From left on the ladder is Emma Montalbano, artistic consultant; parent Joanne Koppel whose GS daughters work on the mural; Denielle Breech, parent and assistant leader Troop 702; Karen Tu, 14, and Nyah Magett, 13, both helping from Girl Scout Troop 1534. All are helping paint the new mural designed by Girl Scout Troop 702 at United Methodist Church.

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - United Methodist Church in Rancho Cordova hosts Girl Scout Troop 702.  The troop has been meeting there for an hour every other week for around eleven years. 

A couple of years ago, Girl Scout Isabella Lopez noticed that an old mural on an outside wall had faded from time and weather. 

“I had the idea of like, Hey!” Lopez said. “What if we try to make a new mural with fresh, bright colors and something new to really pop.  So that’s how this whole thing started. We all got together and began to draw out our ideas.”

Laura Montalbano started Troop 702 around 2013 and is the Girl Scout leader for the troop. The Girl Scout organization provides training and the process of starting a troop is not that difficult, she said

“Girl Scouts are intended to be girl led. You start off when they’re five, and then by the time they’re 10 or 11, you have them start running the troop,” Montalbano said. “You give them ideas . . . So, by the time they’re in high school, your job is hardly anything, you’re just overseeing.  That’s the goal.” 

Montalbano is aided by two assistant leaders, Lisa Goodwin-Yates and Denielle Breech.

The plan, progress pictures and story board made by the girls are posted across from the new mural, which is nearly done. 

From left are Amelia Twining, 14, and Hannah Cantorna, 14, helping paint from Girl Scout Troop 1534; Deborah Barrell, member of UMC; Diane Cantorna, co-Troop 1534 leader; Lisa Goodwin-Yates, assistant leader Girl Scout Troop 702; Isabella Lopez, 16, clown name Sunny Patches, Girl Scout Troop 702, and her friend, clown name Fizzy Pop, 16; Laura Montalbano, Girl Scout Troop 702 leader; and CeCe Montalbano, 5, Girl Scout Troop 702.  All are helping paint the new mural at United Methodist Church, designed by Girl Scout Troop 702.

“The actual mural has a lot more than what is on our paper draft,” Lopez said, “which means that during the whole process, there is a lot of room for creative freedom.”

Montalbano’s daughter, Emma Montalbano, has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She is a working artist and teaching artist for K-12 students.  For this project, she is a volunteer artistic consultant.

“(My mom) ran my Girl Scout troop when I was a little girl,” Emma Montalbano said. “Once I was old enough to become an adult Girl Scout, then she started to run the troop for some of my little cousins, so three of them are in Troop 702 now.” 

The girls chose much of the design aspects around what the church does, such as the fire pit, where the church has events. The mural shows giving food to people and growing food for members of the church and people in the community. 

The Girl Scouts kept the idea of rainbow and dove from the original mural, and a few other items. 

“They pretty much designed the whole thing,” Emma Montalbano said. “I just supported them and taught them some things about layout, and how to transfer your mural from a smaller piece of paper onto the very big wall . . . We did a lot of learning along the way . . . and they added their own little twists all along.”

Members of Troop 702 are Daisies CeCe Montalbano, 5; Elise Bellamine, 5; and Sarah Lopez, 5; Junior Girl Scouts Maggie C. and Mary Montalbano, both 9; Cadette Jaden Goulet, 12; Senior Girl Scouts Audrey Breech, 14, Abby Koppel, 15, and Isabella Menjivar, 15; and Ambassador Girl Scouts Isabella Lopez, 16, and Kimberly Schwan, 16.

“I started out really young, so my first thing with Girl Scouts was, Hey, I can make friends, and I can have fun,” said Lopez. “But now that I have been a Girl Scout for 11 years, I see a lot more value in not just selling cookies and making friends but learning leadership, money skills, business management, and a lot of creativity.”

Showing off the new mural planning  painting at United Methodist Church, from left are  Jaden Goulet, 12, and Audrey Breech, 14, GS Troop 702; Isabella Lopez, (reclining), 16, GS Troop 702; Maggie C., 9, Girl Scout Troop 702; and Emma Montalbano, artistic consultant. 

United Methodist Church holds church services at 10 a.m. each Sunday at 2101 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova.  It also has a family ministry called “Messy Church” the second Friday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  More information is available at the church.

UMC Reverend Elizabeth Brick was a Girl Scout and her mother was a leader.

“UMC of Rancho Cordova loves our partnership with our Girl Scouts” Brick said.  “We are grateful to be a part of something so positive. Also, like the Girl Scouts, UMC of Rancho Cordova is a fully inclusive community.  We welcome all people into our church and all truly means all.”