purrrke1

As a girl, I wanted to be a boy scout. My brother was... he got to go hiking and camping and cook outdoors and collect newspapers and play with a knife and a bow and arrow etc. etc. As a Girl Scout leader, I try to make sure that my girls have an opportunity to do all of those things. It is the "girls" troop and they are to make the decisions on what we do and where we go. Leader is suppose to be resource person and "safety wise". Our troop does tons of service projects. We just delivered 100 "love bugs" to a local nursing home hand delivered with a "happy valentines day " and a smile. The boy scout troop that meets in same building just asked us to do another service project. Supply the food and serve it for their Blue and Gold banquet. Yes! I about fell over. Obviously we do not have the funds for such an endevor. Girl Scouts Councils are very worried about being sued. They regulate to prevent it at every turn. Men are allowed to be troop leaders as long as there is a female who is also a co-leader. WHY? They are afraid a girl might accuse a scout leader of inappropriate behavior. Why do there have to be seperate facilities for a man while camping? Same Story. The preacher at our church whose wife runs the day care & pre-school,stood in the hall with me one day and complained because he could not hug the children any more. I just would love to hug them all ,he said. But I can't because someone might construe that as inappropriate. How sad that a strong man with strong moral values have to second guess himself on wether a child needs a hug or not. But can't you read the headlines if a parent accused him?

There are over 317 Girl Scout Councils in the US. I am trying to collect a recipe from each one. Making a recipe book that will be sold to help fund Scoutership and Campership for Raintree Girl Scout COuncil IN. Please check for your Council below. Then go to web site and submit a recipe including your COuncil Name. Or e mail to LPosd@aol.com Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks http://www.angelfire.com/in3/girlscoutsrfun/CouncilRecipe.html Short List Council Recipes Still Needed Abnaki - ME Angeles - CA Apalachee Bend - FL Appleseed Ridge - OH Badger - WI Becky Thatcher Area - MO Big Sky - MT Birch Trails - WI Black Hills - SD Bluebonnet - TX Bluestem - OK Broward County - FL Buffalo & Erie County - NY Calumet - IN Camden County - NJ Cannon Valley - MN Caprock - TX Caribe - PR Central Kansas - KS Central Louisiana - LA Central New York - NY Centrillo - IL Chaparral - NM Chautauqua Area - NY Chipeta - CO Columbine - CO Conestoga - IA Congaree - SC Cottaquilla - AL Cotton Boll Area - MO Covered Bridge - IN Crooked Tree - MI Cross Timbers - TX Deep South - AL Drifting Dunes - IN Dutchess County - NY El Camino - TX Fair Winds - MI Flint Hills - KS Flint River - GA Foothills - NY Fox River Area - WI Fox Valley - IL Golden Valley - CA Goldenrod - NE Great Blue Heron - WI Great Plains - NE Great Valley - PA Greater Essex County - NJ Greater Long Beach - CA Greater Minneapolis - MN Guiding Star - NE Gulf Pines - MS Heart of Florida - FL Heart of Ohio - OH Heart of Texas - TX Heritage Trails - OH Homestead - NE Housatonic - CT Indian Hills - NY Indian Waters - WI Inland Empire - WA Irish Hills - MI Joshua Tree - CA Kenosha County - WI Keystone Tall Tree - PA Kickapoo - IL Konocti - CA Lac-Baie - WI Lake-Wood - OK Lake to River - OH Land of Lakes - MN Lenni-Lenape - NJ Licking Valley - KY Limberlost - IN Little Cloud - IA Lone Tree Area - IL Manitou - WI Michigan Capital - MI Michigan Pine & Dunes - MI Mid-Columbia - WA Middle Mississippi - MS Midland Empire - MO Mid-South - TN Mile Hi - CO Milwaukee Area - WI Mississippi Valley - IL Moccasin Bend - TN Mohawk Pathways - NY Monmouth - NJ Monterey Bay - CA Mountain Prairie - CO Mt. Magazine - AR Muir Trail - CA Napa-Solano - CA Niagara County - NY Nishnabotna - IA Norcentex - TX North Country - NY North Iowa - IA Northeast Mississippi - MS Northwest Mississippi - MS Northwestern Connecticut - CT Old Ninety Six - SC Otahki - MO Ouachita - AR Pacific Peaks - WA Pee Dee Area - SC Pelican - LA Peninsula Waters - MI Penn Lakes - PA Penn's Woods - PA Permian Basin - TX Piedmont Area - SC Pine to Prairie - ND Pine Valley - GA Pioneer - NC Pioneer Valley - MA Pisgah - NC Prairie - MS Prairie Hills - NE Red Lands - OK Red River Valley - TX Reelfoot - TN Riverland - WI Rockland County - NY Rolling Hills - NJ Sakakawea - ND San Fernando Valley - CA San Francisco Bay - CA San Jacinto - TX Sangre de Christo - NM Santa Clara County - CA Sarah Wells - NY Scranton Pocono - PA Shawnee - WV Shemamo - IL Shining Trail - IA Sierra Nevada - NV Silver Waters - LA Sioux Trails - IA Sooner - OK South Central Alabama - AL South Cook County - IL Southeast Louisiana - LA Southeastern Pennsylvania - PA Spanish Trails - CA Spar & Spindle - MA Suffolk County - NY Suncoast - FL Sybaquay - IL Tanasi - TN Texas Plains - TX Thousand Islands - NY Tiak - OK Tip of Texas - TX Tongass Alaska - AK Totem - WA Treaty Line - IN Tropical Florida - FL Tumbleweed - KS Two Rivers - IL Ulster - NY US Virgin Islands - VI Utah - UT Vermont - VT Washington Rock - NJ West Texas - TX Westchester-Putnam - NY Western Massachusetts - MA Western Rivers - OR Westmoreland - PA Wheatbelt Area - KS Wichita Area - KS Wilderness Road - KY Winema - OR Woodland - WI Wyoming - WY Yucca - OK Zia - NM

