Two secret service agents come into the room, look around, and give the all clear signal. Moments later, Michelle Obama strides into the room with the President right behind her. The girls look at each other…this means they will get to meet the President. At that moment, Becca’s heart skips a beat. All of the girls are surprised at how tall the President and First Lady are. Mrs. Obama makes her way down the line to introduce herself and meet the Scouts. She and Connie Lindsay share a hug and she warmly shakes hands and speaks to everyone who have come to witness the moment. President Obama chats a little with each Scout. When he comes to Camille, her mind and tongue froze.
“And what’s your name?” he asks shaking her hand.
“C-C-C-C-C-C-C,” is all that comes out of her mouth. Then Kristine elbows her, which has a similar effect of repositioning a phonograph needle on a scratched record. Finally, she’s able to answer, “Camille.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Camille,” he responds. Next he shakes Molly’s hand and she has a request for the President.
“President Obama, would it be possible for you to give me a get-out-of-homework pass?” She remembers that he’d written out an excuse note for a school girl during his campaign.
The President smiles. “We will have to do something about that.” Then he looks at one of his staffers and asks “Can we get these girls a homework pass?” Although they never get the passes, the girls think he has a great sense of humor.
“Let’s get those pictures taken,” Mrs. Obama says and the photographer comes over and stands in front of the group. With Camille, Kristina, and Molly next to the President and Sabareeshini and Becca beside the First Lady, the photographer takes the official portrait. At that moment, the girls in Jennifer’s troop become the official faces of the Girl Scouts welcoming their new Honorary National President.
After the photographer takes another series of photos with just the adults, it’s time to go outside and look at the stars.
A few minutes later, President Obama and his wife welcome the large group of middle school students to the White House on that clear but chilly night. He introduces the night’s important guests—Sally Ride, former Girl Scout and the first woman to go into space; Mae Jemison, the first African American woman astronaut; and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Although the President doesn’t talk for long, many of his words hold special meaning for his young audience:
There are a lot of mysteries left, and there are a lot of problems for you students to solve, and I want to be a president who makes sure you have the teachers and the tools that you need to solve them. That’s why we’re working to reinvigorate math and science in your schools and attract new and qualified science teachers in your classrooms, some with lifetimes of experience […] That’s how we’ll move American students to the top of the pack in math and in science over the next decade to guarantee that America will lead the world in discovery in this new century.
Once the President’s speech is over, all of the middle school students, including the Girl Scouts, race from one piece of equipment to the next, hoping to catch a glimpse of an unusual celestial body. The President leaves for a short while and reappears with Sasha and Malia in hand. Together, the Obama Family walks around, mingles with the students for a few minute, and then takes their leave as the activities continue for the rest of the group.
The next day, the photograph of the girls with the President and Michelle Obama is released by the White House and distributed to the media. From there it goes into blogs and other Web sites. Along with the photo is a statement from Mrs. Obama:
It is my great pleasure to serve as Honorary National President of Girl Scouts. With their innovative new programming, ground-breaking research, and emphasis on service and leadership, Girl Scouts is preparing the women of tomorrow to be a positive force for change—in their own lives, their communities, and across the globe.
It was a night to remember for the Cadettes. “Meeting the President was on my list of things to do in life—now I can check that one off,” Camille says. “I was so excited, my mouth hurt from smiling all day.”
A few months after the White House visit, a photo taken of the Obamas with the girls from Silver Spring appears on the slick pages of Essence Magazine in the section “Ten Things We’re Talking About.” The photo shows Mrs. Obama with the girls from Jennifer’s troop and the caption says that they are “Some of America’s Luckiest Girl Scouts.”
Girl Scout Sabareeshini’s brother agrees. When she came home from the White House that night, his sister told him what she’d seen and done. With a lot of awe and just a bit of envy he says, “Girl Scouts get to do EVERYTHING!”
