Yeah, she got charged with embezzlement. I think she worked out a plea bargain. This happened when I was in 4th grade so I was more upset about the fact that the cookies were late since they never got paid for. She didn't go to prison, but she had hefty fines and wasn't allowed to participate in scouts anymore. They moved shortly after that.

Wow, I didn't know you could get blackballed from the Girl Scouts. They're not exactly a selective group. (Hence why no one perps the GS;) ;) )

Actually, GS requires extensive background checks on all of their volunteers. If you leave the organization for more than 2 years, you have to undergo all the checks again. Also, there are procedures in place to remove volunteers who are not fulfilling their job description.

I am amazed at the number of myths many on here are attempting to perpetrate about GSUSA. No offense, but ya'll kind of sound like GDIs that believe [insert Greek stereotype here: pay for friends, sleep around, have negative impacts on their school and community, don't care about philanthropies, etc]. :mad:

- how embarassing for the other members of your organization, Chaos. Is that really how you want to represent yourself?

It's NOT a myth if you've personally experienced it. WOULD YOU TELL A HAZED PLEDGE THAT THEY ARE JUST PERPETUATING A MYTH WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES?

You love the GS. We get it. But, don't sit there and tell those of us who have been involved in GS that our experiences aren't valid just because they don't coincide with your perfect-girl-scouts-can-do-no-wrong-and-can-cure-cancer-and-the-common-cold ideal. :rolleyes:

I'm currently a Girl Scout leader, and have also volunteered in an administrative capacity with my local council. My girls are now graduating seniors. Of the 10, 3 have completed their Gold Award (and I have hopes for two others to do it). The focus of Girl Scouts now is to let the girls decide what they want to do, let them plan out how/when/if things get done. We've taken two major trips as a troop. We've been camping numerous times. We've visited universities. We've made learning boards for children in Afghanistan. We've been on challenge courses and gone sailing. Many times we've just talked about various issues (and unless I hear something that is totally wrong, I keep my mouth shut). The GS program has evolved and continues to evolve to become what girls want. Working with my girls has been one of the best things I'll ever do. I may be telling their stories in next year's rush threads.

But on the administrative side, I've seen some unpleasant things. 98% of it adult-related. Embezzlement, adultery (leader messing with coleader's husband, but it's OK-they are friends?), psychotic mothers, custody issues, you name it. It's what happens when you have a large volunteer organization. Criminal background checks and reference checks help quite a bit to weed out the obvious problems. Girl Scouts, along with every other volunteer organization, are eager for committed volunteers. It's sad to say, but not every girl who wants to join will find a troop because of lack of leadership.

Clarification - it is GSUSA, not GSA. Boy Scouts are BSA.

PS - Kappa Delta made a SMART move by adding Girl Scouts to its philanthropies. I know of many girls who want to be KDs because of this connection.

Many girls do drop out of Girl Scouts during 5th-7th grade. Some of the reasons are:

- Leader quits (for many different reasons)
- Girl becomes interested in a specific, time-consuming activity (sports, drill team, etc)
- Peer pressure (GS is not cool)
- Lack of parental support (parents don't think there is anything for daughter to gain from GS at this point)

Regarding peer pressure, some of my girls "went underground" during junior high. However, they have found that it's not an issue in high school. As to lack of parental support, I wish parents would understand that girls need a program that builds and reinforces self esteem like GS the most in junior high.

GSUSA has been trying to respond to these issues by recruiting younger leaders (are considered more "cool" than mothers), adding more high adventure and travel opportunities, revamping the awards to make them more relevant, partnering with sports organizations, etc.

You're a dumbass for two reasons:

1) I clearly asked a question in my post. All you had to do is answer it without the extra stuff. Adding the extra stuff leaves the potential for a combative tone.

