Mary Ellen
2004-03-05 04:56:00 UTC
Have you heard of the American Heritage Girls? I just discovered them
tonight, and will be checking them out.
My daughter is a Daisy Scout, and I just recently started reading
Girl Scout Leader training information, and it makes me cringe, (and I
am a politically moderate person, not right winged or conservative)! I
want an experience for my daughter similar to the experience my son
had in Boy Scouts.
Here is an article I found....
Conservative Alternative to Girl Scouts Builds Membership
Jason Pierce, CNSNews.com
Saturday, May 4, 2002
The Girl Scouts of America, 3.7 million strong, have in recent years
made the use of the word "God" optional in the Girl Scout Promise and
have adopted a neutral stance toward homosexuality, unlike the Boy
Scouts of America, a group that bars homosexuals from serving as scout
leaders.
Convinced that the Girl Scouts no longer reflected traditional values,
Patti Garibay of Cincinnati in 1995 developed an alternative
organization, the American Heritage Girls (http://www.ahgonline.org/).
The group started with only 100 girls from the Cincinnati area,
including surrounding areas in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, but today
has swelled to 1,200 members.
Now, the American Heritage Girls are looking to expand nationwide and
have already staked a claim in Santa Rosa, Calif., and Abilene, Kan.
Garibay said she was motivated to leave the Girl Scout organization
when the group decided it would take no position on homosexuality.
"That was a red flag for myself, because I had been a Girl Scout
leader for 13 years, and was very involved," Garibay said. "As a
Christian woman, I was saying, 'Boy what is going on here? This
doesn't sound right.'"
Garibay said she and some other parents began to investigate the other
changes that officials from the Girl Scouts of America were pushing.
"We realized in 1995 that we weren't going to be able to change much
with our local council, much less with our national council, so it was
time to start something new," Garibay said.
Among the first decisions made by Garibay and other organizers of the
American Heritage Girls was to create a Christian-inspired oath for
the girls: "I promise to love God, Cherish my family, Honor my
country, and Serve in my community."
Not Afraid to Promote Values
Garibay said religious faith is essential to teaching the girls about
values.
"We are based on Judeo-Christian values, non-denominational," Garibay
said. "Our troops are all chartered by churches, or private schools,
civic groups; therefore they own the program, just like the Boy
Scouts.
"That way, if they would like to put an emphasis on a doctrinal kind
of belief, they can do so," she said.
The American Heritage Girls rely on members and friends of the
organization for financial support.
Not on the Dole
When asked whether the group is open to taking money from the
government or organizations such as United Way, Garibay said: "No. And
it's not easy not doing that.
"That would defeat our purpose if we did, because we would be tied to
non-belief systems," she said.
Garibay said the American Heritage Girls are much like the Girl
Scouts, in that girls work toward merit badges, have ranks and do
service projects. Many American Heritage Girl activities are outdoors,
to teach the girls outdoor survival skills such as horseback riding,
canoeing and the building of campfires.
But American Heritage Girls are also taught traditionally feminine
skills, such as sewing, cooking and laundry.
Choice
"Yes, we do say these are skills you are going to need, ladies, and
you might as well learn them," Garibay said. "We believe the girls
should be happy in whatever choice they make in life, and that
homemaking is just as honorable a profession as being a lawyer.
"We are certainly not putting chains on these girls, saying this is
all you can do," she said.
In July of 2001, Alexus Ranniar, a spokeswoman with the Girl Scouts of
America, said that in some areas of the country, depending on
community norms, the scouts "may offer educational workshops on topics
in human sexuality." Those topics "are discussed from an informative,
rather than an advocacy view," Ranniar said.
However, because Garibay believes it is the parents' responsibility to
discuss sexual matters with their children, her organization does not
address such issues, with the exception of helping girls understand
Christian, abstinence programs.
"We don't believe that you teach people about sexual function without
morality," Garibay said.
No Moral Relativism Here
"We believe that it is important to have a moral foundation when you
are doing character building with kids, and that is where we are
concerned that the Girl Scouts have fallen away to moral relativism,"
Garibay said. "There is no foundational belief that says it is right
or wrong.
"We have an emphasis on service, but also on importance of a spiritual
belief, of religion in your life, or the importance of family, and the
importance of honoring and serving your country," she said.
Ellen Christie Ach, a spokeswoman with the Girl Scouts of America,
refused to comment about the American Heritage Girls or the policy
differences between the two groups.
