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Author
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Topic: Girl Scouts
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Niedziejkore
Advanced Member
Member # 2773
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posted
I agree with H4HS... I was going to respond yesterday by saying something similar to what she said, but I think she said it better than I would have.
I think people are usually under the false assumption that boy scouts and girl scouts are christian organizations... in fact, that's pretty wrong. My old troop, 93, in wisconsin was a catholic troop because almost evreyone in the troop went to the same catholic school so all our meetings opened with a prayer... but if I went to one of the public schools, the meetings would have opened with the scout's oath or whatever.
The problem with telling people not to buy girlscout cookies is that by doing so you are harming troops that are genuinely christian. Some troops go camping and sing songs or help out the homeless... others pass out planned parenthood pamphlets or what have you.
I guess it comes down to where you buy your girl scout cookies from. If you disagree with a troop's actions and feel strongly enough about it, don't buy cookies from that troop. I'm sure there is another troop you can buy from.
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Worker bees can leave
Even drones can fly away
The queen is their slave.
Posts: 346 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2004
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Caretaker
Advanced Member
Member # 36
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posted
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37278
MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Girl Scouts council drops Planned Parenthood
Local group's action comes after boycott of famed cookies staged
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Posted: February 25, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
A local Girls Scout council in Waco, Texas, has decided not to cosponsor two sex-education programs with Planned Parenthood after a local professor protested the affiliation by starting a boycott of the youth group's famous cookies.
The Bluebonnet Council of Girl Scouts made the decision to pull out of the events sponsored by Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, after the youth group began receiving complaints from around the nation.
Though the council's board voted to end the sponsorship, its executive director said the action was not meant to be interpreted as a stance against abortion, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.
"Our policies basically state that we do not take a position on issues like abortion," Director Beth Vivio told the paper. "We feel these are private matters that need to be discussed or determined by each family."
Vivio said some members took issue with the Girl Scouts logo being a part of brochures for two sex-education programs, including one directed at pre-teens called "Nobody's Fool."
While John Pisciotta, the Baylor professor who called for the boycott, applauds the recent action, he hopes the council will divorce itself entirely from Planned Parenthood, the Waco paper reported.
"I hope they will do this and this whole thing can end," he said.
Rather than the cookie boycott, Pisciotta credits national media coverage for turning the tide with the council.
"The pressure came when local, Web and national news outlets picked up the story," he said in a statement.
"Faced with a crisis of public relations that was growing each day, the council initiated the divorce. Indeed, the resolution adopted appears to come from national headquarters."
Pisciotta, who is part of the organization Pro-Life Waco, quoted one girl scout telling Vivio: "Your link to [Planned Parenthood] is forcing us to choose between our religious faith and Girl Scouts."
The executive director of Planned Parenthood of Central Texas says she was shocked by the council's decision.
"I'm sick to think that an organization as illustrious as the Girl Scouts would make a decision based on one person's political agenda," Pam Smallwood told the Tribune-Herald. "The children of Central Texas now have been given the clear message that the bullying tactics of a few are more successful than an informed democracy."
The report states Donna Coody, a former Girl Scout troop leader in Crawford, is starting her own girls organization after breaking with the council over the issue. While the recent decision won't cause her to go back to the organization, she says it's " fantastic" the council, which represents 6,000 girls, heard the complaints and took action.
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A Servant of Christ,
Drew
1 Tim. 3:
16: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..
Posts: 3978 | From: Council Grove, KS USA | Registered: Jun 2002
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
I worked for Girl Scouts, as first a Program Director and later a Fund Development Director.
Most people who are involved in Girl Scouts are involved for the community and the camping and the fun. There are many positive things about Girl Scouting and the Girl Scout Cookie Program. In the Cookie Program girls learn team work and business skills. They learnt to make presentations and to follow through on their tasks; they learn to set goals and to budget. All of these are importatnt life skills and when learned in an enviroment of girls of your own age level at the direction of a loving parent who has given the time to lead a troup they can be skills that will be of great benifit in life.
In camping programs girls learn outdoor survival skills, and again team work, they learn self confidence and planning skills; they learn preparedness as these events are girl driven.
There is also a huge emphasis in Girl Scouting on community involvement and service. Girls themselves develop community service projects and carry them out from the brainstorming/ goal setting/ budgeting phases to the actual implimentation and evaluations phases. Girl Scouting teaches the importance of Philanthropy and giving back to the community.
