Daisies meet adopted soldier

Daisy Troop 70562 of Fulton met Brandon Craig, a U.S. sailor they adopted to earn a patch, on Tuesday. They brought Craig a gift at the meeting and sent him items throughout the project.
Daisy Troop 70562 of Fulton met Brandon Craig, a U.S. sailor they adopted to earn a patch, on Tuesday. They brought Craig a gift at the meeting and sent him items throughout the project.

Earning patches is a big part of being a Girl Scout. That begins early with Daisy Troops - the youngest scouts, usually aged in preschool or kindergarten - so Fulton troop leader Phyllis Garnett went online to find a patch her Daisies might be interested in doing.

"They can earn a patch for adopting a soldier," Garnett said. "So I found a soldier from Fulton for them to adopt."

Garnett had known Brandon Craig, 23, of Fulton, since he was a child. So she called him.

"She's always been like an aunt to me," Craig said. "When she called and asked, I told her I would do it."

On Tuesday, Craig met the troop that had been sending him packages while earning that patch.

"It was pretty fun for the girls," Garnett said. "They all brought in different items each time. We always sat down and talked about what things they could bring for Brandon. I think they were very excited to participate like this."

The girls were joyous during the time they met Craig on Tuesday. They brought him a gift and got to interact with him during their meeting.

"It was a lot of fun," Craig said.

Garnett set up the meeting for troop members while Craig, a member of the United States Navy, was in Fulton on leave.

"I've had a lot of fun serving my country," he said. "I've gotten to travel the world and had my college paid for."