Copyright CNSNews.com
tonight, and will be checking them out.
My daughter is a Daisy Scout, and I just recently started reading
Girl Scout Leader training information, and it makes me cringe, (and I
am a politically moderate person, not right winged or conservative)! I
want an experience for my daughter similar to the experience my son
had in Boy Scouts.
Here is an article I found....
Conservative Alternative to Girl Scouts Builds Membership
Jason Pierce, CNSNews.com
Saturday, May 4, 2002
The Girl Scouts of America, 3.7 million strong, have in recent years
made the use of the word "God" optional in the Girl Scout Promise and
have adopted a neutral stance toward homosexuality, unlike the Boy
Scouts of America, a group that bars homosexuals from serving as scout
leaders.
Convinced that the Girl Scouts no longer reflected traditional values,
Patti Garibay of Cincinnati in 1995 developed an alternative
organization, the American Heritage Girls (http://www.ahgonline.org/).
The group started with only 100 girls from the Cincinnati area,
including surrounding areas in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, but today
has swelled to 1,200 members.
Now, the American Heritage Girls are looking to expand nationwide and
have already staked a claim in Santa Rosa, Calif., and Abilene, Kan.
Garibay said she was motivated to leave the Girl Scout organization
when the group decided it would take no position on homosexuality.
"That was a red flag for myself, because I had been a Girl Scout
leader for 13 years, and was very involved," Garibay said. "As a
Christian woman, I was saying, 'Boy what is going on here? This
doesn't sound right.'"
Garibay said she and some other parents began to investigate the other
changes that officials from the Girl Scouts of America were pushing.
"We realized in 1995 that we weren't going to be able to change much
with our local council, much less with our national council, so it was
time to start something new," Garibay said.
Among the first decisions made by Garibay and other organizers of the
American Heritage Girls was to create a Christian-inspired oath for
the girls: "I promise to love God, Cherish my family, Honor my
country, and Serve in my community."
Not Afraid to Promote Values
Garibay said religious faith is essential to teaching the girls about
values.
"We are based on Judeo-Christian values, non-denominational," Garibay
said. "Our troops are all chartered by churches, or private schools,
civic groups; therefore they own the program, just like the Boy
Scouts.
"That way, if they would like to put an emphasis on a doctrinal kind
of belief, they can do so," she said.
The American Heritage Girls rely on members and friends of the
organization for financial support.
Not on the Dole
When asked whether the group is open to taking money from the
government or organizations such as United Way, Garibay said: "No. And
it's not easy not doing that.
"That would defeat our purpose if we did, because we would be tied to
non-belief systems," she said.
Garibay said the American Heritage Girls are much like the Girl
Scouts, in that girls work toward merit badges, have ranks and do
service projects. Many American Heritage Girl activities are outdoors,
to teach the girls outdoor survival skills such as horseback riding,
canoeing and the building of campfires.
But American Heritage Girls are also taught traditionally feminine
skills, such as sewing, cooking and laundry.
Choice
"Yes, we do say these are skills you are going to need, ladies, and
you might as well learn them," Garibay said. "We believe the girls
should be happy in whatever choice they make in life, and that
homemaking is just as honorable a profession as being a lawyer.
"We are certainly not putting chains on these girls, saying this is
all you can do," she said.
In July of 2001, Alexus Ranniar, a spokeswoman with the Girl Scouts of
America, said that in some areas of the country, depending on
community norms, the scouts "may offer educational workshops on topics
in human sexuality." Those topics "are discussed from an informative,
rather than an advocacy view," Ranniar said.
However, because Garibay believes it is the parents' responsibility to
discuss sexual matters with their children, her organization does not
address such issues, with the exception of helping girls understand
Christian, abstinence programs.
"We don't believe that you teach people about sexual function without
morality," Garibay said.
No Moral Relativism Here
"We believe that it is important to have a moral foundation when you
are doing character building with kids, and that is where we are
concerned that the Girl Scouts have fallen away to moral relativism,"
Garibay said. "There is no foundational belief that says it is right
or wrong.
"We have an emphasis on service, but also on importance of a spiritual
belief, of religion in your life, or the importance of family, and the
importance of honoring and serving your country," she said.
Ellen Christie Ach, a spokeswoman with the Girl Scouts of America,
refused to comment about the American Heritage Girls or the policy
differences between the two groups.
Copyright CNSNews.com