SCOUTS GO GLOBAL FOR A DAY, PUTTING ON MOORPARK SHOW.

Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer

With a flurry of multicolored skirts, the six young girls dipped and swayed to the music, demonstrating the fury of a storm striking the Puerto Rican coastline.

"It's about a storm. It wrecks the island," explained 8-year-old Rachel Nash, a Brownie with Troop 526.

Rachel and her five troop mates - Michelle Jue, Tanya Brown, Amanda Downey, Elizabeth Machlitt, all 8; and 9-year-old Lyndie Benson - shared their knowledge about the U.S. territory with hundreds of other Scouts from the area. More than 25 countries were represented Saturday at the Arroyo Vista Community Center as part of international Think Day, an annual event for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides.

"It's a celebration of world friendship. It gives the girls a chance to study Girl Scout traditions from other countries and they get to learn about other cultures," said Theresa Paden, an organizer for the event and leader of Daisy Troop 83.

Twenty-seven groups of Daisies, Brownies and Juniors danced, told folk tales and discussed what they had learned about their chosen country during performances. Vikings and trolls represented Norway; dancing girls in grass skirts represented Hawaii.

In khaki shorts and safari hats, one group sang "Kookaburra" while waving gum tree branches. Koalas and flavored ice sticks were displayed on their table.

"I like the koala table with the different figures on the lollipop," said 9-year-old Sarah Moore, clutching a shopping bag filled with souvenirs from the displays she'd visited.

"I like the flowers. They're from Fiji," added her friend, Christa Gehricke, 10. The girls are members of Junior Troop 874, which chose China as their country.

In three rooms of the community center, Scouts made their way from table to table, sampling the wares of France, the Netherlands, India, Swaziland, Jamaica, Norway and other countries.

"That's why I really like this program: The girls get to learn about all the strengths of different people," said Lidia Cruz-Machlitt, co-leader of Troop 526.

Cruz-Machlitt, originally from Puerto Rico, called on relatives and friends in the U.S. territory so she could teach the girls the steps to the folk dance.

"It's a very traditional folk dance," she said. "My sister-in-law was here in December and she helped me with the steps."

In preparation for Saturday's event, each group of Scouts studied the geography, climate and culture of the country they would represent.

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Photo (1--color) Eight-year-old Girl Scouts, from left, Mary Schubert, Jessica Montgomery and Katheryn Nicks, represent France at the annual event by singing "Frere Jacques." (2) Members of Troop 307 perform a Thai folk dance during opening ceremonies for Think Day at Moorpark's Arroya Vista Community Center. (3) Scout leader Gayle Vivat performs a Thai folk dance for the girls. Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News