Name that age group...

[MissingArrow]

Hopefully someone can help me out.

 

I am not at all familiar with the various program levels of the Girl Scouts. I understand their are Brownies and cadets and such but not much more.

 

What would be the name of the program for girls aged 14+? Our community is starting a Venturing Crew and I would like to talk to the leaders of the right aged group but I don't want to look like I have no clue

 

Thanks in Advance,

Dan Williams

 

[KL Wisconsin]

HIgh school age Girl Scouts are Senior scouts

[NJCubScouter]

Amazing what you can find on the Web. See www.girlscouts.org, which says:

 

Theree are five age levels in Girl Scouting: Daisy Girl Scouts, ages 5-6; Brownie Girl Scouts, ages 6-8; Junior Girl Scouts, ages 8-11; Cadette Girl Scouts, ages 11-14; and Senior Girl Scouts, ages 14-17.

 

They have it by age, but at least in my area it seems to go by grade in school. I guess it works out to: Kindergarten for Daisies, 1st-2nd for Brownies, 3rd-5th for Juniors, 6th-8th for Cadettes, and high school for Seniors. When my daughters were Girl Scouts (one quit around fourth grade and the other around second grade, and that was about 6 years ago), I seem to recall people referring to Cadettes as "Girl Scouts" as the other levels by their names. Why this is, I don't know.

 

 

[SagerScout]

All levels are "Girl Scouts" - from Daisy Girl Scouts to Senior Girl Scouts.

 

Its' the boys that break it into cub scouts, Webelos, and "Boy Scouts"

[Meg]

Hi Dan,

Actually, if you have luck recruiting members or a complete Girl Scout Senior Troop, I'd love to know how you did it. I know there are units co-registered as Venturing Crews and Girl Scout Troops, but our Venturing Crew has been unsuccessful in getting something similar going. It seems like a great way to use resources from both programs for the benefit of the youth.

[ScoutNut]

NJ -

 

You were probably talking to someone who was in GS as a youth. At one time there were only two levels, Brownies and Girl Scouts. Actually GS levels can be split by either age or grade or both. It depends on the troop and the girl.

 

Dan -

 

I think you should aim your pitch at the Cadette/Senior levels. Cadettes are ages 11, 12, 13, 14, OR grades 6, 7, 8, 9. Seniors are ages 14, 15, 16, 17, OR grades 9, 10, 11, 12. The younger Cadettes would not be eligble for Venturing yet but it does not hurt to let them know it is available! I would LOVE to get my 10th grade Seniors double registered with a Venturing Crew! But when I mention it they pooh-pooh it as too BSA. *sigh* I will keep subtley putting in my plugs!

[Meg]

ScoutNut, so the stumbling block for adding Venturing to your GS program is the girls? That's interesting. When I was a Senior scout (geez, I sound old...) we had a very active troop of about 15-20 members that combined from several high schools in the Chicago suburbs. I think we would have been very interested in the camping/high adventure opportunities that Venturing offers. It is true though, that we probably would have wanted to retain our GSUSA unit too, since we also enjoyed doing things like sing-a-longs, etc. that Venturing doesn't emphasize. I wonder how successful combination units maintain (or if they do) their GSUSA programming and identity...

 

To ScoutNut--Do you think they object to a co-ed crew, or are they not interested in high adventure programming?

[ScoutNut]

Oh, I think that they would really like the high adventure side of it. They love camping, hiking, wall climbing, horseback riding, canoeing (just starting LOL !), etc. They also really love GS. My dd and my co-leaders dd both have younger brothers in BS so they have been kind of immersed in the BSA end of things and I think they feel it is kind of disloyal to GS. They are also REAL busy. With honors/AP courses, sports, plays, choir, school newspaper, and jobs on top of GS meetings, trips and working towards their Gold Awards, they do not have a lot of time for MORE meetings!

 

Maybe, if I can find an active Crew in the area I can have someone come to a meeting and tell them about Venturing. I think part of the problem for older girls in both programs is the lack of knowledge out there!

[alki]

Just curious...

 

Why can't the girls do high adventure activities in Girl Scouts? Do they really need to join a Venturing Crew to do these activities?

[ScoutNut]

Alki-

Girl Scouts can do high adventure activities, and some do. There are what are called "Wider Opps" which can include high adventure, and some GS Councils offer summer camps that might include some high adventure type activities. The problem with these is that very few girls get selected to attend a Wider Opp, they must apply in some instances a year in advance with forms, essays, interviews, and recomendations. If and when they do get selected the trips are usually VERY expensive. High adventure type summer camps are also VERY expensive.

 

Your average GS Troop leader is not trained in high adventure and so can not take their troop on their own. You would have to end up paying for a trained guide. Many Venturing Crews specialize in high adventure. Their leaders are trained and they have Crew resources available to them.

 

Also, you do not often find a GS Troop whose girls ALL are interested in high adventure. As the girls all have to deceide together what they will spend their money on it is sometimes hard to convince them to try something new, and sometimes scary, like high adventure.

 

In my opinion, the best option is to double register in both a GS Troop and a Venture Crew. That way the older GS has more options available to her and is more likely to find something she is really interested in and therefore stay in scouting!

[alki]

Great information, ScoutNut. I'll post a new topic on this...

[Iowambu]

GSUSA is releasing a new older girl program this month! I don't know all of the details, but it will emphasize three areas, one being travel/high adventure. Many older Girl Scouts go on high adventure trips already; there are just fewer adults willing to help them do it. There is no need for your girls go give up on GSUSA; they can plan any travel they want as long as they follow safety-wise requirements.

 

It is important to respect the individuality of the Girl Scouting program. Unlike BSA, GSUSA stresses that all programming comes from what girls want. Therefore if a Girl feels there isnt' enough high adventure, then they need to speak up and things can change.

 

I do not support a troop double registering as a venturing group. First of all it doesn't put the girls in the group on the same level as boys because the boys come in with the knowledge of the BSA program and more support systems. (For example this year women ventures who attended Jambo were secluded and placed with OA helpers - not other venturers or their group)

 

If BSA and GSUSA want to come together and form a co-ed, high adventure group than it needs to be on equal terms. Having BSA say "we've got everything perfect in our program, come join" would be like GSUSA saying that Cub Scouting should start in Kindergarten, and all boys should join Daisy Scouts because BSA isn't providing supports for younger boys.