Girls CAN!

Greetings All,

 I’m probably going to knock a hornets nest off a tree with this post.
I hope GSCM (Girl Scouts of Central MD) is monitoring the e-mails of this
group,  because I am about to unload. I just returned from a Venturing
event this weekend  with my daughter’s Venturing crew. The success of
that event, just reaffirms what I have been observing over the past 7
years of leading a girl scout troop. (the past 4 of which has been at
the Cadette/Senior level).

 I think GSCM is failing our girls (and families– particularly when
it comes to including Dads) miserably when it comes to providing
periodic adventure and outdoor events for girls 14-18 which includes
male (as well as female) role models.

 My daughter is a 1st year Senior Girl Scout and a Venturer (she joined
a Venturing crew 1 year ago). I just tuned over the leadership of my
Cadette/Senior troop to a Co-leader and the GS troop is in good shape.
My daughter has decided to continue as a Juliette (for some personal
and medical reasons). The interesting thing that I’ve noticed and am
grateful for is, that Venturing really encourages the girls to not
quit Girl Scouts and helps them work toward completing their Gold
Award. My daughter was about ready to quit GS because she wants to
teach younger girls outdoor skills, but her male Venturing Advisor
encouraged her to stay with GS. In fact VENTURING provided her with a
way to earn more leadership hours toward her Gold Award, through a
program at a local elementary school called “ACCESS” which is a
program to introduce scouting underprivileged kids at area schools.
She in essence was a den
 chief for Cub Scouts at an under performing school (normally an adult
position).

 She would have done the same to introduce girls to girl scouting, had
there been an ACCESS program for GS and I know that ACCESS must exist
for young girls. When a little girl saw Krista in her Venturing shirt
doing ACCESS with the 14 kindergarten- 1st grade age boys she asked
her, “Isn’t there a meeting for little girls too?”

We just returned from a weekend just north of Pittsburgh from a
Venturing Quest. The event was well run, well organized, and provided
adventure and co-ed fellowship for the kids involved. (Archery, Trap
shooting, pistol, hatchet throwing and climbing and rappelling)– The
Girls loved the hatchet throwing the best!.

I would estimate that of the 200 youth attending (there were nearly 350
total participants, with over 125 being adult advisors), about 70 percent were
girls and 30 percent boys. Of that 70 percent girls attending about 50
percent were former girl scouts and the female Venturing Advisors were
former or “soon to be” former girl scout leaders who were just
frustrated with Girl Scouts and the feeling that Girl scouts actually
makes Girls more dependent because the organization is so risk averse.

 After seeing this event as compared to GS council events; I am
convinced that Venturing is the Gold Standard for girl run/boy run
programs. There are a lot or things that the GSCM can learn from the
Baltimore Council or National Capital region of Boy Scouts. There are
many things that the Boy scouts (especially Venturers) do right and
Girl Scouts do wrong. The biggest thing, and most positive thing, I saw was the
involvement of FATHERS at this Venturing Quest!
 Girl Scouts needs to involve fathers more and GET OVER its aversion
to anything Boy Scout organized and pick up a few pointers. Either
that or I predict will lose (its older girls) to Venturing in droves.

 This event was well balanced. What impressed me most was the girl/boy
run Area wide elections to determine the girl/boy leadership of the
area (MD, Delaware and PA). The girls learned to work with the guys
(which is what life is about anyway) and in many cases (especially the
climbing wall and repelling) the girls out-did the guys. You can’t
flirt when you are climbing a 150 ft tower. In short, I think the
Venturing serves to dispel a lot of gender
 stereotypes for both the boys and girls. Most importantly, there was
a mix of good male and female role models to teach the Venturers. (75
percent male advisors — fathers; 25 percent female advisors)

 This summer, my daughter and her crew are going kayaking/camping down
the Delaware River, stopping at the various scout camps. The girls and
guys of the crews are doing most of the organizing and planning and
the Adult advisors are there to do just that advise, counsel and
consent.

 My point in this lengthy e-mail is that a representative needs to
actually participate in one of these Venturing events to learn how to
keep older girls in Girl Scouting. The Venturing business model works
and works well. It only has been around for 10 years, and I think it
will overtake Girl Scouts for older girls unless GS USA recognizes
it’s competition and learns from it.

 Take Care,
 Donna