johnson Beckie Wise sorts through a load of Girl Scout cookies, one of her final duties for the Winema Girl Scout Council before leaving her post as program services director. Scout leader heads south Focused on girls' self-esteem By ALEX BREITLER When Beckie Wise was a Girl Scout, a "good grooming" badge was the reward she -- and every other girl -- wanted most. Today, that badge is joined by computer, auto repair, astronomy and all sorts of other badges. Wise feels the accomplishments help girls deal with what often is their biggest problem: self-esteem. "That's absolutely everything," Wise says. "It's what a lot of our programs are based on. The way these kids feel when they accomplish anything is just unbelievable." Wise, director of program services for the Winema Girl Scout Council, is leaving next week to take a managing job at a ranch in Oakhurst, Calif. But the impression she left after 13 years in the Girl Scout system is obvious. "She's always the one we've gone to for help," says volunteer Marcia Connolly. "She knows everybody, knows how to solve your problems." But Wise doesn't want to fix it all herself; she wants to teach kids to mend their own problems. Education is the key to mending the problems teens face, such as pregnancy and dropping out of school, she says. "They need to know that they have the ability to make decisions," Wise says. "They need a program like the Girl Scouts where they can become strong and capable." Wise became a volunteer troop leader during her first year of college in Southern California. She remembers how uninvolved the previous troop leader had been. That differed greatly from the experience she had as a child. "I was fortunate and had a dynamite leader who cared what we wanted," she says. Seeing both sides of the coin made Wise realize how important the positions are and how they can influence children's lives. Lots of meaningful times from her years here stick out in Wise's mind, like when she dressed up as a clown to ease the nerves of some girls getting ready for a dance, or the day a dozen years ago when she saved an allergic boy stung 38 times by wasps. Connolly has her own memories. She recalls sock hops, midnight picnics in the park and an all-around good time. "It's unbelievable, some of the crazy things we've done," she says. "She's half nuts, which is what made it so fun -- that's why so many girls have stayed." The Winema Girl Scout Council serves 2,400 girls in Northern California and Southern Oregon. Wise came as a receptionist in 1986, quickly working her way up the ladder. She served as day camp director and resident camp director for several years. "Kids came (to camp) who couldn't even carry their own sleeping bags, and at the end of the week they're so proud of themselves,'' says Wise, whose camp name is "Skeeter." For the last two years, she's had an even bigger responsibility: managing Girl Scout cookie sales for the region. It's all done for the kids, Wise says; she loves their honesty and openness. A going-away roast will be held Thursday. But it won't be much of a celebration. "It's kind of like we're in shock," Connolly says. "There's nobody who can replace her." But Wise is too modest to say she's had a big impact. "I don't know if I've changed anything," she says. "But I hope that I've helped a lot of people." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA