I Was a Girl Scout. Here’s Why My Daughters Won’t Be One.

 Heather Carson - Intellectual Takeout

That was then..."On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law."

This is now.....Jumping ahead to the meat of Ms. Carson's article:

. . ."The current Girl Scout promise is the same, but with small print that a substitute for the word “God” may be used in accordance with a person’s own spiritual beliefs. It’s a change that did not sit right with many Christian families, and in 1995, a new organization was started called American Heritage Girls, whose emphasis is unquestionably Christian. Since its humble beginning in a kitchen, American Heritage Girls has recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020 and boasts more than 50,000 members in 15 countries and in all 50 states.

"As I think back to my own time as a Girl Scout, and stop to consider its decline, a few things stand out. Where Girl Scouts once emphasized traditional American values, they now invite diversity. Where Girl Scouts once focused on teaching skills that prepared a woman to nurture and build a home, they now focus more narrowly on STEM activities, at the expense of a well-rounded experience.

"The cultural emphasis on instant gratification, as well as the focus on a college degree and career as the main means of success, have encouraged young girls, and women, to abandon the development of the traditional feminine virtues that were once part of being a woman. With more women out of the home, there are fewer available to lead troops and spend the time necessary to develop girls into women with a foundation in more traditional values. This kind of commitment requires time and space for relationships and is best fostered by hours in nature, sitting around a campfire singing songs with best friends, while also serving one another and the community.

"I’m not sure Girl Scouts, as an organization, will be able to fully recover its numbers, but the decline in participation may prove to be the stimulus they need to recognize that what Girl Scouts is now offering isn’t what the majority of girls in this country actually want." . . .