Catholic Diocese boots out GS

[Stosh]

While BSA and GS/USA provide opportunity for the youth in America, certain religious organizations don't want that kind of opportunity that is promoted for their youth.  I have switched churches because of the opportunities they offered that I didn't want to be part of.  No difference here.  Parents decide what activities their children are involved in depending on the program offered.  The Catholic church is simply exercising its polite "No thank you." to the GS/USA.  They have the interest of the girls in mind in that they are allowing the girls to age out rather than just dumping the program immediately.

 

Is it a big political issue?  No, it's nothing more than the freedom to vote with one's feet.  After a hundred years of history, the CO's are walking out the door?  Well, what changed?  the CO or the BSA-GS/USA?  In as much as one would like to blame the CO for abandoning the youth group, a major case can be made for the shoe to be on the other foot.

 

I'm thinking that the Catholic church is going with the AHG because it more aligns with what they want their youth to be exposed to.  It won't be long before Trail Life/USA hits the scene for the boys.

[Chadamus]

I had a similar thought abput Trail Life, Stosh. More power to them but not at the expense of the BSA. I can understand the Catholic Church as a whole or any Diocese within making the choice to go with AHG instead of GS. Or even BSA. Their right to do so. What bothers me are the kids that potentially miss out of an opportunity because of it. I am Catholic and a leader in a Troop chartered by a Catholic School. Every day I am thankful for the opportunity our CO provides for the boys in the Troop. If they decided not to charter the unit anymore, it's the boys that would suffer at no fault of their own.

The Archdiocese in Kansas City is the winner. The girls are the losers.

[Back Pack]

Where are all these progressive organizations to pick up the slack?

[David CO]

One might argue that the girls are the winners.  They will be getting an authentic Catholic education.

[Chadamus]

☺ I know which side of the argument you're on. But that's for a different thread.

[RememberSchiff]

I see a Catholic youth (youth/family) program forming that does not involve a generic,outside youth program which may be doing less than hoped, from the Church viewpoint, to boost youth involvement in the Church.

 

A hard fact, there are fewer Catholic children attending a Catholic school than there are Cub Scouts in the US. Our local elementary/secondary school closes this June. My younger son's weekend Confirmation classes resemble Scouting in terms of activities, service requirements, and time commitment (more reading/study). More and more time conflicts.  Back in the day when more Catholics attended Catholic schools and Catechism classes, the Church taught religion and the troop taught scouting with the Scout Oath and Law as the bridge.

 

http://www.ncea.org/NCEA/Proclaim/Catholic_School_Data/Catholic_School_Data.aspx

 

My $0.01

Edited May 3, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[bearess]

I agree, denominations/COs get to vote with their feet. So do parishioners/girls. It sounds like the diocese is being responsible and giving troops a long time to find new COs. Around here most GS troops are chartered by schools, anyway.

[GSMOM73]

Actually Girls Scouts troops are not chartered at all.  IMO its the Catholic churches loss.  I hope the girls are able to find other supporters in their communities.  I would like to point out that this is just one region that has decided to drop Girls Scouts.  My area still welcomes and supports our local gs troops.

[Back Pack]

Not just Catholic religious training and sacraments that are taking more time. All denominations in my area require a great deal of time for confirmation, etc.

[Stosh]

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod made a similar pronouncement due the the changes in the BSA, how is this any different?

 

If the principles and policies of an organization conflict with that of another, why would it have any affect on the members.  They have a choice to go anywhere they wish to go, even if the organizations differ.  If a member of the LCMS or Catholic diocese doesn't want their children involved in an organization they can move.  A CO has that same option available to them.  If a Catholic Church shuts down a BSA or GS/USA unit because they no longer wish to support the policies of those organizations, the members have a free choice of staying with the program in a different location.  Just as CO's and parent organizations to CO's can make choices, so can individual members.  If the parent organizations drop one program and go with another it is no different than a parent making such a decision either.

[Col. Flagg]

Having a vested interest as a Scouter and as a father of a Scout makes me feel worse for the boys.

I will not assume opportunities will present themselves for all the girls affected. The 27 units in your county are a great example of why. 

 

The boys were not lost in the shuffle. Other units stepped up and took the boys. It was BSA who lost out as 27 COs went away and were not replaced. That hurt the BSA employees who are evaluated based on the number of units that exist or are started. Imagine being the DEs who lost those units through no fault of their own.

 

If the adults who run those GSUSA units affected, and GSUSA themselves, want to avoid having this impact the girls it is within their power to do so. Other units can step up and take them. Other COs can step up and charter them. This is not the fault of the Diocese. 

[bsaggcmom]

As GSMOM73 said, GSUSA doesn't have CO's like BSA. Leaders sign the agreement with the GS council and the troop is off and running. If the Catholic Church doesn't want to endorse GSUSA anymore the GS troops there just have a harder time recruiting and have lost a meeting space. GS troops aren't dependent on CO's to give them meeting space they have to find their own place to meet. My GS troop meets at a church, we pay a weekly rental fees that the girls fund through yearly dues to the unit. Some units meet in leaders homes, public meeting rooms in local libraries or if they are lucky they are allowed to use a room at a school.  

 

If Catholic parents in KC want their daughters to be a GS then they can do so. It just won't be at their local Catholic school/church anymore. Maybe not as convenient as it used to be, but still available. I see it as a loss for the church as a whole. No more little service projects to help the parish, no more Scout Sunday masses that include all scouts, and less exposure for the church in the general population's eyes. Not every girl in a troop at a Catholic facility is Catholic. Those girls and their families are lost as potential converts to the Catholic church. Gone are the little donations from such families because they aren't there anymore.

 

My family routinely donates a few dollars, a few cans of foods or a little bit of time to the church that our GS troop meets at. It isn't our church, isn't in our town. no connections except the GS troop meets there. We do it because it benefits the facility that is kind enough to rent us some space. It a round about way we  see it as benefiting our GS troop. Nice to them, nice to us thing. The Catholic church in KC is about to ruin this type of relationship. So sad. 

[Fehler]

I'm perplexed by this announcement.  The reasons the Archbishop lists are not due to any specific teaching/motivation/activity of the Girl Scouts in his diocese, or even in the GSUSA as a whole.  Its all based on a perceived connection between the GSUSA, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and issues/positions the WAGGGS and other WAGGGS member organizations have taken.  There doesn't seem to be anything specific about the GSUSA.  Ties between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood are a complete myth (sorry, "Alternate Fact".)

 

This announcement is based on a lie, or is using the lie as a convenient excuse to do what they were going to do anyways (replace the Girls Scouts with AHG Troops)

[Eagledad]

This isn't something new, our district was dealing with churches dropping units 25 years ago. Sometimes church leaders find it's not worth the effort to support the youth group that doesn't hold to or even struggles holding to the values of the church. The problem we had with such drops is getting the church to consider a new unit with more like minded adults. They generally don't.

 

Barry

[Chadamus]

GSMOM73 & bsaggcmom thank you for the clarification. I did not know Girl Scout units do not have Chartered Organizations.

Fehler, these 'alternate facts' are why I asked previously: what is being opposed?

 

Edited for spelling.

Edited May 3, 2017 by Chadamus