What most people do not know about girl scouting is that the philosophy of the National Organization is one of 100% pluarlism. What this means is that Girls are accepted as they are period. All religions are given place in Girl Scouting; All manner of sexual orientation is accepted. Family means what ever your family is... one parent, two, two men, two women, ectera, ecetera...
The very bylaws that gvern the organization do not allow for discrimnation of anykind. Pluralism means that all views are accepted. Membership is limited only by gender. You must be a girl.
What this means in the world is that if you live in a community where the predominate faith and morality is Christian, you will find Girl Scouting to be predominately Christian. If you live in a community where the predominate group is homosexual, you will find homosexuality in Girl Scouting. If you live in a community where women's rights including reproductive rights are heralded,you will find abortion activists and NOW memebers in Grils Scouting.
Actually, you will probably find more of the later in Girl Scouting in most communities, because Girl Scouting was founded by a very independant self reliant pioneer of women's isssues. The women who sit on Girl Scout Counicl Boards and are responsible for the finacial well being of the organization are women who are actively involved in women's issues of all kind and have both the money and the time and the passion to give to these issues.
Additionally, Girl Scouting and all other NON Profit entities exisit by way of grants. Most grant makers require some level of pluralism in the programs they support. The number of "Christian" grantmakers is limited. These organizations must seek funding on a broader basis. If the people handing out the money have an agenda then the programs that they fund will support the agenda or the funds will go ones that do.
I guess my point is that Girl Scouting has merits, but if you are looking for a "Christian" program to have your girls involved in then look to one that is funded ONLY by grantmakers with a Christian agenda.
If you are concerned about your stewardship, then realize that Girl Scouting is a Pluralistic orgaization and cookie sales fund about 78% (though for IRS purposes they will tell you it is less than 50%) of their pluralistic programs.
If you have come to know Girl Scouting as having a Christian Flavor, it is only because the particular Girl Scouting community that you have been exposed to was Christian. It is not because the organization has an agenda to promote Christ, though it does in some respects promote what are thought of as Christian values. ie... prayer, community service, doing good, harming no one, leaving a place better than you found it etc..
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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TEXASGRANDMA
Advanced Member
Member # 847
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posted
Sorry, hon.
RELATIONSHIP
Mixed Messages: The Girl Scouts Relationship with Planned Parenthood
By Sarah Pollak
CBN News Reporter
June 4, 2004
WARNING: This story contains content that may not be suitable for children.
CBN.com – WACO, Texas - A boycott against Girl Scout cookies seems like going out on a limb, right? But a pro-life group in Waco, Texas did just that, when they found out that the Girl Scouts were working with Planned Parenthood. What started as a small boycott has gained national attention.
The Coody girls of Crawford, Texas were not sure at first, why their mom was so upset at the Girl Scouts. Donna Coody, the girls mother, said, "They were like, 'What is going on?'"
Coody was so angry, she dissolved her Brownie troop. She, along with other Girl Scout moms in her area, had been contacted by John Pisciotta. He is a pro-life leader in Waco, and an Economics professor at Baylor University.
Pisciotta was heading up a boycott of Girl Scout cookies. But the moms wondered why. He explained, "The Girl Scouts brought their association and support of Planned Parenthood to a new level in 2003. And they designated as a woman of distinction in May of 2003, the executive director of Planned Parenthood of central Texas. So we're talking about the CEO of the abortion clinic as someone to be a role model for young girls."
Pisciotta went on to tell the mothers about a local sexuality conference, called the "Nobody's Fool" program, co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood and the Girls Scouts of the Blue Bonnet Council.
"At this Nobody's Fool program it reached a new level, a new low this year," said Piscotta. "And they gave away at this program, to youngsters in grades 7-9, the book "It's Perfectly Normal." And I think everybody should know what this book is. And it's really an assault on Christian sexual morality."
The book discusses masturbation and says it is perfectly normal for boys and girls to "feel sexy." It also shows depictions of different sexual positions, talks about all forms of birth control, and openly discusses homosexuality. The book, marketed for children 10 and up, even explains how to have an orgasm.
