ScoutNut

>>"Just as gays and atheist are local option in the bsa.... Men are the local option for the GSA."

>>"I feel for da congregation, though. They've been cut off from easy access to their cookie suppliers!"

>>"Some will continue with a troop that meets somewhere else, some won't. Some of those who continue will fade.">"A few scoutin' families will continue with non-parish-associated troops, da rest of the girls will do other things."

Sorry Beav, but a GSUSA Troop DOES belong to the girls. They might not physically own the unit, but in every other way it IS theirs. The girls are the ones that run their Troop. Every Girl Scout Troop, no matter their age, has their own form of girl government. Girl Scouting teaches girls self confidence. It teaches girls that they are strong and can do things for themselves. It teaches girls they have a voice, and can bring about change. >>"If participatin' with GSUSA is really that important to the young ladies, the troop will do fine without preferential access to da Catholic parish and school.">" I suspect, however, that what really goes on is that girls from da Catholic parish and school join because they view it as though it were supported and sponsored by their school, not the other way around. Without that, they'll do somethin' else.">> I very much doubt that the GS Troops at St Timothy school will disband, and reform/combine with other GS troops in the parish. Those other GS Troops are most likely based out of the public schools in the area, and the Girl Scouts at St Timothy school still go to school at St Timothy. There is no need to disband. They all still have their own Girl Scout Troops. They do not need the church's, or school's, approval for that. However, what you do not seem to understand is that a parish school is rather like a large, extended, family. These Girl Scouts, even if they no longer meet at, or do service for St Timothy school/parish, are still students at the school, and part of the school parish family. If, like at our Catholic parish school, there have been generations of Girl Scouts at St Timothy school. If there is a long standing tradition of Girl Scouting there. If the girls of St Timothy had been actively involved in their school, and parish, as Girl Scouts (wearing their uniform to class on meeting days, doing flag ceremonies for school, and parish events, volunteering, as Girl Scouts, at school, and parish events, attending mass in uniform, doing service projects, and more). If they see themselves as "St Timothy School Girl Scouts". Then, they are suddenly told, by the head of their school parish family, that none of that matters, and that they are not allowed to be Girl Scouts while in their church and school any more. That being a Girl Scout is suddenly somehow "bad". You seem to think that the girls will not, should not, be affected by that. That they will simply shrug and move on to a different "extracurricular activity". Not any of the Girl Scouts that I know.

What a shame for those Girl Scouts from St Timothy school. While losing their meeting place will not shut down the GSUSA Troops, it will make those girls feel like they have been betrayed by their church, and their school. My suggestion to those girls would be to remember that those Troops are YOURS. Not your parent's, not the pastor's, but YOURS. Stand up for yourselves. While they probably will not change this man's mind, it will help the girls to have their voices heard.

We never had "mother/daughter teas", thank goodness. Daughter was never a big fan of tea. Maybe the cookies/sweets, but not tea. Daddy/daughter dances were the property of our Catholic parish elementary school, not the Scouting program. While not a lot of dancing was done by dad, silly photos with daughter was always a big hit. Most of the evening was the girls dancing with each other while the dads chatted. Our local GSUSA council held a Leader/Daughter camping weekend every year that our girls liked to attend. One of my daughter's favorite memories of Girl Scouts was not teas, or dances, it was (aside from the regular camping/hiking/horseback riding/canoeing) of the summer she teamed up with her Leader/Dad to do a series of space themed council camps. She still has photos of her dad, and other leader dads (note - Men CAN be GSUSA leaders), saving the Girl Scout camp from Klingons.

Welcome! May you never loose your passion for Scouting!

I think a Troop has better things to do. Maintaining, and/or customizing, a handbook is up to it's owner.

There is no BSA required minimum rank, however, a Troop might set one. Talk to the interested First Class Scout's Scoutmaster.

Webelos 1,Webelos 2 are arbitrary designations. Webelos is an 18 month program. I think that going to Webelos Woods would be a great way to kick start your den's Webelos program. Your Scouts would learn a lot, and so would you. Find out from the program director for the Webelos Woods what they will be covering/doing in their program. That way you can avoid covering the same ground in your den meetings prior to WW, and be able to prepare the boys for what they will be doing.

>>" I am thinking it would be best to take the 3% because then we can just buy our own prizes/trophies and having to go through a possible 40-50 kids and have them pick prizes out of the list would be a bit much clerical work and easy to make errors on i think?"

>>"Instead it would be an announcement that in keepin' with da Church's mission and da Catholic character of the school, the school was no longer goin' to subsidize access to GSUSA programs. Parents are of course free to enroll their kids in whatever activities they want, but da GSUSA units would no longer meet at the school. Quietly, da school administration would no longer provide GSUSA access for recruiting or other school recognition. Instead, da school would announce a new charter with AHG, and AHG would meet at the school, and would be provided access for recruiting. In fact, Mrs. Jones, a well-liked 7th grade teacher would be da initial leader for the new AHG program, and here's the calendar of their activities for da coming year."