2) I didn't make outlandish accusations based on my imagination. I didn't engage in slander. It's clear that you're in love with GS and that's why you almost had a heart attack when you read my post. Yes, my GS troop perpetuated gendered stereotypes and gendered socialization in 1986. Just like some troops currently do. How dare you tell me that you know about, or can interpret the relevance of, my experience with my troop more than I do. It's also silly for you to assume that 1986 was some pivotal year in which gendered socialization was completely eradicated in GS troops across the country. It existed in 1986 just like it exists in 2006.

Now, you have an explanation to fit my previous description of you. ;)

Exactly. I never knew people were so sensitive over the GS.

Thanks to everyone for their input on the GS.

I would like to reiterate that the GS national website shows some really good program initiatives. I hope the actual troops are upholding that promise and monitoring the degree to which they perpetuate gendered socialization.

Didn't know there was such a thing. What then happens in the mods corner?

Which now leads me to another question: was the HU PIKE thread actually deleted, or moved to the mods corner? And if so, then for what purpose?

ETA: I think the Dove initiative and KD's involvement is a wonderful thing.

[hijack] Re: GS

I was a GS in St. Louis, from Brownies through Mariner Scouts. I then became a Camp Counselor and an assistant troop leader. My Mom was our Mariner troop leader and we led the City in cookie sales. And we took home awards from the GAM. I was even selected to go to Roundup, which was very prestigious. I say all of this to explain that while I lived and breathed GS growing up, I never encouraged my daughter to join. Here's why.

In St. Louis we had all Black troops, and our activities were culturally sensitive. Here in MN, that is not the case and they have a real problem with diversity.

They talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. There have been numerous attemptsto rectify the situation: advisory councils (on which I served,) posting for jobs in media focused on people of color, etc. But the bottom line is when it came to implementing ideas, or actually hiring for those jobs "suitable candidates of color" could not be found.

You never hear anything about the GS here, other than cookie selling time. And there are not troops set up in Black churches (as mine was) or other places dominated by people of color.

So I say all of this to say: the GS were the bomb many years ago, but they have not kept up with the times. Hopefully this partnership with Dove will allow them to do that. [/end hijack]

I quit Girl Scouts when I was in 5th grade because of a rift with the leaders' daughter (1976). I re-joined in high school because of the awesome trip a friend of mine had gone on to the Canadian Rockies, backpacking, canoeing, Calgary Stampede, fun times. The trip I ended up going on was to Maine, New Hampshire and New York. We planned the trip ourselves and just had parents to drive us around. We went backpacking, hiking, white water rafting, canoeing and took technical climbing lessons. It was the best trip of my life.

My daughter is now in 6th grade and is a Cadette. Her leader is a 25 year old woman who has a toddler. This woman had made some poor choices in her middle school years and was kicked out of Girl Scouts by her leader because she was straying to "the dark side". She feels it is important for these young women to stay involved, have goals, gain self esteem and make positive choices for themselves. She is awesome with the girls. The girls totally run their meetings, collect their dues, take turns planning the meeting's topic. Therefore, they do what interests them.

They had an overnighter and did work on their sewing badge in the process. The activity? Making some very cute destructed jeans with rhinestones, patches, bleach pens, etc. They all wore them to school on the same day (but didn't dare tell people they made them in Girl Scouts). This same group of girls also just planned a whole encampment weekend for 75 girls. They planned the menu, chose the workshops, etc. The workshops they picked DO include some traditional things such as hula dancing (it's a Hawaiian theme weekend) and a cookie decorating contest, but they also have workshops in self defense, a high ropes course, a low ropes course, and horseback riding. Something for every interest really. Additionally, they did all the meal planning and stayed in theme. They designed the t-shirt and the patch for the weekend. I sat through these planning meetings while waiting for my daughter and kept thinking "These are going to be great sorority women". Planning recruitment, a sisterhood retreat, a formal, a parent's tea, etc. is going to be a piece of cake for any of these girls because they've been leaders since age 12.

ETA: They're planning a trip to Missouri too.. no clue what they plan to do there but they are having to stay in a budget, choose activities, food, etc. for that too.