cub scouts for girls/mixed gender Cub Scout troops - what are your experiences?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please start your own GS tropp, rather than join BSA. Let's take a look, shall we: they abuse boys and move molesters around the country, cover-up the assaults, and when about to go bankrupt, come up with an idea to allow girls (the 50% they've excluded for decades, and fortunately, spared from the abuse).

The GS troop is 100% leader dependant. Get a good one and you are golden - my daughter started as a daisy and ended as a caddette, earning her gold award. Why not be a part of the solution?

Totally agree. Plus all of the girl Boy Scouts I know say they’re sort of a second thought. I’m sure that’s not universal, but it’s the total opposite of what scouting should be.

It's tough if there's already a GS troop available but it's toxic. They won't let you start a new troop if there's space available in a local one. So you are stuck with traveling to find a new troop (so all the friends your kid makes aren't local, not to mention the added time involved), or you go to a local Boy Scout troop that welcomes girls.

Ask me how I know!

This is not true. You are allowed to start a troop anytime. Reach out to your council. You also do not have to be in a troop to participate. You can be a Juliette which is just an individual participating in Girl Scout activities without being associated to a troop.

Ask me how I know!

That sounds pointless and awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please start your own GS tropp, rather than join BSA. Let's take a look, shall we: they abuse boys and move molesters around the country, cover-up the assaults, and when about to go bankrupt, come up with an idea to allow girls (the 50% they've excluded for decades, and fortunately, spared from the abuse).

The GS troop is 100% leader dependant. Get a good one and you are golden - my daughter started as a daisy and ended as a caddette, earning her gold award. Why not be a part of the solution?

Totally agree. Plus all of the girl Boy Scouts I know say they’re sort of a second thought. I’m sure that’s not universal, but it’s the total opposite of what scouting should be.

It's tough if there's already a GS troop available but it's toxic. They won't let you start a new troop if there's space available in a local one. So you are stuck with traveling to find a new troop (so all the friends your kid makes aren't local, not to mention the added time involved), or you go to a local Boy Scout troop that welcomes girls.

Ask me how I know!

This is not true. You are allowed to start a troop anytime. Reach out to your council. You also do not have to be in a troop to participate. You can be a Juliette which is just an individual participating in Girl Scout activities without being associated to a troop.

Ask me how I know!

That sounds pointless and awful.

It's probably pointless for younger girls, especially if your goal of joining is to get to know other kids in school/neighborhood/etc. But it can be a fantastic option for older girls who get busy with sports/theater/dance whatever but still want to participate in GS. They can still participate in all of the Service Unit and Council activities, go to summer camp, and do GSUSA destinations and programming. One of the most active girls in our SU is a Juliette - her troop disbanded during covid, but she's loves girl scouts and has been a fantastic mentor and role model for the girls the last two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Our existing troops don’t want your girl, but we have such a great program that you should gladly agree to form your own troop and run the entire thing just to create a slot for your daughter. You are plain lazy not to do so. By the way, when you form your own troop you will gladly spend months complying with our procedures and engaging in retail product sales to pay the salaries of our professionals.”

There is a big difference between this program
and business approach and that of other opportunities. Think carefully before you agree to do this. Narrow your focus to only that which is best for your daughter. Select an organization that will serve your family and not the other way around.

This AND they make everything so hard to do anything. A parent has to take a multi-hour class on the right way to roast marshmallows, otherwise we can't do it at a sanctioned event. Any business that we do an activity with has to have 2 million in insurance. Can't carpool to events unless the driving parent is registered with the girls scouts. You have to do a background check beforehand to attend events with your child. The troop only gets like 80 cents per box of cookie sales and we always have to sell in the middle of winter weather and the rewards are garbage but are constantly pushed to sell more more more. The service unit is completely hands off if you need actual help but always demanding financial handouts from your troop and strict adherence to "the rules". The politics and the BS is astounding.

I wouldn't want my kid to be a part of any organization that allows my child to be alone with an unregistered/unbackground checked adult. I definitely agree some GS rules are a little much, but I think we've all seen what happens when the rules aren't in place and implemented.

I'm also not sure why your SU is asking for money. We're in GSMC, not GSCNC, so maybe that's the difference, but I've literally never heard of that. We charge enough for events that we plan to break even, but I hop you don't consider that demanding financial handouts.

[Anonymous]

No adult is alone with the a girl one on one. If my best friend wants to drive my daughter to an event with hers, that should be allowed.

My service unit is constantly asking for us to support various efforts through donating money and that is not the same thing as paying for an activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No adult is alone with the a girl one on one. If my best friend wants to drive my daughter to an event with hers, that should be allowed.

My service unit is constantly asking for us to support various efforts through donating money and that is not the same thing as paying for an activity.

I'm genuinely fascinated with this SU money raising thing. What are they doing with the funds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Our existing troops don’t want your girl, but we have such a great program that you should gladly agree to form your own troop and run the entire thing just to create a slot for your daughter. You are plain lazy not to do so. By the way, when you form your own troop you will gladly spend months complying with our procedures and engaging in retail product sales to pay the salaries of our professionals.”

There is a big difference between this program
and business approach and that of other opportunities. Think carefully before you agree to do this. Narrow your focus to only that which is best for your daughter. Select an organization that will serve your family and not the other way around.