As I mentioned earlier - the Catholic Committee on Scouting is DIRECTLY tied to the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. BSA is even a part of it's symbol. It is NOT a Girl Scout ministry - at all. AHG is run as a RELIGIOUS MINISTRY, and utilizes CHARTER ORGS, as does BSA. GSUSA does not utilize Charter Organizations. There is ONE AHG Troop (maybe 20 girls at best?) in the entire city of Seattle, as opposed to thousands of Girls Scouts. If the Archdiocese of Seattle feels that that one Troop is the wave of the future, and refuses to allow the hundreds of Catholic Girl Scouts in Seattle to use it's facilities, or earn it's Religious Emblems, then I guess that is their call. Youth are leaving the Catholic Church as it is, perhaps the Archdiocese of Seattle feels compelled to hurry the process along. Seattle, if you want to form your own AHG group that is tied to your Cub Scout group, more power to you. However, you have no control over what group the girls in your local church decide to join. Girls, and their families, do NOT need your permission, the permission of the local CCS, or the permission of your local church, to form Girl Scout Troops.

BSA National does NOT REQUIRE a leader to be trained in Outdoor Leader Skills For Webelos Leaders (OWLS) in order to take their Webelos den camping. A few individual councils have added this as a requirement in order to have a Tour Plan for a Webelos den camping trip approved. As a Webelos Woods overnight is put on through/by the district, and/or council, most councils do not require the Webelos dens attending to file a Tour Plan. Some might. As councils are allowed by BSA National to make these types of requirements more, but not less, strict (councils can not state that no one is required to take youth protection, or that BALOO training is no longer required at all), it is always best to verify requirements with your council, and the director of the particular program (Webelos Woods) you wish to attend.

So AHG does not do background checks. They leave it up to the individual Troop to sign up with the outside company they recommend, or any other, and do the background checks on their own.

The Webelos Woods program is put on through/by your district/council. They are the ones providing the trained leadership. Read the Webelos Woods registration flyer. It should give you the information on what is required to attend. It should also have contact info for the person in charge of the program. You can give him/her a call for more info on the program. For the October training, sign up for the OWLS training. BALOO is for Pack overnighters, and IOLS is for Boy Scout level Troop leaders.

>>"Da parishes that run schools tend to have Cub Scout packs and GSUSA units that are pretty tightly tied to their school, eh?">"Da parent volunteers for each tend to be traditional Catholic parents. They're not goin' to have a problem makin' a switch from GSUSA to AHG (or CYO if da Catholics just want to do their own thing)."

Welcome. The Webelos (no such thing as a Webelo) program is very different from the programs for Tiger/Wolf/Bear. Take the Webelos training as soon as possible, including the outdoor training. Read thru the Webelos Handbook. Get to know the various Troops in your area, and get your Scouts out to their meetings. Take your den outdoors. Take your den camping. Have FUN!

>>"Catholic churches don't charter GSUSA units in da same way that they charter BSA units, but they do "host" Girl Scout units in their facilities, provide access and encouragement to Girl Scout units in their schools, and staff GSUSA units with Catholic parent volunteers."

>>"This scout was "misdiagnosed" as ADHD for a couple of years and medicated (behavior was a little better).">"Now the parents tell us he has Oppositional Defiance Disorder and telling him NO or Don't makes him worse."

Seattle, please speak ONLY about what you actually KNOW. You have never been associated with GSUSA in any way, shape, or form, and seem to have absolutely no desire to actually learn what it is REALLY about. So, please, stop spreading rumors, and half truths about a program you have no real knowledge of.

How can "the Catholic Church is pivoting away from GSUSA" be possible when GSUSA was never "involved" with the Catholic Church, in the same way as BSA? GSUSA does not have charter organizations. The Catholic Church (or any other church or organization for that matter) does NOT own any GSUSA Troops/Groups.

No, it is not. First of all, the Catholic Committee on Scouting is a group of VOLUNTEERS. The views of the individual volunteers are their views ALONE, not those of the Catholic Church, or the Archdiocese of Seattle. Second, the CCS is about the youth ministry, and the Religious Emblem programs for the BOY SCOUT programs. It has NEVER been about, or for, the Religious Emblem programs for Girl Scouts.

I suggest talking to the Scoutreach professional at your council. A good Charter Partner for this might be the Salvation Army. They charter BSA units and run shelter programs.

>>"The issue is that if they don't have the full uniofrm, then their den shouldn't be penalized for that.">"Best behavior at pack meeting.">"Most spirited">"Percentage of attendance at den meetings"