There is a group growing in Girl Scouting it's called the "Juliettes" individually registered girls. These tend to be from troops who have lost girls due to jobs etc as they get older. Sounds like the problem in your area is lack of volunteers. No new troops are created without a leader. No troop grows without recruitment by other girls , leader, council, advertising and making Scouting visable. Leaders can be recruited by the Council, but I would say most are recruited by girls begging and pleading with their parents to let them be involved in scouting. I have a couple of suggestions. Call your Council ask for the phone # of troop leaders in your area. (yes there is a list and someone has it) Ask the leader if you helped as a co leader if she would be wiling to take on new girls ( including your daughter) If the only troops close are for a younger troop, ask if your daughter could work on her Junior Aid or other leadership award, SHe would still be associated with a troop and would be looked up to by the other girls. A win win for the younger troop. Lastly, Take the bull by the horns and jump in. Go to the Council office and sign up to be a volunteer. Send your daugther on a recruiting mission at school,or start with the list of 100 "Juliettes" and form a Troop.

DD, Thanks I feel more welcome now. A special spot just for the girls. I am sure the next Girl Scout to visit this site will be most appreciative. KoreaScouter, Thank you for forwarding link. I thought this would be a much easy project then it has turned out to be. Yarrow, Please submit your recipe for Mile HI. I do not have a recipe from there yet. I do appreciate the help. Buffalo2, I would say the way you get girls interested is to first expose them to it and grow their interest. Our troop of 1st year 4th grade Junior girl scouts have gone rock climbing. (indoor variety) They loved it. I am sure our next outing will be greated with even more antisipation. I have never heard of this program. It could be you need more information to reach the girls who this program is targeting. Are they aware of the program. Do they feel they are welcome in the program? Sent flyers out in the school? Finally, be visable. Are you having events were girls who might be interested in joining can see you. Bring a friend events are helpful. The real challenge I find is how to keep the girls you have who are interested in scouting when jobs, cars, school, sports and dare I say it "BOYS" come into the picture. I lost 3 girls when I changed my meeting date from Saturday to Tuesday. Wonderful girls who loved scouting , but it was no longer convenient for them. Breaks your heart.

I did say "SISTER" troop didn't I? Brothers and Sisters in Scouting? Troops who might meet in same building or at same school? Didn't mean to offend. Was my perfume too strong? LOL Laura

I am hoping there are troops out there with a sister Girl Scout Troop who might be able to help me. I am trying to collect a recipe from every Girl Scout Council in the USA. http://www.angelfire.com/in3/girlscoutsrfun/CouncilRecipe.html Above is link to my web page that shows the Councils I have received. There is also a link on this page for all Girl Scout COuncils the ones in black I still need a recipe from. Please help. Please forward this to a local troop of Council if you are aware of one. Your help is appreciated. Yours in Girl Scouting Laura Padgett