Scouting vs. Scouting (help me come to terms?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not just sign her up, let her try it, and take a step back? This isn't about you.

This. Also, it’s not a lifelong commitment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you may find that a lot of troops are full. you may want to volunteer to be cookie mom, for example, for someone to find space for you.

OP here again with an honest question: what constitutes "full"? (In our Cub Scout pack, we have no caps, so "full" is new to me.) Is there a required ratio between girls and volunteers, for example? In that case I can see why a girl who wanted to make a later-years entry into an established troop would essentially have to bring a volunteer with them in order to adjust the numbers.

That might explain why I can't find DD's friends' troop on the joining section of the Girl Scouts website, too. Maybe it is full. (I will contact them directly, of course - I was just looking around.)

There’s a very strict required ratio of volunteer:Girl Scout. That’s because, unlike Cub Scouts that has parents in a 1:1 parent:Scout ratio at most meetings, Girl Scouts is Girl-led and a dropoff activity. The bright side of this is that girls learn to express their own opinions, make their own choices, and learn to do things on their own.

As a leader, I’ll say that my Girl Scouts are very different people at the rare event when parents are present vs. when it’s just our troop. In a good way. However, they are a lot to manage and we have trouble getting volunteers willing to do the background check and trainings and show up reliably, let alone plane meetings and facilitate badge work or outings that fit the girls’ states goals for the year. So we’re exactly at the ratio at all times and cancel meetings if a volunteer isn’t available. That’s why our troop is not publicly listed or actively recruiting new girls. The other reason is that we meet at school and the rules of our room use say that we aren’t allowed to have children or adults who aren’t affiliated with it in certain spaces after school hours.

Troops can’t close if they have less than 12 girls but after that it’s up to the troop leader. I would often open mine up specifically for a girl from our school because I didn’t want anyone to be left out. If you volunteer to be camp certified they will almost certainly make an exception. If you are from a big BSA family you might be really great for this role. I have to admit I am a little frustrated with the number of women who just say “I don’t camp.” That’s one difference with BSA-I think the men are too worried about looking like wimps to admit they don’t like camping! Or more of them grew up with it so they are accustomed to it. I’m always trying to at least get troop dads to volunteer for the camping certification — I know other troops that had great luck with this but I personally haven’t been able to convince our dads.

[Anonymous]

I would refuse to switch her. Your whole family is deeply involved in Boy Scouts. Friends at this age are very transitory. She's going to get a better outdoor education and better skills from Boy Scouts.

I was a Girl Scout until I was a junior in high school. I was a GS leader. I love GS. But I wouldn't switch programs simply because she wants to hang out with a friend. Find other times for her to hang out with her friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you may find that a lot of troops are full. you may want to volunteer to be cookie mom, for example, for someone to find space for you.

OP here again with an honest question: what constitutes "full"? (In our Cub Scout pack, we have no caps, so "full" is new to me.) Is there a required ratio between girls and volunteers, for example? In that case I can see why a girl who wanted to make a later-years entry into an established troop would essentially have to bring a volunteer with them in order to adjust the numbers.

That might explain why I can't find DD's friends' troop on the joining section of the Girl Scouts website, too. Maybe it is full. (I will contact them directly, of course - I was just looking around.)

There’s a very strict required ratio of volunteer:Girl Scout. That’s because, unlike Cub Scouts that has parents in a 1:1 parent:Scout ratio at most meetings, Girl Scouts is Girl-led and a dropoff activity. The bright side of this is that girls learn to express their own opinions, make their own choices, and learn to do things on their own.

As a leader, I’ll say that my Girl Scouts are very different people at the rare event when parents are present vs. when it’s just our troop. In a good way. However, they are a lot to manage and we have trouble getting volunteers willing to do the background check and trainings and show up reliably, let alone plane meetings and facilitate badge work or outings that fit the girls’ states goals for the year. So we’re exactly at the ratio at all times and cancel meetings if a volunteer isn’t available. That’s why our troop is not publicly listed or actively recruiting new girls. The other reason is that we meet at school and the rules of our room use say that we aren’t allowed to have children or adults who aren’t affiliated with it in certain spaces after school hours.

Troops can’t close if they have less than 12 girls but after that it’s up to the troop leader. I would often open mine up specifically for a girl from our school because I didn’t want anyone to be left out. If you volunteer to be camp certified they will almost certainly make an exception. If you are from a big BSA family you might be really great for this role. I have to admit I am a little frustrated with the number of women who just say “I don’t camp.” That’s one difference with BSA-I think the men are too worried about looking like wimps to admit they don’t like camping! Or more of them grew up with it so they are accustomed to it. I’m always trying to at least get troop dads to volunteer for the camping certification — I know other troops that had great luck with this but I personally haven’t been able to convince our dads.

The part about troops not being allowed to close until they hit their max is absolutely not true and a big hurdle for new scouts in our area. You can contact your Council and they turn off visibility for your troop and that’s it. Closed. Sometimes people close troops for nefarious reasons (leaving girls out) and sometimes benign ones (long-standing troop with thousands in Cookie earnings and a planned trip or space constraints in a church meeting room, multiple girls with disabilities and need for close supervision).

[Anonymous]

We had a girl in our cub scout troop that was doing both Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Might be an option if you aren't sure yet? The two seem quite different.

[Anonymous]

I was a 12 year Girl Scout and now in my 6th year of being a troop leader. To say Girl Scout fundamentally impacted my life in a dramatic way isn’t an overstatement.
Girl Scouts is supposed to be “girl led” so what each troop will be different - some do a lot of stem/robotics, some do a lot of outdoor adventures, some do a lot of community service. Most do a little of all.

