Girl Scouts

[186momx]

DH thinks DD should join Girls Scouts but do it independently like our friends daughter is doing.  Friend's daughter is 12 and just joined over the summer and is doing this Black Diamond adventure guide book (basically a ton of stuff that my DH is into anyways).  I told DH no on the whole thing and he can't understand why I don't want DD to have this great opportunity.  I tried to explain that from all I've heard from kids around here who do girls scouts is that it is a major time commitment and I don't have time for it especially since cookie sales happen during tax season.  He keeps telling me it is just a book that DD will work through at her own pace and it will give us all something to do.  Has anyone heard of this? I can't find much online.

[waverly]

I haven't heard of that, but I think something like that is great for older girls, but not great for younger kids. With girl scouts and cub scouts at the younger ages, I feel that the in person meetings offer things like cooperation, listening, social skills/ making friends, making things together, group hikes, campouts that kids wouldn't get a lot out of if they were doing it solo. I know 2chatter maybe has an older girl doing things independently, but I am not sure I would start out that way. My girl scout days were awesome, but a long time ago, and I haven't started DD in it yet so as far as current things I wouldn't know as much. I do remember the coolness of girl scouts dropping off after 6th grade, so many troops probably ended then, so I can see why someone would continue on their own at that age as well due to lack of a troop.

I did the minimal effort for cookie sales, and it was always fine back then. Some parents just bring the form to their office. Cub scouts is a major commitment that is true, and I think popcorn sales is more low key, but it is just 1 hour sign up at a grocery store for us. I feel like girl scouts wasn't as much but that was because it was afterschool, and then the parents just picked them up. But cub scouts is a pack meeting, a monthly den meeting, camp outs, bonfires etc. However, DH and I switch on and off. So I guess I would see when they meet and what the commitment is. I feel like it varies greatly by leader too.


I am currently trying to decide if I start DD now in K or start in 1st grade.  We started DS in 1st grade, and DH wants to wait.  My neighbors are starting now though, so not sure... If anyone wants to pipe in on this decision.  Both kids are also in soccer, so our entire fall is soccer and cub scouts.  

[twinmomma]

I've never heard of doing it independently. I feel like that would kind of defeat the point of scouts. I think of scouts as a team building organization.

We're currently battling it out over Girl Scouts vs. Cub Scouts, since girls can join Cub Scouts now. STBXH is convinced that Cub Scouts is way better because they go camping and do stuff in the woods and build stuff, etc. I am not sold, given how much of a time commitment it is and I know his lack of follow thru on participating in kid stuff. Plus, our local den has a website that doesn't mention girls once, which makes me feel like we're not wanted there. I'd rather do Girl Scouts because I love the message of empowerment for young girls. They'd lose that as a Cub Scout.

Or maybe, I'm way overthinking this.

[phdmomma]

We just signed DS (6) up for Cub Scouts, and these people are intense about their popcorn sales. They don't do booths, but sent home an order form. This troop is pretty welcoming of girls, in that I got an email where one of the bolded subjects was that girls can join now too. And there were a couple of girls at the round up meeting.

DD will join girl scouts, historically they have been a much more liberal and female empowering organization, which is something that I like. I also am a lifetime member of the girl scouts, which makes it a good fit. In general the older that we got, the more the troop stuff was tailored to what the scouts wanted to do, like camping ,etc. I generally did not sell a ton of cookies. There has always (or at least since I was a kid) been the option to register as an independent scout (ie you don't have a troop). I think that should be fine, as long as she isn't trying to earn a gold or silver award (think like an eagle scout award), where you really need someone to be your advocate at the council level. Here is some information about what being registered as an individual girl scout means (https://www.gsbadgerland.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-program/ways-to-participate/IndividuallyRegisteredGS.html)

By the black diamond book, is that like a particular handbook?

[Loco Coco]

Girl Scout leader here. Yes, you can do it independently. It’s called Juliettes when they are independent, and it depends on your local council. I haven’t heard of that specific book. The books/badges they usually do are level specific (Daisy, brownie, juniors, cadette, ambassador). It could be council specific.

