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I had a friend who was in Girl Scouts. She appreciated learning all the camping and nature skills and lore, and the outings. Isn't there a subtle religious component to Scouts, though? Kids can learn the same things at summer camp, without the pressure to earn badges or without any religious overtones.
In fact, scouting was originated as a means to indoctrinate young boys into a very restrictive social/religious set of values. The militarized structure and uniforms were to prepare them to be eager and dependable Christian soldiers, in support of nationalistic interests and imperialism. Then and now, the organization requires its young members to practice total abstinence, under the archaic repressions of Victoriaism. Their peers outside the organization, are having sex and becoming normal and healthy adults. The scouts is a good place to put your kids, if you value fundamentalist dogma and to keep them straight-jacketed. Next step in a dictatorship, to become goose-stepping automatons, carrying guns for the Fatherland.
Read this and look up many related stories under "Boy Scouts in Nazi Germany".
I do think the uniforms should go out of style. Some people won't join because of the cost of the uniforms. Maybe just keep a vest to put one's badges on or something and to wear during scout ceremonies.
I remember when I was a brownie, we had a full uniform including a beanie hat.
You're not required to own a uniform to participate in Girl Scouts. I had a full uniform (as a Brownie, never bought the green uniform), most did not, some purchased the sash only, and wore it to meetings with their patches.
My troop was led by a Jewish man and we had troop members who were Jewish, Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican, Black Baptist, Hindu, Muslim, and even open agnostic/atheist even though that is technically against the rules.
Religion never came up. We didn't talk about religion or "God", we didn't pray. We learned first aid, got swimming merit badges, cleaned up trash by the river, assisted the Special Olympics, went to Yankee games, went winter camping, hiked the Appalachian trail, learned by build fire by friction, did a "50-miler" backpacking/canoe trip in the Adirondacks, went skiing, assisted the fire department in mock emergency drills, played basketball, learned to shoot a .22 rifle safely, learned to ride and care for horses, and many more fun and useful activities.
The bylaws "require" that a Scout believe in a "higher power" but it gets no more specific than that. The pledge mentions 'God', and one of the components of the Law is 'reverence'. That was the limit of any mention of religion in my troop.
Sounds an awful lot like the troop we had our son in, kids from all different faiths. We belonged to the atheist/agnostic group, never got any flak for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alabamarose
That was the most valuable skill a girl could obtain by being a Girl Scout.
The ability to introduce herself with confidence to strangers of all different backgrounds and explain why she was selling cookies, etc. This taught little girls to be able to comfortably speak and explain things with confidence to anyone.
Now they hang out in front of grocery stores in groups with their moms hovering over them with a sign that says "cookies for sale" and there is nothing to gain from that experience. Unfortunately it's no longer safe to sell cookies the old school way. So why bother with girl scouts? They are not gaining the confidence and conversational/ sales skills, etc that the girl scouts of the old days did.
Actually that is still supposed to be a part of the girls selling cookies, even at a storefront 'booth'. The girls are supposed to know the product line, approach customers with their sales pitch, figure the cost and make change, help decide how many and what kinds of cookies to sell, decide on advertising (flyers, fb page, whatever) etc. There is PLENTY for girls to gain from cookie booths if their leaders are doing it right.
You're not required to own a uniform to participate in Girl Scouts. I had a full uniform (as a Brownie, never bought the green uniform), most did not, some purchased the sash only, and wore it to meetings with their patches.
I think the only time we ever wore uniforms in Girl Scouts was at the "Annual Awards Ceremony", and even then, the most I remember seeing were white blouses with the Girl Scout symbol on them, and either sashes or vests.
Brownies, to girl scout, to the teen explorer group. Later Junior achievement.
Accolades to these social groups. Learned much in social skills.. sewing, abiding, and collaborating.
Disliked some of the hypocrisy..As some of my gender club members was given special preferences...
