More Than Just Cookies: Rethinking the Girl Scouts

[fgoodwin]

More Than Just Cookies: Rethinking the Girl Scouts

By Karen Ball / Camp Daisy Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008

 

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1862180,00.html

 

Interesting article about how GSUSA is dealing with declining membership.

 

As far as I know, they don't have the same membership issues with gays & atheists that BSA does, yet they also suffer from declining membership. Kinda makes me wonder if those who blame BSA's decline on those membership policies may be mistaken.

 

But I'm sure someone here will carefully rationalize why this is an apples to oranges comparison, and bash the BSA while they're at it . . .

[shortridge]

Troops and badges will still exist but girls can also choose to take "journeys" instead, opting, for instance, to make a six-week foray into the community for service, rather than meeting once a month in a church basement.

 

I'm genuinely curious: Was there anything in the "old" program stopping troops from doing this?

 

I think the "meeting once a month in a church basement" phrase hits the nail on the head with regard to two problems.

 

First, monthly meetings. I don't know how widespread this is, but if that's the information the Time reporter was given by the national folks, that's a problem. Once a month isn't enough to keep the program as a priority - instead, it becomes an afterthought.

 

Second, meeting in a church basement. For those of us in Boy Scouts, how many troops do you know of fitting that description? Quite a few, I'd wager. There's nothing stopping troops of girls or boys from meeting outside or in different locations other than the CO.

 

If it isn't interesting and fun, youth won't do it. If it's just listening to a leader talk (another phrase in the Time article), why SHOULD they come, let alone care two figs?

[Basementdweller]

How quaint, Going to camp where the cell phone towers are close and huts with electricity. I wonder if the lake is up to the correct temperature. What there is fish in the Lake OMG!

 

Horses, what the?????? Are they crazy, horses are way too expensive for a council to maintain. A high tech equestrian facility?????? Some one is way out of touch. What an incredible waste of money.

 

I think it is more a social problem than anything else. The girls must always be in contact with each other. I do not understand it. Texting Talking or just sucking up air time. Do they lack that much self confidence? Too much time in front of the electronic babysitter I suppose. Hannah Montana and High School Musical..... Naw. Besides most women don't want to go and camp, not outdoor types. The GSA is fairly anti male leader.

 

Hire a marketing team to see what's wrong????

 

I have taken my daughter to several Girl Scout programs. They are horrible compared to BSA. My daughter isn't that turned on my GS'ing she prefers to be with the cubs. We camp, fish, shoot, visit places, I wish I could sign her up for cubs. A much better organization than GSA.

[SMT224]

"We have a saying we're operating at the speed of girls," Connell said. It became clear 10 years ago that girls were no longer into pitching tents. Now they prefer "yurts," circular huts modeled after the homes of Central Asian nomads but featuring Western amenities like electricity and handicap accessibility. "These are 21st Century girls," says Connell. "They, at the very least, want to be near a cell phone tower."

 

I don't know who these "21st Century girls" are, but the girls in my daughters Girl Scout Troop want to do the same thing the boys in my sons Boy Scout Troop want to do - go camping, pitch tents, make big fires, and play with knives. Our best camping trips have been those far away from cell towers and other 21st century distractions where the girls can focus on hiking, exploring nature, collecting and chopping up wood, cooking a really good dutch oven stew, and sitting around the campfire as the stars above show themselves. And I can say the exact same thing about the boys. Sure the boys don't sit on each others laps and brush their friends hair, but girls and boys are surprisingly similar when it comes to a desire to explore nature and learn Scout skills.

 

Yes, there are plenty of distractions, but given a choice, they will often make the time to go camping, sacrificing sports and other week-end activities. Of course, this is not all girls or all boys - some kids just don't like to camp, and that's fine - there are plenty of other things for them to do. But for those that do like to camp, don't force them into 21st century program when they are happy with a 19th century experience!

[HobcawChaos]

That article is totally wacked. But it probably is also in keeping with GSUSA right now. Several things from Council have me saying "huh". Although programming certainly depends on the group of girls, many of them do want a mix of activities. My troop was very eager to go tent camping and loved it! We had one at-first-reluctant-later-had-a-blast other mom and two dads go. The biggest challenge while there was that the girls kept disappearing into the marsh and coming back covered in pluff mud ;-) Most of the badges they've selected have been outdoor and animal oriented. They're also excited about going to see a local high school production of The Wiz next month....so a little of everything. Nothing prevented girls from doing service projects before the Journeys and most troops do several throughout the year.

[shortridge]

Horses, what the?????? Are they crazy, horses are way too expensive for a council to maintain. A high tech equestrian facility??????

 

Girls + Horses = Obsessive Combination.

 

My daughter's only four, and I've already learned that lesson.

[mikecummings157]

The statement that Girls don't want to pitch tents is a bunch of baloney. My wife & I have 2 daughters and they have seen the fun our sons have with Boy Socuts and they want the opportunities as well. The problem is getting the moms to go. Girls want to do things with their moms, even though they won't admit it as they get into the teen years.

 

The girls pretty much drop out of the programn around here after Juniors because there is no adventure and outdoor program. It's up to individual leaders to make this part of the program. My wife loves to camp, so the girls in her troop are exposed to it and love it also.

 

This direction taken by GSA has given BSA a great opportunity to grow the Venturing Program. We do have several succesful co-ed crews in our area.

[HobcawChaos]

Funny you should mention Venturing. Two girls in our Junior troop were waiting until they were old enough to join a Venturing troop. Thought GS was too "girlie girl". We have a little of both in our troop. Absolutely nothing against VCs, but they are great girls so I hope both stay in our troop;-) That just means its on me and them to plan and execute fun adventures!! You hit the nail on the head via your wife's troop. Good program = good retention.

[CubPack28]

As a former Troop Leader for 10 years, along with a Service Unit Manager, trainer for GS, amongst the many other hats that I wore, I left GS two years ago, because of the stance that GS took getting away from camping and outdoor experiences for girls and trying to make it a more cookie cutter , all frills, no substance organization.

I, once was a proud GS, once was a proud leader, and while I don't regret a moment that I spent with well over a two hundred girls during my tenure, we made our memories by spending weekends and more camping, hiking, exploring nature. My former girls now are joining Venturing because GS offers them nothing in regard to what they got when I was there.

I agree with the poster who said that the moms don't want to camp, there is alot of that, but even more concerning is the fact that Leaders, many of them during my time refused to go outdoors with their girls or explore nature. Camping trips to Hershey became chances to "camp" in a hotel.....where is the fun in that?

Anyway, end of my rant, as I said, I don't regret the time that I spent with the girls in my troops, and I know that I gave them my very best.

I wish that GS would learn a few things from BS and Venturing...combining opportunities to be in the outdoors, with adventure and camping and you will have Scouts who are happy ones.

Oh, and my troops had a no electronics policy. The Leader and Assistant Leader had cell phones in case of emergency. Girls will not allowed to bring electronics. A good book, a board game or two, a deck of cards....better yet , some paper and some drawing supplies made for a great weekend.

 

[SMT224]

Just got back from our Girl Scout planning meeting for 2009. These girls want to camp! In tents! Not Yurts!

In January, they are doing cold weather camping (cabin at a Scout camp with wood stove) I'll be out side in my "Man tent"! Then orienteering, climbing, rafting, and biking for the rest of 2009! All with tent camping, fires and knives! I feel like this has evolved into a Venture Troop! These girls have their priorities straight!

Hey GSUSA! Maybe you should listen to these girls!