| Author | |
mamaslearning
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 12 2007
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 927
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 7:03am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
My daughter enjoys American Heritage Girls. The badge work dovetails nicely with many things we do in our homeschool. I like that they focus on having service hours/projects since each girl must log a set amount of service hours each year in order to advance (along with badge work). The older girls (our group is multi-level meeting at the same time in different rooms) help teach the younger girls the flag ceremonies, and they also plan events and projects as part of their work towards acheving levels and badges. I really like their focus on leadership in the older years.
__________________
Lara
DD 11, DS 8, DS 6, DS 4
St. Francis de Sales Homeschool
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Nique
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 07 2008
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1222
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 8:26am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Becky Parker wrote:
| We do Little Flowers here and we really love it...It's a big deal to plan, but it's only once a month and since all the moms help, it's not too bad. |
|
|
I agree! Little Flowers IS a wonderful program!
But there is alot preparation involved and you need more than 2 Moms to run it 
__________________
I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 10:06am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Sorry about taking over the thread:
I see Little Flowers and American Heritage Girls as good "scouting" type options instead of GSA (just makes me so sad but to be honest it was an option because that's what I was/am comfortable with from my childhood). Is Little Flowers a troop? Is it a national thing?
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 10:36am | IP Logged
|
|
|
In my search I have found this too:
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 10:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jillian, it is sad, though I'm sure by the time I was in Girl Scouts it was probably already changing. I seem to remember a lot of "girl power" which was a very 70's thing, not just in girl scouts. And I know it's changed more.. I think at this point that AHG may be more like what I remember from Girl Scouts than Girl Scouts is. Have you tried going to any of the webpages for the other programs and checking them out? You'll see that the program set up isn't that different.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 11:07am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have found AHG and AWANA along with Little Flowers. We still have a year or so, dd turns 5 next year in December. I am all about empowering women to be happy with themselves as women and not think they are less than a man (I hope that made sense) but I think it's important for us to remember our inherent differences.
I will be honest, there was a time in my life that these issues wouldn't have bugged me but the more I turn back to God the more I see the inherent evil in this.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MaryM
Board Moderator
Joined: Feb 11 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13104
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 11:50am | IP Logged
|
|
|
jillian wrote:
| I have found AHG and AWANA along with Little Flowers. |
|
|
I've never thought of AWANA as an alternative to Scouts. Maybe I don't know enough about the specific activiites but I think of it more as an activity group for bible study. Since it is strongly Protestant, and depending on the group even anti-Cahtolic, I would not choose to send my children.
__________________
Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stacykay
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 08 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1858
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 11:51am | IP Logged
|
|
|
JodieLyn wrote:
| Jillian, it is sad, though I'm sure by the time I was in Girl Scouts it was probably already changing. I seem to remember a lot of "girl power" which was a very 70's thing, not just in girl scouts.... |
|
|
Those 70's...in 5th grade music class, the big song was "Free to be You and Me". 
We've had a discussion about girl scouts on our local email group in the past couple of weeks. It's been difficult, and I appreciate any current info on girl scouts at the national and international level. I haven't bought gs cookies for a few years, and miss them, but don't want my $ go to anything that would support pp or pro-abortion ideologies.
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 11:54am | IP Logged
|
|
|
MaryM wrote:
jillian wrote:
| I have found AHG and AWANA along with Little Flowers. |
|
|
I've never thought of AWANA as an alternative to Scouts. Maybe I don't know enough about the specific activiites but I think of it more as an activity group for bible study. Since it is strongly Protestant, and depending on the group even anti-Cahtolic, I would not choose to send my children. |
|
|
Yeah I noticed that it wasn't really scouting, it came up when I "Bing"ed alternatives to GSUSA
Stacy: Check out this website: http://bakingbites.com/2008/01/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-s amoas/
She does homemade girl scout cookies. I won't be buying after this year either (already ordered some) and I will be passing along some of the information to my family so they know not to purchase either. I may have to start using bakingbites.com to make my own and send them out.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SuzanneG
Forum Moderator
Joined: June 17 2006
Location: Idaho
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5465
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We just started an AHG group in our area "with a Catholic identity"....and I'm so impressed with the program, its mission/identity/values, the national office, etc. It's a GREAT scouting organization for girls!
I have three girls in it right now...my 7,8,10 yo. They meet 2/month for a troop meeting. My 5 year-old will probably be in the Pathfinder Group next year. They have a couple social events per year....the Father/Daughter Dinner/Dance is this Saturday!
The badge work is very appropriate and wonderful! The work for the 6-9 year olds is very do-able and DOES dovetail very nicely with what we do in our homeschool. And, the badge work for the 9-12 year olds is more challenging, rightly so, as they should be taking more initiative on their own with more "work" to earn a badge.
It IS a lot of work getting a troop started....it's very "official"...you're accountable to the national office, tons of paperwork, getting a "charter organization" to sponsor you, etc. So, it's not something you'd want to do on your own....it took several moms/families working together to get it rolling. And, it had been "contemplated" for a couple years.
__________________
Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jillian - there's also Pilgrims of the Holy Family and Frontier Girls Since you seem to be looking at all your options. Oh also 4H.