It a place where girls can try out being leaders and doing challenging scary things without fear of failure. Where they can learn to be supportive and kind to other women.

My understanding is that Boy Scouts is much more regimented and proscribed. At Girl Scouts she gets to create her own adventures.

[Anonymous]

Check out some of the awesome things she can do when she gets to high school if she’s a Girl Scout:

https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/ways-to-participate/Travel/destinations.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we trade? I’m trying to switch my brownie to Scouts. They do way more fun things.

This.

I have been amazed at what my sons have gotten to do. I grew up on a military base and for years our assistant brownie leader was a gunny sergeant in the USMC. His name was Mr. Coffee. I'm over 50 and I remember this man to this day. We hiked and did so many fun things outdoors. He was one of the greatest people I ever met. When I aged in to Girl Scouts it was such a disappointment. We never went outside and for the most part we sat indoors doing crafts being ignored by the one adult there.

What do you mean “aged into Girl Scouts”? That’s not a thing. Brownies are Girl Scouts. There is no age level called “Girl Scouts”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you may find that a lot of troops are full. you may want to volunteer to be cookie mom, for example, for someone to find space for you.

OP here again with an honest question: what constitutes "full"? (In our Cub Scout pack, we have no caps, so "full" is new to me.) Is there a required ratio between girls and volunteers, for example? In that case I can see why a girl who wanted to make a later-years entry into an established troop would essentially have to bring a volunteer with them in order to adjust the numbers.

That might explain why I can't find DD's friends' troop on the joining section of the Girl Scouts website, too. Maybe it is full. (I will contact them directly, of course - I was just looking around.)

There’s a very strict required ratio of volunteer:Girl Scout. That’s because, unlike Cub Scouts that has parents in a 1:1 parent:Scout ratio at most meetings, Girl Scouts is Girl-led and a dropoff activity. The bright side of this is that girls learn to express their own opinions, make their own choices, and learn to do things on their own.

As a leader, I’ll say that my Girl Scouts are very different people at the rare event when parents are present vs. when it’s just our troop. In a good way. However, they are a lot to manage and we have trouble getting volunteers willing to do the background check and trainings and show up reliably, let alone plane meetings and facilitate badge work or outings that fit the girls’ states goals for the year. So we’re exactly at the ratio at all times and cancel meetings if a volunteer isn’t available. That’s why our troop is not publicly listed or actively recruiting new girls. The other reason is that we meet at school and the rules of our room use say that we aren’t allowed to have children or adults who aren’t affiliated with it in certain spaces after school hours.

Troops can’t close if they have less than 12 girls but after that it’s up to the troop leader. I would often open mine up specifically for a girl from our school because I didn’t want anyone to be left out. If you volunteer to be camp certified they will almost certainly make an exception. If you are from a big BSA family you might be really great for this role. I have to admit I am a little frustrated with the number of women who just say “I don’t camp.” That’s one difference with BSA-I think the men are too worried about looking like wimps to admit they don’t like camping! Or more of them grew up with it so they are accustomed to it. I’m always trying to at least get troop dads to volunteer for the camping certification — I know other troops that had great luck with this but I personally haven’t been able to convince our dads.

The part about troops not being allowed to close until they hit their max is absolutely not true and a big hurdle for new scouts in our area. You can contact your Council and they turn off visibility for your troop and that’s it. Closed. Sometimes people close troops for nefarious reasons (leaving girls out) and sometimes benign ones (long-standing troop with thousands in Cookie earnings and a planned trip or space constraints in a church meeting room, multiple girls with disabilities and need for close supervision).

“Older girl” troops (middle school and up) are allowed to be closed and smaller numbers, but no - council should absolutely not be closing a troop with fewer than 12 girls. That’s a GSUSA guideline. If GSCNC did hide/close a d/b/j troop it was most likely because of some unique situation with that troop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a 12 year Girl Scout and now in my 6th year of being a troop leader. To say Girl Scout fundamentally impacted my life in a dramatic way isn’t an overstatement.
Girl Scouts is supposed to be “girl led” so what each troop will be different - some do a lot of stem/robotics, some do a lot of outdoor adventures, some do a lot of community service. Most do a little of all.

It a place where girls can try out being leaders and doing challenging scary things without fear of failure. Where they can learn to be supportive and kind to other women.

My understanding is that Boy Scouts is much more regimented and proscribed. At Girl Scouts she gets to create her own adventures.

Scouts BSA does indeed have a structured curriculum that contains some requirements and many choices. At the Cub Scouts level the Scouts complete "adventures," and for every grade level some of those are required and the rest are electives. The "required" adventures are how you earn your badge for the year. And if you don't earn it, no harm no foul: you still go to the next level the next year, just without the badge. There is plenty of flexibility in these younger years.

At the Scouts BSA level (what used to be called Boy Scouts, i.e. about grade 6 on up), there are again required skills and elective choices. Some of those manifest as merit badges. The requirements for Eagle include some specific merit badges and others that are free choice. There is definitely plenty of room for personalization, but it is true that (for example) every Eagle Scout who has done the ordinary curriculum will have done a lot of camping, will be trained in first aid, will have met a certain standard in swimming, will have learned basic cooking skills and a good deal about citizenship, etc.

[Anonymous]

So…I would try to get some perspective here urgently. You had social challenges in Girl Scouts. BSA covered up years of child abuse. And you’re concerned about taking your child out of BSA??