Time commitment varies by troop and what the girls want to do. It is supposed to be Girl led. We are an active troop and meet every other week and also do camp outs, day camps, special events, field trips, etc. if you’re doing it independently though you can really do as much as you want. Cookie sales support the troop and provide funds for the girls to do things. As a Juliette you could opt out of cookie sales all together if you wanted to. It’s never required to sell anything. You’d also be able to join in on service unit (each area has a council then smaller service units then troops make up a service unit) and council events which means you just sign up and don’t have to plan.

If you have any other questions, let me know. It’s my second year leading so I definitely don’t know everything but I can try to help.

It’s been great for my daughter we’ve done a lot and she’s made a lot of friends.

[waverly]

twinmomma, with the cub scouts, I had heard that there needs to be enough girls to form a den. So if there aren't enough, I don't know what they would do just have 2 girls in it?

I did campouts as a girl scout as well. The difference was they were not as frequent and more in a group like in a lodge at a girl scout camp. Cub scouts is more family camp with a tent and one parent required. I would say that ours doesn't have enough girls yet for me to be comfortable with the ratio, plus I like the empowerment of girls in Girl scouts. I appreciate he wants to do something with the girls, but I agree given his track record that he would like not follow through.

[186momx]

waverly, I agree I think the idea of doing it independently is great or older kids but would rather see DD have to work together in a group setting at the age of 7. Our friends really wants us to join their Cub Scout unit but that is a huge time commitment as they meet weekly and do tons of stuff and DD wrinkled her nose at the thought of doing it. twinmomma, I know the cub scout group that our friends all boys are in are very open to girls and as soon as they got the okay added in a number of female siblings last spring so it may be really open to each den.

phdmomma, Loco Coco, thanks for the info, I will do some more research and then maybe run the idea by DD to see what she thinks.

I really hope this is just another of DH's whims because he saw someone else doing it and said to his therapist "hey I went and did this hiking backpacking trip with friend C's kid for girl scouts and it was so much fun" and therapist went great now get DD to do it so you can go do more fun stuff you are into.

[2chatter]

DD14 is a Juliette and it’s awesome. Camp and volunteer work plus award work continues. It’s pretty awesome. You choose how much or how little to do. We do a couple major events a year for actual programmming (badges) and a lot of volunteer engagement.

We didn’t go with cub/boy as there is a minimum of five girls.

[librarychica]

We did Girl Scouts last year and we didn’t have the best go of i5z I am see I whined a lot about it here. Oddly enough, after complaining pretty much every single meeting DD1 heard some spiel at school and wanted to join this year. I put the kibash on that but agreed that I’d she goes to the junior park ranger events at our state parks this year and completes them with cheerfulness she can join in second grade. Maybe your H can look for something like that to take her to?

The Juliettes around here are mostly older girls who are experienced in Scouts but have a lot of extras going on. I wouldn’t sign up an elementary schooler, personally.

[sandandsea]

I did Girl Scouts for a year and was disappointed. Ds is starting his second year of cub scouts and it is a lot but he loves it. We have two mandatory meetings and 1-2 additional activities each month. We have girls joining and they aren’t really doing a separate den as there are 2-4 in every age group. So they’ll do joint monthly meetings but have a separate leader for the girls for the breakout parts of the meetings. It’s the first year so it’s very loose on how our pack is working them in. They also don’t want to step on any toes as they are just starting a Daisy group at the elementary school and want to work together vs compete. One of the girls in ds’s den is doing both. 😊

[ilovelucyvv]

I was thinking about girl scouts for my K'er but decided to pass for now. She already does soccer which is a time commitment. H and I anticipate we will continue to travel a lot for work again this next year and after school activities are harder when only one parent is around. American Heritage girls are at her school too and they seem more organized but I am less interested in them. I would not let my girl join boy scouts, personally, unless I intended to be very involved with the troup (or my H was).

[mommyatty]

twinmomma- sign them up for both and tell STBXH he’s in charge of everything Cub Scouts, you will not be taking or picking them up from that activity nor will you expect him to do Girl Scouts. And see which they are more involved in. Just sayin’.

[twinmomma]

mommyatty, If that wouldn't totally bum out my kids, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[divanerd]

I was a GS and we went camping...my son just joined Cub Scouts and I think it's best when they do activities with others at young age...
If hubby can help I think it's a win win