Alumnae Story
Finally Meeting in Person

	Jean and Gladys in her beautiful garden in Exminster, which is a suburb or Exeter.

By Gladys (nee Albright) Horvath
Louisville, KY

In the 1950s, I was a Girl Scout in Reamstown, Lancaster County, PA, under the leadership of Josephine Stick. I was a Brownie, and then later a Girl Scout, but I don't remember the troop number. I do remember going to camp at Furnace Hills, the Girl Scout Camp in our county.

Our troop obtained names of Girl Guides in England, and many of us began corresponding with pen pals. I have continued this correspondence (most recently by email) since 1953 with Jean (nee Earlham) Brundle, who was a Girl Guide in Wolverhampton, England. After 54 years, Jean and I finally met face to face earlier this month when my husband Ron and I were visiting Britain. We stayed with Jean and her husband, Bob Brundle, for four days in their lovely home in Exminster, Devon. We had a delightful time, as they were most gracious hosts and helped us learn more about their region and about ordinary life in England. Jean and I have had somewhat parallel lives as both of us became teachers, both had two children, and both are now grandmothers. My granddaughters, incidentally, are active in Scouting in Huntsville, Alabama.

Years ago we often talked about visiting each other ("...when you come to England" or "...when you come to America..."), but for a long time we stopped discussing it because it seemed unlikely that we would ever meet. This year, however, when my husband Ron and I decided to travel to Britain, I mentioned this in an email, and Jean immediately invited us to stay with them. The four of us got along very well and we all felt that this visit was long overdue!