I went to the Girl Scouts website to see at what age Alyssa could join Brownies and was I in for a surprise. Girl Scouts was not as I remembered it! A little more research not only confirmed major changes but frankly sickened me.
From the removal of "God" to the horrifying links with abortion-providers Planned Parenthood to the New Age emphasis in the Scouting activities, I uncovered far more than I wanted to know.
The Girl Scouts website seems to have been recently re-designed and now I find no mention of God or country, just a list of programs designed to right all that is wrong with girls in our society. The Girl Scout research arm has uncovered that half of all girls are not interested in leadership, for example, a problem the Girl Scouts intends to fix, not respect. Increasing self-esteem, science and math skills and leadership roles may be noble goals for some girls. Are we not respect "diversity" among girls, however?
What about girls who enjoy traditional homemaking activities and want to learn more about them, in the earliest tradition of the Girl Scouts? Is it possible that one can increase a girl's self- esteem by teaching her that it is OK to honor her deepest urging to nurture, create and care for others by having babies and running a comfortable, hospitable household?
No, clearly the Girl Scouts, like most of modern American society, has completely devalued traditional women's roles and along with that, traditional women. Must they wonder why girls have low self-esteem when they are made to feel bad about everything they are (loving, better at languages than math, not wanting to be a leader or whatever the latest issue is) and they are constantly exposed to media images that encourage them to devalue their very bodies? Throw into the mix mothers who are too busy to mentor and fathers who are frequently absent or at least devalued and what could you expect but "low self-esteem"?
The current "Me" emphasis (the name of their current campaign) on the site replaces an emphasis on community. Global citizenship replaces learning about and serving America. Mothers and fathers are replaced by "trusted adults". Most of all, worship of God is replaced by worship of the self, being passed on from the leadership of the Girls Scouts (represented by many feminist activist) to the girls they are
The only good news to come of the Girl Scouts abandonment of traditional principles is the emergence of a Christian alternative for girls and their families. American Heritage Girls is a Christian scouting experience for girls that is growing around the country. We may end up chartering our own group here although is one chapter about 30 minutes away from us that I know of at this time.
If you are considering Girl Scouts for your daughter, just know that the Girls Scouts of today may not be the same as the Girls Scouts you remember.
Read this interesting article about a mom who likes the American Heritage Girls for her special-needs daughter.
More on the history of the major changes in the Girl Scouts:
Girl Scouts New Radicalism
National Review's The Cookie Crumbles
Pro-Abortion Feminist Scouts
Thanks to Mommy Life for the historical links.
Errg. This is one of those areas where I am so on the fence!
ReplyDeleteI love the old concept of Girl Scouts, which is how I run my troop. I also love some, but not all, of the new concepts. I love the fact that the new program known as Journeys (not the Uniquely Me! series of books which is a very different RESOURCE provided for girls designed to develop self-esteem)which focuses on the girls learning through experience, connecting with their groups and community, and then actually DOING something to GIVE BACK to their community. To me, the new program embodies the true Christian spirit of Service.
Does this make Girl Scouts perfect? No. But Girl Scouts is trying so hard to reach so many girls and still instill within them the values and principles of the original Girl Scout movement.
Now the sad reality of the state of America is that we have vast numbers of girls that are being raised in a secular world with secular values and a complete devaluing of Christian values. Kids are having sex parties in 5th and 6th grade! I truly believe that only by ministering through programs like Girl Scouts do we have an opportunity to reach these people and show them that the path they are on is fraught with disaster.
Of course, there will be bad apple leaders in any program - and I'm certain that the American Heritage Girls, if they haven't already, will be sued by the ACLU and all such other nonsense (as both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been) to force the new social mores onto them.
Monica
Thanks for your comment. I just wanted to make sure that moms who are interested fully investigate the Girl Scouts before they sign up or they may be surprised as I was. I am sure there are some better troops and leaders from a Christian perspective but I am equally sure if individual troops become "too Christian" the leaders would hear from higher-ups. The organization seemed to have changed at a very fundamental level and that makes me sad too.
ReplyDeleteGracious me! I did not know this about the new Girl Scouts. I wonder if my Christian friends who have put their daughters in GS know about these changes? Kudos, Mrs. C., for being vigilant on this. So will you do the American Heritage thing instead?
ReplyDeleteYou are as surprised as I was. I spoke with one mom whose dd is in GS and she said that she was uncomfortable but continued to attend because friends are in the troop. I just cannot personally bring myself to subject my impressionable little one to a worldview that is opposed to mine. We will be doing American Heritage Girls. One family in our church is involved and the girls love it.
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