Our finale test in the explorers club was a weekend survival. Wow would that leave an impression ! Which I suppose explains why I am short on tolerance for some folks that say they " can't do XYZ.." you learn mighty quick how to "do" . Greatest test of teamwork.. and listening .. saved us.
We did camping, swimming, outdoor ed, art, music, crafts (lots of different ones, from textiles to woodworking), community service projects.
I liked everything but cookie sales, which I didn't really participate in.
Lucky you but how did you get out of the cookie sales? We had to go door to door in our uniform. That ugly green dress. It was cold out and I remember freezing. I hated selling those cookies the most. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was in your troop.
Actually that is still supposed to be a part of the girls selling cookies, even at a storefront 'booth'. The girls are supposed to know the product line, approach customers with their sales pitch, figure the cost and make change, help decide how many and what kinds of cookies to sell, decide on advertising (flyers, fb page, whatever) etc. There is PLENTY for girls to gain from cookie booths if their leaders are doing it right.
It just isn't the same.
The thing about booths is that they become your comfort zone. Your home base. Your turf. Your safe place. There is a false sense of security to them. And a false sense of confidence because you know if someone has a question that you can't answer some one else can. You are not gaining self confidence as an individual, but as a group.
The Girl Scouts that sell on their own, outside of their comfort zones, not on their turf but someone else's, with no one to bail them out or answer questions for them gain more from the experience then the girls that are limited to just working at a booth.
I don't see the value in the booth situation.
Kids have those same experiences raising money for new soccer uniforms, etc.
There are many situations that cause kids to end up selling things at booths.
They don't need Girl Scouts to have that experience.
And I buy Girl Scout cookies when I see them.
I'll be asked if I would like to buy some but I never get a sales pitch. I'll tell them what I want and they'll give them to me, like the clerks at 711 do. So I'm just not impressed.
Last edited by Alabamarose; 02-11-2017 at 03:56 PM..
Lucky you but how did you get out of the cookie sales? We had to go door to door in our uniform. That ugly green dress. It was cold out and I remember freezing. I hated selling those cookies the most. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was in your troop.
No one in my troop growing up made it to the green uniform. We all lost interest in it before having to wear that.
But we had seen older girl scouts from other troops at some events during the winter months and instead of wearing green skirts with white blouses they wore green pants with white turtlenecks under their green vests. So ugly. But they looked warm. I'm surprised you were required to wear the green skirt when it was cold out when there was an option to wear the green pants.
If you were in the Chicago area at the time you must have froze to death. It's practically child abuse.
Last edited by Alabamarose; 02-11-2017 at 04:14 PM..
I was a Boy Scout many years ago (1950s). What impressed me most about the experience was the variety of activities I got to participate in. Not just camping and hiking, but also volunteer work (in the part of New Jersey I lived in, that included burning the huge webs of caterpillars that preyed on mulberry trees -- I only found out later that those were silk caterpillars!), mowing lawns and shoveling snow for the elderly and shut-ins, engaging in make-believe medieval tournaments with cardboard swords and "armor" made by my mom out of surplus silver acetate fabric, canoeing and exploring the Pine Barrns, and a lot of activities related to Native American lore. I attended a large "Camporee" in southern New Jersey, and I do remember taking a 'wilderness' hike and ending up in a drive-in theater (hey, Jersey is kinda cramped for space)!
I never paid much attention to the military-like winning of merit badges and awards. I was too busy having fun. And I don't remember too much of the religious indoctrination mentioned above, though the patriotism part was pretty intense. Last time I checked, though, it doesn't seem to have done me much harm ...
The Scouts seemed pretty cool to me when I was a kid. I don't know about today. The organization has been under attack from so many angles that I wonder that it still exists. And that's too bad.
What bugs me is that everyone has heard of the Eagle Scout for boys, but I had to google the female equivalent, and I've never heard of a girl achieving it.
Here in Savannah, we have the headquarters for girl scouting....the Juliette Gordon Low house. I should go see it.
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