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I was a Girl Guide, which is similar but different (here in Canada). I was a girl member from the age of 6-14 and then later I became the leader for 2 groups.
In regards to @Skadi's comments, I don't think that the all-girl environment is unhealthy at all. Infact, I found to be the opposite. While I was a leader, I also did some volunteering at a local school. I noticed in the classroom setting (boys and girls), some of the girls were hesitant to speak up or do things in front of the class. In some situations, like when we were doing physical activities, the boys dominated and some girls seemed to give up or claimed disinterest. These were the same girls that when in the all-girl Guide group environment showed confidence and bravery and happily participated in whatever we were doing. I think for some, an all-girl environment can be a nice break.
And I think that the experience and skills that I learned as a girl member still enrich my life today. I think important skills, like my leadership, communications and personal relationship skills are in part due to my Guide experience. As a leader I tried to instil and give girls the opportunity to develop those skills. Yes, maybe knot-tying or tent-pitching skills aren't in high demand, but the process of learning and succeeding and accomplishing things is very beneficial.
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@Mamaof2: not only are they discriminatory, they have a history of hiding and covering up sexual abuse by adults. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/20/boy-scout-abuse-files/1646033/ They're completely separate organizations; Girl Scouts is extremely inclusive.
In regards to camp, I can only speak for the area I worked in but everyone loved to talk about camp but no one ever used it. Tons of money was spent on upkeep and programs were cancelled due to lack of registration, troop leaders didn't take their kids, etc. It's tough. I love camp/the outdoors and hope GS both nationally and council-wide can find ways to encourage camping without sacrificing huge dollar amounts.
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I was never involved, so I can't speak to the experience. I imagine that the skills and experiences you gain from it are largely dependent on your leaders. From a political standpoint, though, I'd love to have my daughter join. The girl scouts are exactly the kind of organization I'd like to be involved it.
We have a regional co ed scouting organization, though, so likely we'll do that. It looks like it combines the serious skill building of boy scouts with the liberal attitude of girl scouts, so I'm hoping that my daughter is excited about it.
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@scg00387: That's too bad that they were having problems with attendance. When I was a girl scout, we went on camping trips with a whole bunch of local scouts... I think they were called "jamborees"? I know we went at least once a year, but maybe more than that? We'd also go with just our troop to a nearby girl scout lodge at Hidden Falls, where we'd sleep indoors in bunks. There was also a week long camp, I think once a year. I don't think our whole troop went, but I know my mom went, and I think I served as a junior counselor or something there. I would say in all we camped 3-5 times a year.
ETA: I just searched and am happy to see the Hidden Falls place still exists! http://www.girlscoutsnorcal.org/camp-and-properties/rental-directory/hidden-falls
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I was a GS all the way through Cadets! I didn't finish my gold award though. I still use skills I learned.
I loved if as a junior. I had two main beefs with it though:
1. I wanted to do more outdoors/adventuring skills. We definitely did some but I wanted to learn more about how to carve and tie knots and stuff. Don't get me wrong, we weren't homemaking instead (well actually my silver award was a quilt...) we were doing science experiments and learning to be leaders and stuff. I just wanted to camp and canoe more!
2. My leader was kind of a B.
I have boys and unless they change more soon we won't have them join. Anyone know of alternatives?
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@Skadi: what kind of camping did you do that made it not real? We slept in bean bags inside wood floor tents. It was cold. We ate outside. We learned to build fires using twigs shaped like an A and brush.
Although we were around girls some of the parent volunteers like my dad were men. I didn't find the all - girl environment to be a negative. I still remember how cool it was to see troops from all over the area descend on the campground sporting the GS uniform. It felt empowering. Half of my extra curricular activities were same-sex. What was a negative for you?
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@meredithNYC: Extremely left-leaning. They are closely tied with Planned Parenthood, anti-gun activists, globalism, I mean, if you're a parent who subscribes to those beliefs, I guess it's fine. Kind of like how if you're anti-gay and anti-atheist, you might be pleased with the Boy Scouts. But the people they've elected to their board, the speakers they invite to their yearly conferences, and the stuff they write in the handbooks (especially for the older set) just doesn't jive with our family's philosophy.
These things might be overlooked if I believed they had some really good programs to offer our kids, but as someone who was a "lifer" in four different troops (I too earned my Gold Award) and attended countless jamborees and weekend activities, I just didn't see it.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Yeah, we did that maybe once a year.
Compare that to the local Boy Scout troop, who went five or six times a year. They didn't go to a campground where your tent has wood floors and you have an outhouse (often with running water). By real camping, I mean they hiked to their campsites carrying their own equipment and set up their own tents. They learned to tie complex knots. They learned to use a compass and read topographic maps. They practiced archery and marksmanship. They chopped their own firewood. They whittled. They were sent out in pairs to gather as many edible nuts and berries as they could find to supplement their supper, which involved cooking complex meals over a wood fire.
I know how much and how hardcore camping is will vary with the scoutmaster, but I was in four different troops. I talked to dozens of girls from different troops when I was at events, questioning whether they got to do more cool stuff than our troop did. The answer was always the same...most of their time was spent on fluff and there was very little of what comes to mind when you think of traditional scouting skills.
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I liked it! I also liked 4H a lot, probably more than GS, but I was very into animals. If we ever have a daughter, the option will definitely be on the table for her!
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I was both an active Girl Scout and active Boy Scout member from age 5-20. It definitely wasn't the cool thing to do. I am so done with both organizations for a variety of reasons, but if my girls wanted to do it I wouldn't discourage it.
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@Skadi: Got it, you wanted to be one with the great outdoors. I was happy with my Troop Beverly Hills camping experience.
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@Skadi: Honestly, our troop did that kind of stuff. We learned knots, survival skills, wilderness cooking, how to pitch a tent, orienteering, what to do in an emergency and life saving skills, we did archery and horseback riding, we camped in every season and sometimes not even in tents and sometimes in the snow (we went probably 10 times a year), we hiked, we did high ropes and obstacle courses... Yeah, we also stayed in lodges with a/c and did french braiding sometimes but the point is that we did all the other stuff too. My troop may have been an anomaly because my dad was one of our leaders and he's the one that encouraged all the more "Boy Scout" skills, but I think troops are what you make them. Could also be partly regional too.
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@loveisstrange: we did similar things. I have a vivid memory of having to start a fire in the middle of a down pour as part of survival skills training. We camped under the stars in just sleeping bags (and once it rained on us), camped in tents, camped in shelters that had canvas sides and wooden floors, and stayed in lodges.
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I was a Brownie and I thought it was a lot of fun! I "flew up" to Girl Scouts but decided not to continue with it - I believe that was around 4th grade. I remember I used to love wearing my uniform to school on Tuesdays when we had our meetings.
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