Girl Scouts Barred from a Camporee by the Girl Scouts

[cocomax]

News Story:

http://liherald.com/stories/girl-scouts-barred-from-valley-stream-camporee,113998

[ParkMan]

9 minutes ago, cocomax said:

News Story:

http://liherald.com/stories/girl-scouts-barred-from-valley-stream-camporee,113998

Very sad.  Local partnerships between GSUSA units & BSA units have been a great thing.   In fact, I thought it was one of the best reasons against needing to expand Scouts BSA in include girls.

The GSUSA making these kind of decisions seems like completly the wrong idea to me.  From a marketing perspective, it seems completly backwards to me.  This would seem like a great time to show strength by continuing to engage with the units in the BSA - show the world that girls don't need to join the BSA in order to have the occasional joint activities.

[malraux]

It would also seem to accelerate movement to girls joining the BSA instead of GSUSA. If the reason they can't go on the trip is because the GSUSA says no, then why not join the scouting group that says yes.

[jjlash]

Sloppy reporting (re: the name of both organizations) aside -

This decision demonstrates why the argument "If Girl Scouts dont do things that girls want to do, then change the Girl Scouts" is not a solution.  

I am very sorry that the adults involved were more concerned about the business of scouting than about the purpose of scouting.  

 

[MattR]

This was not a GSUSA decision. Just that of some local council (or whatever the equivalent is).

That said, the local GSUSA entity is likely about to lose some girl scouts.

[cocomax]

Yes, it is a GSUSA policy to have nothing to do with BSA.

These orders from GSUSA 

"Do not participate in, allow, or promote any co-sponsored or co-branded events or programs that use either Girl Scouts’ name, logo, colors, or likenesses together with Boy Scouts. This includes long-standing events like Scouting for Food and Pine Car Derbies"

"Do not participate in joint flag ceremonies. Girl Scouts has its own long and proud tradition and girls can and should provide these honors at community events"

Source:  http://www.gssne.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gssne/documents/GSSNE volunteer-action-guide-v1.pdf

[FireStone]

Such a shame. If any part of their intent is to force families in both organizations to make a choice, and if those families are at all like the ones in my Pack, they'll choose BSA.

[RememberSchiff]

If scouts cannot get together, what hope does our country have.  

 

[NJCubScouter]

While I do understand why the GSUSA is upset with the BSA right now, this kind of thing only hurts their own members and, as others have said, could cause some girls to say, if I can't participate in these events as a Girl Scout, I'll do it as a member of Scouts BSA.  Which presumably is not what GSUSA is aiming for.

[Eagledad]

The posters here are giving the GSUSA too much credit. A mentor of mine had been the equivalent of the Council SE for several years of in her GSUSA career. She quit because leadership progressively changed. She explained that when these leaders are confronted with difficult situations, they tend to be reactionary. This was certainly the case when my wife advised our area leader of a difficult situation with one of her troops families. The nonsensical reaction is the reason our family quit GSUSA.

Dont expect reasonable decisions from the GSUSA. Nor the BSA.

Barry

[Treflienne]

2 hours ago, MattR said:

This was not a GSUSA decision. Just that of some local council (or whatever the equivalent is).

 

2 hours ago, cocomax said:

Yes, it is a GSUSA policy to have nothing to do with BSA.

These orders from GSUSA 

 . . . .

Source:  http://www.gssne.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gssne/documents/GSSNE volunteer-action-guide-v1.pdf

Actually @cocomax quotes from a council document,  not a GSUSA document.  

I have seen very similar put out by other GS councils.   But I have not located it on either the GSUSA web site, or on my local GS council's web site.

[malraux]

53 minutes ago, Treflienne said:

 

Actually @cocomax quotes from a council document,  not a GSUSA document.  

I have seen very similar put out by other GS councils.   But I have not located it on either the GSUSA web site, or on my local GS council's web site.

https://my.girlscouts.org/content/dam/wcf-images/pdf-forms/Volunteer-Essentials.pdf

In there, page 26.

[SSScout]

26 minutes ago, malraux said:

https://my.girlscouts.org/content/dam/wcf-images/pdf-forms/Volunteer-Essentials.pdf

In there, page 26.

I did not see anything on page 26 about BSA fraternization, either pro or con AND on page 27,  it states  ""  Respect the mission of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF).""  which makes this sound like a "council" document, not the National policy?   Did I miss something?

But in any event, "all Scouting is local"....  I have spoken to some GS leaders who told me they want to have their members (girls ! ) participate in a training we are holding, even after I told them that anyone participating had to "join" the BSA to participate ! Application and dues and all !

[Treflienne]

I don't see it on page 26 of Volunteer Essentials.  And this "Volunteer Action Guide" seems to be a new thing,  separate from the Volunteer Essentials.

Besides, that seems to be the Volunteer Essentials guide for Girl Scouts of West Central Florida.   (Different councils have different versions of the Volunteer Essentials, and it is updated every year.)

[malraux]

9 minutes ago, SSScout said:

I did not see anything on page 26 about BSA fraternization, either pro or con AND on page 27,  it states  ""  Respect the mission of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF).""  which makes this sound like a "council" document, not the National policy?   Did I miss something?

But in any event, "all Scouting is local"....  I have spoken to some GS leaders who told me they want to have their members (girls ! ) participate in a training we are holding, even after I told them that anyone participating had to "join" the BSA to participate ! Application and dues and all !

My bad, I must have been looking at the wrong pdf. Its on page 38, but quotes the same language of no events with the BSA that other councils have also used. I just assumed that something hosted on the national page would be for all councils.