scoutpacific

scoutnut- Wow! I am glad that GSUSA gave you the program that you feel was adequate for your commitment level. Maybe I "should have paid more attention during training". (Did you really say that?) But, I am not a GS leader. And you are rude. And that is too bad, because you come across like you might have real knowledge to share. The point missed is that I would like to find another program that more mirrors my families values. Not as scoutnut might think, I am not trying to mar GSUSA's image. If I lived less than an hour away from council's main office, I might have a different experience. Maybe. Now I could talk about leaders that leave their troop to take a paid position with council; resulting in that troop being disbanded. Or council paid fundraiser trainers. Or paying for fundraising training. Maybe that has come along since scoutnut was involved. I don't know. I don't care. I am not waging a personal attack. I just know my experience is not what I wanted from this program and that I am here seeking a more amiable program for "MY" daughter. I appreciate the responses that I have recieved. I was fishing for information from a bigger pond. Not trying to empty it.

Inferior is tons of safety training little to none on how to conduct a troop meeting. Leaving the leader to seek BSA for the "how to's". That is inferior. And training is what a GS leader is always doing. They train more than the national guard. Not that they learn about the girls. Yes, I do think that the GS program is inferior. But I am mad because it shouldn't be. My GS leader does a bang up job. She works her full-time plus then still finds time to go to all that essential/non training. She pulls ideas from the four winds to make a great program. She paid the $200+ or so to get trained. She complies with council. She works with other leaders to create event opportunities for the whole district. She loves our daughter. But the infrastructure is unsound. Anyone ever think of using "Learning for Life" as a new scout program for girls 1st - 8th?

Our boys pay dues to the den. What are your dues? We don't buy the books. We buy all the awards, but not redundants. We only use segments supported by council, so that limits those hugely. Our segments are worn as in the temporary patch position on the right pocket per council. My opinion is that the segments should be for participating at least at the pack, district, or council level. But that is what I have experienced. Up in Portland, OR they go crazy with all kinds of segments. No one wears a patch vest in our pack. We have a shoebox, scrapbook, or patch blanket.

How do you get past paying for all the training, not being allowed to use their trademarks on your materials, more interest in their fundraisers than the girls, so many paid leaders, such expensive camps, the United Nations affiliation, the dictatorial tone of the council, all the moneys going to council nothing coming back? How do you get past that to use the program so that your beautiful daughter gets the program that J. Lowe intended? How when your son is in the other program can you stand GSUSA? Has the other program even thought of offering something for the brownie aged girl? EVERYBODY says they will go Venture when they are 15. So what about that? Huh? I don't know any parent that wants to invest so much time and effort into a program that they feel is inferior and can't wait to abandon when their child can go to the other program. What say you?