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I might start one of my own that doesn't sell cookies. Or as an alternative, I would Juliette my scout, meaning that we do the activities to earn badges on our own, but also send her to Girl Scout camp so she could get some time with other girls. I'm just kicking around ideas right now.
Most GS Councils receive a hefty amount of the money from cookie sales to finance their programming throughout the year. While that's not a motivation to go out and sell 2,000 boxes, it does mean that as a responsible member of GS, you should participate in cookie sales to the degree to which you are able. Also, many Councils will not allow you to do any other fundraising projects (and provide the insurance for said projects) if you do not at least participate in cookie sales. But I'm sure if you became a leader, you'd find other parents who would be eager to have their girls join a troop that doesn't live and breathe cookie sales!
Juliettes are an option, but I think many of the skills you learn in GS come from working with other girls, learning how to work cooperatively, and learning how/when to reach consensus. It's not just earning badges (although that is fun, too!) It also gives her an opportunity to work under different adults with different teaching and management styles. Juliettes can also participate in Council-wide activities, and some some service units/districts will include Juliettes in local level programming, as well as camps. But, being girls, most find that these activities are more fun if you are participating with friends.
Not abstaining until marriage IS shameful, so we should shame people who do that.
I am not saying people should go to jail for it, but it is pretty stupid behavior.
Omg that's funny. I hope you don't have kids if they have to be shamed instead of teaching them that it is perfectly normal and ok to be sexual and to have sex as long as they also learn to make choices to respect their bodies and decisions as well as learning about std's and pregnancy prevention.
While I am a very reserved person, I don't think sex is reserved for marriage. And I know many Christians who also feel the way I do. I want my daughter to learn:
Her body is her own
Her choices about sex belong to her
Being sexually active prior to marriage doesn't make her bad in any way
Sex is normal and natural
Monogamy is the best way to stay safe (physically and mentally)
She chooses when to get pregnant
Well there is a lot more...but...no, I don't agree with putting an emphasis on being "pure" or a "virgin". You can be a good person, a whole person while being sexually active.
I don't think Girl Scouts is supposed to officially follow a certain religion. It's supposed to be a non-religious group. If people have problems with that, then sure, they should get their kid into a religious group.
I don't have a problem with my child doing non-religious activities. For example, she attends gymnastics. That's not a religious activity and the gymnastics place doesn't teach any thing religious. I'd like her to learn to be around kids from different religious backgrounds. If she's only involved in activities specific to a certain religious, she won't get that kind of exposure.
I no opposition to American Heritage Girls as I'm still considering this group for my daughter. There was too much drama in Girl Scouts, a lot of it seems to arise out of cookie sale time. I've worked hard to keep my daughter out of this drama, by not involving her in booth sales, just selling privately door to door. Because there have been huge drama issues surrounding the booth sales, for some reason. The women deal with it by gossiping instead of confronting the issues assertively. They is not always good adult role models for my daughter.
Girl Scouts is relatively secular, but they do co-operate with churches in offering faith based activities if a girl (alone) or a troop wants to do that. They certainly do not follow any specific faith.
When my dd was in scouts (back in the late 70s to the early 90s in Illinois), we had several girls who earned religious recognitions, but our troop was extremely diverse, so the troop never did anything together on religions.
I don't think any of the girls in my granddaughter's troop have done any religious recognitions here in Texas. Our girls have been together since they were 6 years old and are now 15 and sophomores in high school. Girl scouts has been fantastic for my granddaughter. Most of the troop is going to attempt the Gold Award which is the equivalent of the Eagle Scout award in boy scouts.
The advantage of Girl Scouts is going to depend on the troop and the leader, but both my dd and my dgd have had very diverse troops and they have learned to work together well. They also have done a lot of activities where they help the community which I really like.
I was in Girl Scouts for many years, never once were we taught that "girls are superior to boys".
We were, but it was a very intentionally pushed ideal in the area I grew up in during the 90s.
I have issues with the overall national GSA organization that makes it so that I cannot support them. AHG is something I would look into, but I don't have any qualms with the religious aspects as many do.
From their page: "As a Navigator, I promise to do my best to create a world free of prejudice and ignorance.
To treat people of every race, creed, lifestyle and ability with dignity and respect.
To strengthen my body and improve my mind to reach my full potential.
To protect our planet and preserve our freedom."
Apparently we are through discussing the op since thread has been hijacked into a discussion of birth control, premarital sex, etc
Not to mention the religious arguments.
We're closed
Last edited by Miss Blue; 01-21-2018 at 11:45 AM..
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