Last Friday night in the Vallecito Elementary School gym the San Rafael Girl Scouts blasted into the past with their annual Sock Hop from 7p.m. to 9p.m. 

Over 160 girls from 17 different troops were expected to attend what is always one of the wildest parties of the year.  It felt more like 200 girls and with parents and chaperones the gym probably had close to 300 people.  DJ Jim Lehmann, owner of Lehmann Plumbing Incorporated by day, helped turn the night into a very special occasion by serving up some classic tunes.

No song got a better response than YMCA, which caused the gym to literally erupt!  My ears were still ringing the next day from all the high pitched ‘Y M C A’ shouts.  The Macarena also got the girls moving and shaking through the familiar dance steps.  Small Conga Lines were quite popular throughout the evening, and at one point, when DJ Jim urged the girls to all get in line, they formed an impressive, fast moving loop around the gym. I snapped a few photos and nearly got run over by what sounded and felt like a screaming freight train.

The Sock Hop is always one of the most anticipated events of the year for the Girl Scout parents and children.  It gives them an opportunity to dress up and party like it's 1959. Several of the ladies wore letterman jackets and jeans rolled up from their ankles showing classic black and white shoes.  ‘Pink Ladies’ jackets were also in vogue.  Most of the girls wore long dresses and took great pleasure in twirling around in them while dancing with their friends.  What I didn’t get was the poodle.  Roughly ninety percent of the Sock Hop dresses had one form of poodle or another on them.  What was up with the poodles?  Were poodles the height of fashion in the 50’s?

I didn’t dress up for the occasion, but a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and jeans with slicked back hair would have been perfect.  I’m probably a little too old to dress up like Fonzi anyway.  I could have walked around the gym embarrassing the heck out of my daughter by giving everybody two thumbs up and an “Eh!”  I’ve always got next year to embarrass my daughter.  Or tomorrow.

Girl Scout Cookie Locations

For you Girl Scout cookie connoisseurs who would like to give your loved one something sweet and special this Valentine’s Day, Troop #32671 will be in front of Scotty’s Market in Terra Linda on Valentine’s Day.  What would you rather receive, a box of mystery chocolates that you never know what you’re going to bite into or a box of Thin Mints? 

The troop will also be at the Terra Linda Safeway on the following dates:

• Feb. 19; 1p.m. to 5p.m
• Feb. 24; 3p.m. to 6p.m.
• Feb. 25; 9a.m. to 1p.m

And at Scotty's Market on:

• Feb. 14; 3p.m. to 6p.m.
• March 12; 3p.m. to 6p.m.

After that you’ll have to wait until 2013 to satiate your Girl Scout cookie fix.