BROWNIE CONTEST GROWS BY LEAPS.

Byline: Jean Russell Vogel Special to the Daily News

Rick Hand's daughter, Carolyn, was a Brownie Girl Scout in 1984 when her dad came up with the idea for Brownilympics.

The idea was prompted by the Brownies' interest in the international Olympics, hosted that year by Los Angeles.

Like Carolyn, who is now 20, Brownilympics just kept growing.

Now 42 Brownie Troops from Simi Valley and 14 from Moorpark regularly participate in the annual event. Friends and families can expect to see 626 girls taking part in today's competition, said Hand.

Brownies from neighboring communities have been guest participants in the past, and now Brownilympics are being organized in other locales. The Conejo Valley's first Brownilympics is scheduled for June.

To guide the leaders in organizing Brownilympics, Hand has prepared a manual, ``Every Brownie Goes Home a Winner.'' The title alludes to the fact that each participant receives a handsome gold medal.

Hand was gratified that the Brownilympics drew numerous dads into the program, and many of the original volunteers continue to officiate. A Junior Girl Scout during the second Brownilympics, Carolyn Hand assisted her dad that year and every subsequent one.