Local girl-made-good LaRae Orullian joined local grocers and educators when she led the East Mill Creek Community July 4 Parade Tuesday.
Orullian, 61, is a longtime banker. She's nearing the end of her second term as national president of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. A graduate of Granite High, she now lives in Denver, where she serves on a number of boards of directors.Asked nearly nine months ago by the local Lion's Club to serve as the parade's "Honorary Citizen of the Year," Orullian said she was "very honored to lead the parade." She remembered playing baritone horn in the very same parade years ago as a junior high school student.
Orullian joined Dan's Foods Inc. founder Glen Nygren, educator and county food bank organizer Lowell Bennion and former Holladay Elementary School principal Frank Bailley as grand marshal of the 40-year-old parade. She led "a few hundred" children in the nearly milelong parade that ended at Evergreen Park around 10 a.m., said parade co-chairman and Lions Club member Bill Nay-lor.
"We wanted a local person to begin with, and (her father lives) right across the street from Evergreen Park. (He's) still a member of the Lion's Club. The thought occurred to us: Here's a local person who should be recognized," Naylor said. "Because of her local roots and the fact we were involving Girl Scouts to carry our state flags, essentially that was it."
Orullian was elected to her voluntary post with the Girl Scouts in 1990. She was re-elected in 1993. Ironically, Orullian, who has no children, was not a Girl Scout herself. She's been involved with the New York-based organization for the past 26 years.
An estimated 3.5 million American girls between 5 and 18 years old - or one in nine girls - are Girl Scouts. Orullian said approximately 12,000 Utah girls belong to the largest all-girl service organization in the world.
"We give girls the tools and skills necessary to develop themselves and develop their self-esteem so they can become leaders. It's a very, very positive organization that provides good moral and spiritual values . . . in a wholesome environment," Orullian said. "The girls say they have a lot of fun.
"We're moving in a very positive direction," she added. "Girl Scouts are a leader in diversity and are committed to reflecting the face of American society today."