Name:  Ferne Druckenmiller

Age:  81

Family:  Ferne and her husband, Kent, have been married for 64 years.  They fostered 13 children and adopted four — two boys and two girls. The couple now delights in their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well.

Hometown:  They have owned 30 acres of property in Macungie since 1956 where the children and grandchildren still come for all the holidays.  “The house gets very full and busy when everyone is here,” she said.

Name of organization:  Girl Scout Troop 6413, for girls ages 6 through 8, which meets at Grace Lutheran Church.

Describe what you do.  “We learn lots of things at meetings, go camping and work on various badges. One of the things I like to do with the girls is to take them different places where they can meet other people, see historical sites and learn about other cultures. We have met some of the nicest people on our trips — I still correspond with some of them.

“The first trip I took with a group was to Wyoming. We set up tents and camped on top of a mesa where the wind blew so hard it could pick them up.

“We have also been to Canada, Florida, Minnesota, Great Wolf Water Park in Scotrun, Monroe County, and many more places.  The Minnesota trip was for the Girl Scout Jamboree, but we couldn’t leave before visiting the Mall of America.

“Our biggest trip ever was a 22-day excursion to Europe with another Girl Scout Troop.  We went to Italy, Austria, England, Amsterdam, Germany and Switzerland. It was a very memorable trip.”

Why and how long have you volunteered?  “I volunteer for Girl Scouts because it is such a worthwhile institution.  They need guidance and mentoring as they grow up and I enjoy being with them.”

“I have been involved in the Girl Scouts for 52 years.  I was a scout myself for four years, and then I dropped out.  When my daughter was old enough to join, I also joined as a Brownie leader. Now I work with the Cadettes and have been a leader for the past 48 years.

Tell us a story about any experiences you may have had with this organization.  “It was on our trip to Europe.  We stayed in a youth camp chalet in Switzerland with about 2000 young people.  There were also some Boy Scouts from Scotland staying on the floor below us and our girls wanted to know what they wore under the kilts.  They found out later that the boys had shorts on.  We didn’t ask how they found out!”

How can someone get involved with this group if they want?  “Simply call the Girl Scout Council in Allentown at 610-791-2411 and they will get you into the right troop.”