Coody said, "It may be cartoonish pictures, but you can't get any more graphic than that. And in the state of Texas, 18-year-olds cannot buy pornography, so why are they handing it out to 10- year-olds?"
One of the most disturbing parts of the book, say parents, is a list of the top nine reasons to have an abortion, including:
If the parents didn't have enough time or money to take "good care" of a baby.
If the parents felt too young to be parents.
Or, if the girl or woman simply didn't want to become pregnant.
All this made a number of Girl Scout moms decide to take their kids out of the Scouts.
Coody said, "When I became, or decided to become a Brownie leader, they did a background check on me. Well, I always say I made the mistake. I didn't do one on them. Because if I had, maybe I would have been informed a lot sooner, and not involved my children and found out what direction they're going."
Coody then had the task of explaining that to her kids. "We mainly just told them about the Planned Parenthood, and unfortunately, I had to educate my children on what an abortion was. They didn't know what that was, but they do now."
Those opposed to the cookie boycott said it was punishing the girls for what was a decision by scout leaders at the very top. Besides, everybody loves a good cookie.
Bill Thrasher is the general manager of Christian radio station KBDE-FM in Waco. He agreed to carry public service announcements about the cookie boycott on his station.
Thrasher says the boycott was more about educating the public than about hurting the kids' cookie sale. He said, "It was risky, but you know, we felt we had to take that risk, because it was important to save the lives of unborn children in our community. And to help protect young people, especially children, you know, sixth, seventh grade, from this explicit sexual education that Planned Parenthood is providing them in this community."
But the connection between Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood goes much deeper than this one small community.
When confronted with the issue on The Today Show, the CEO of Girl Scouts USA, Kathy Cloninger said, "We have relationships with our church communities, with YMCAs, and with Planned Parenthood organizations across the country, to bring information-based sex education programs to girls."
That peaked the interest of Jim Sedlack, the head of the American Life Leagues' Stopp International. He noticed that Cloninger never mentioned how many, or which troops, were cooperating with Planned Parenthood.
Sedlack said, "That started our project, because parents around the country, after hearing this, began calling our office and saying, 'Well, does my Girl Scout [council] cooperate with Planned Parenthood?' And, of course, we didn't know at the time. So we started a research project to try and find out which Girl Scout councils are involved with Planned Parenthood, and which are not."
The question they would ask by e-mail, and many times by phone, is, "Does your Girl Scout council have any relationship with Planned Parenthood"? But many of the 315 Girl Scout councils refused to participate in the survey.
Sedlack says he thinks the head office in New York told the local councils not to answer. He said, "They sent a message saying, don't answer Stop's questions and don't cooperate with this investigation. We've had a couple of Girl Scout's CEOs from around the country tell us that they received this instruction."
About 99 of the 315 Girl Scout councils responded to the survey. Of those 99 councils, 23 percent said they have some type of relationship with Planned Parenthood.
And in some Girl Scout councils, kids can even work towards earning their "becoming a teen badge" by attending lectures and seminars given by Planned Parenthood.
The Girl Scouts denied CBN News an on-camera interview, but did offer us a statement in response to the Stopp international survey. They said, "Councils generally don't respond to such actions, so that they may better keep their limited resources focused on their mission of serving girls and inspiring girls to their higher ideals."
But it seems many Christian parents do not agree with those "ideals," now that they have discovered the association with an abortion provider.
Coody said, "Well, as long as your daughter still wears that seal on her vest, that means she's part of that organization, which means that she agrees with what's going on within it. I'm not going to expose my children to that, and I hope that other mothers would understand the issues and not expose their children."
Armed with this new information, many parents, like the Coodys, have opted for Christian alternatives to the Girl Scouts.
Awanas, Pioneer Clubs and the Junior Catholic Daughters are some options, as well as the Coodys' choice, American Heritage Girls.
And the will be watching to see whether their stand will at all alter the course of the Girl Scouts, a group that at one time represented their values.
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/mm (son-in-law)http://www.myspace.com/mireles
Posts: 4985 | From: Washington State | Registered: Jan 2003
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Tyme
Advanced Member
Member # 3017
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posted
Betty.
Something is wrong with the Link.
It takes me to an expired E-mail page.
Can you correct the link, or just text post what the article is/was.
Thank you.
Tyme.
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I dream of a world.......
Posts: 527 | From: United States | Registered: Mar 2004
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