Stacy - I have run into this "Family Research Council" blog But I haven't had time to check out everything that's claimed there but it might give you some leads on things to look up.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 12:41pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I like AHG and they have troops where we are moving but they are far, the closest one is just shy of 2 hours away from our prospective town/city. I am still going to check it out though. I keep going back to it.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 12:50pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Here, it's not so easy to find but AHG has a Trailblazer program for girls that are further than 60 minutes from a troop. I believe you can still participate in the troop activities, you might want to speak to the nearest troop leaders. But this lets you work with your daughter without needing to attend the meetings all the time. Which opens your options up quite a bit since you won't have to travel weekly so far.. but you could still join in occationally or join in with the other activities.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 1:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
That's a good idea Jodie.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SuzanneG
Forum Moderator
Joined: June 17 2006
Location: Idaho
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5465
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 7:19pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
JodieLyn wrote:
| It's not as fun as a troop, but there is an option for doing AHG without a troop if there's not one nearby. But other families can also do the individual program and you can get together to do things without having to start a troop. |
|
|
Jodie...that's fabulous! I didn't know about that! How GREAT!
__________________
Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Aagot
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 649
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 10:04pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
C-Fam has many articles about the GSA -Planned Parenthood -- UN conection.
http://www.c-fam.org/search/default.asp?q=girl+scouts
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: Feb 24 2011 at 11:40pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jimmy Akin posted some information about Girl Scouts in the USA and these connections. Apparently the connections are not at the national level; they are at local and World level (Worldwide Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, or WAGGGS).
Each local council in the USA may decide which organizations to work with/sponsor/endorse. In my council, for example, there is no association with PP. I have read and reread annual reports, press releases, etc. to make sure that our family can be completely confident in our council's associations. This may not be true for a council in another part of the state or country. (As an FYI,Girl Scouts of the USA does not control WAGGGS' associations or affiliations with any groups. WAGGGS may decide to work with PP or some other organization on a world-wide level, but that does not mean that such an agreement would ever trickle down to my local council, and none has, in my experience.)
Full disclosure: My daughter is a Girl Scout and I lead her troop of homeschooled Girl Scouts. I have carefully scrutinized our council's outreach, affiliations and donor lists (talk about a fun job!) and cannot find a connection to PP or any other group which endorses policies and values contradictory to the Catholic faith. We do not sell cookies (which means we can't fundraise at all).
Our troop's council dues don't go to WAGGGS; they stay here, in our local area. I review the schedule of events and activities each year before the troop year begins - our council does not do anything that might compromise Catholic values. (Obviously, if it did, I would have to step down and find other nationally-recognized organizations for her to join. I'm so pleased that AHG is expanding and working with the Boy Scouts of America, an organization which has done so much for the male contingent of my family!)
I realize that other councils in the USA have not been as careful as our has been. This leaves us, as parents, with personal discernment opportunities and challenges. We must prayerfully consider whether our local Girl Scout councils' associations and sponsorships are worthwhile and in accordance with Catholic teachings and values. It's a difficult task; were I beginning the journey now, I'd probably look to AHG as a great place to begin.
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SeaStar
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 16 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9068
|
| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 9:53am | IP Logged
|
|
|
That is an area I struggle with: joining the GS would require a lot of discernment and investigation on my end, and then careful watching over and investigating all the activities.
And then, I don't know that, even if I could be certain my local council wasn't involved in PP, etc, I would still want to be using the name Girls Scouts when the organization as a whole is questionable to me. Does that make sense?
It seems to me that it would be easy for people to look at my actions and jump to the conclusion that I was OK with GS overall. Then other things- like wording changes in the handbook (the * mark by God's name making it optional)- really bother me, And links at girls scouts sites that go off to other places....
I know that everyone family must do their own research and make their own decisions, and I am thankful everyone has shared so openly on this thread. It has been very helpful and given me much to think about.
__________________
Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
jillian
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2010
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 233
|
| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 10:59am | IP Logged
|
|
|
SeaStar wrote:
That is an area I struggle with: joining the GS would require a lot of discernment and investigation on my end, and then careful watching over and investigating all the activities.
And then, I don't know that, even if I could be certain my local council wasn't involved in PP, etc, I would still want to be using the name Girls Scouts when the organization as a whole is questionable to me. Does that make sense?
It seems to me that it would be easy for people to look at my actions and jump to the conclusion that I was OK with GS overall. Then other things- like wording changes in the handbook (the * mark by God's name making it optional)- really bother me, And links at girls scouts sites that go off to other places....
I know that everyone family must do their own research and make their own decisions, and I am thankful everyone has shared so openly on this thread. It has been very helpful and given me much to think about. |
|
|
Yep I agree with all of this. I just don't feel quite so comfortable anymore when there are other options that feel better for our family.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 11:02am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well starting with knowing the troops here sell cookies..
But I AM glad to know there are ways around supporting the unsavory parts.. I guess it just makes it seem more possible that it could change for the better still, and that makes me happy even if it's not something we could choose here.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Little Flowers or Girl Scouts?