This AND they make everything so hard to do anything. A parent has to take a multi-hour class on the right way to roast marshmallows, otherwise we can't do it at a sanctioned event. Any business that we do an activity with has to have 2 million in insurance. Can't carpool to events unless the driving parent is registered with the girls scouts. You have to do a background check beforehand to attend events with your child. The troop only gets like 80 cents per box of cookie sales and we always have to sell in the middle of winter weather and the rewards are garbage but are constantly pushed to sell more more more. The service unit is completely hands off if you need actual help but always demanding financial handouts from your troop and strict adherence to "the rules". The politics and the BS is astounding.

I wouldn't want my kid to be a part of any organization that allows my child to be alone with an unregistered/unbackground checked adult. I definitely agree some GS rules are a little much, but I think we've all seen what happens when the rules aren't in place and implemented.

I'm also not sure why your SU is asking for money. We're in GSMC, not GSCNC, so maybe that's the difference, but I've literally never heard of that. We charge enough for events that we plan to break even, but I hop you don't consider that demanding financial handouts.

I'm in GSCNC and the service unit only asks for money for SHARE - to fund girls who need financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No adult is alone with the a girl one on one. If my best friend wants to drive my daughter to an event with hers, that should be allowed.

My service unit is constantly asking for us to support various efforts through donating money and that is not the same thing as paying for an activity.

Oh please, that's allowed.

[Anonymous]

Not to a sanctioned event it’s not. She would have to complete the background check and pay to register as a Girl Scout member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Our existing troops don’t want your girl, but we have such a great program that you should gladly agree to form your own troop and run the entire thing just to create a slot for your daughter. You are plain lazy not to do so. By the way, when you form your own troop you will gladly spend months complying with our procedures and engaging in retail product sales to pay the salaries of our professionals.”

There is a big difference between this program
and business approach and that of other opportunities. Think carefully before you agree to do this. Narrow your focus to only that which is best for your daughter. Select an organization that will serve your family and not the other way around.

This AND they make everything so hard to do anything. A parent has to take a multi-hour class on the right way to roast marshmallows, otherwise we can't do it at a sanctioned event. Any business that we do an activity with has to have 2 million in insurance. Can't carpool to events unless the driving parent is registered with the girls scouts. You have to do a background check beforehand to attend events with your child. The troop only gets like 80 cents per box of cookie sales and we always have to sell in the middle of winter weather and the rewards are garbage but are constantly pushed to sell more more more. The service unit is completely hands off if you need actual help but always demanding financial handouts from your troop and strict adherence to "the rules". The politics and the BS is astounding.

I wouldn't want my kid to be a part of any organization that allows my child to be alone with an unregistered/unbackground checked adult. I definitely agree some GS rules are a little much, but I think we've all seen what happens when the rules aren't in place and implemented.

I'm also not sure why your SU is asking for money. We're in GSMC, not GSCNC, so maybe that's the difference, but I've literally never heard of that. We charge enough for events that we plan to break even, but I hop you don't consider that demanding financial handouts.

I'm in GSCNC and the service unit only asks for money for SHARE - to fund girls who need financial aid.

Do they do this routinely and also expect a large portion of your cookie money?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to a sanctioned event it’s not. She would have to complete the background check and pay to register as a Girl Scout member.

Unless the troop is organizing the carpool, no one cares how your child shows up at a location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Our existing troops don’t want your girl, but we have such a great program that you should gladly agree to form your own troop and run the entire thing just to create a slot for your daughter. You are plain lazy not to do so. By the way, when you form your own troop you will gladly spend months complying with our procedures and engaging in retail product sales to pay the salaries of our professionals.”

There is a big difference between this program
and business approach and that of other opportunities. Think carefully before you agree to do this. Narrow your focus to only that which is best for your daughter. Select an organization that will serve your family and not the other way around.

This AND they make everything so hard to do anything. A parent has to take a multi-hour class on the right way to roast marshmallows, otherwise we can't do it at a sanctioned event. Any business that we do an activity with has to have 2 million in insurance. Can't carpool to events unless the driving parent is registered with the girls scouts. You have to do a background check beforehand to attend events with your child. The troop only gets like 80 cents per box of cookie sales and we always have to sell in the middle of winter weather and the rewards are garbage but are constantly pushed to sell more more more. The service unit is completely hands off if you need actual help but always demanding financial handouts from your troop and strict adherence to "the rules". The politics and the BS is astounding.

I wouldn't want my kid to be a part of any organization that allows my child to be alone with an unregistered/unbackground checked adult. I definitely agree some GS rules are a little much, but I think we've all seen what happens when the rules aren't in place and implemented.

I'm also not sure why your SU is asking for money. We're in GSMC, not GSCNC, so maybe that's the difference, but I've literally never heard of that. We charge enough for events that we plan to break even, but I hop you don't consider that demanding financial handouts.

I'm in GSCNC and the service unit only asks for money for SHARE - to fund girls who need financial aid.

Huh. So the SUs manage the financial aid, not council?
In GSCM all financial aid goes through council and is funded by cookies and other council fundraising.
Do your SUs have Council staff on them? Im not sure I’d be comfortable with random volunteer SUM mom managing the financial aid process.