5 Things I Learned from Being a Girl Scout

I didn't have the most stable upbrining. I moved a lot, my mom married a few times and my second step-dad was an alcoholic and verbally abusive. Somehow, I was always a good kid. And, I think I turned out to be a pretty good adult. When I reflect back, I often wonder where a lot of my values came from, since they didn't come from my home life.

Then it hit me. Girl Scouts. I learned so many things in Girl Scouts like how to start a fire, how to tie a knot and how to make English muffin pizza, but more importantly I learned some moral lessons. Here is a look at just five of the things I learned from being a Girl Scout.

To Respect My Elders
If any one ever makes a remark about someone being old, someone being slow or something of that nature, I feel a little hurt inside. In Girl Scouts, many of our outings involved volunteering at nursing homes. We made valentines and Christmas ornaments and delivered them on those holidays. We sang carols to them, too. From a very young age, I learned to respect my elders and saw that these folks were often lonely and wanted nothing more than company from a smiling face. The sheer joy they had on their faces when we visited was enough to make a young me cry.

Having other adult role models outside of parents (who gave me chores) and teachers (who gave me homework) allowed me to also gain respect for my elders in a different way-by learning fun things. My Girl Scout leaders, camp counselors and other helpers taught me things that I didn't learn anywhere else and opened my eyes up to so many things. I enjoyed their company, and in turn learning from these adults translated into more respect for my parents and teachers.

To Make New Friends, But Keep the Old
One of the most popular Girl Scout songs went like this, "Make new friends/but keep the old/one is silver/and the other's gold."

Through the years I have made lots of friends, and lost touch with them. However, the core group of girls I grew up with in elementary schools and Girl Scouts still remain close as can be today. We're scattered about the country, but in the grand scheme of everyone I was friends with throughout school, my fellow Girl Scouts are the only ones I still keep in touch with. So, I sure have kept the old.

As far as making new friends, I need to work a little more on keep up with new friendships and staying in touch. I am quick to make acquaintances, but I want to work harder to become closer and better friends with my new pals.

To Help People at All Times
Reciting the Girl Scout Promise at the beginning of every meeting was like sort of like using those positive affirmations. Over and over I would say, "On my honor, I will try, to serve god, my country, to help people at all times and to live by the Girl Scout law."

I never grew up to be a religious person and I did not enter the military. But, the "help people at all times" phrase really resonated with me. It started with service projects as a Girl Scout. Then, through my older teen years when I wasn't working after school, I did things to help others. I remember taking to computers and the Internet really easy in the mid-90s. I helped so many classmates, and I have the notes scrawled in my yearbook to prove it. Professionally, I take part in as many charity events I can or sponsor other people when I can. Throughout my whole life I gave as much as a could, no matter how big or small because I think I always silently think in my head, "to help people at all times." There are so many tiny things we can do to help others, make them feel better, make things easier, etc. I just try and be the most giving person I can within reason. When someone looks like they need help, I remember the Girl Scout Promise.

To Love the Earth and Enjoy Nature
I was a tomboy. When I wasn't playing in the woods after school, I was doing something with Girl Scouts outdoors. Of all the outdoor things we can enjoy in life, I lean toward things that deal with the wilderness. I loved hiking, camping, canoeing, swimming in the lake, looking for wildlife, making trails, collecting neat-looking leaves and sleeping under the stars. In Girl Scouts we actually learned how to make trail directions with sticks and stones, which I still remember some points. (A circle of rocks with a stone in the middle means the end of the trail!) Of course we also learned how to make a campfire. Anyone remember the three types of firewood? (Kindling, timber and fuel!)

With enjoying so much nature has to offer, Girl Scouts also taught me to respect my environment. If nature was so enjoyable, why do things to hurt it? From a young age I learned about 'being green,' something that is on the forefront of current issues. From clean-ups to learning about pollution, recycling, etc. being a Girl Scout gave me a glimpse into environmental problems and that we can truly make a difference.

To Respect Diversity
One of my best friends growing up was Jasmine. That's all she was to me. However, until third grade she was the only African-American in the school, so others may have labeled her for being so different. To me, she was just Jazz! She really wasn't all that different from white kids, heck her mother, my Girl Scout leader was white. From being best friends and fellow Girls Scouts with Jasmine, I learned that color means nothing from a very young age.

At Girl Scout camp, we also learned much about different cultures, as scouting is something that is not just enjoyed in the United States! Also, we learned about many different diseases and disorders and disabilities, which educated me that not all people are the same. My eyes were opened to different people, places and things-and many badges were earned while learning about these things.

In summary, I thank Girl Scouts for the way I turned out today. My openness to new things, my respect for all people and cultures, my compassion and empathy for others in need and my caring for the environment is all due to the lessons learned in Girl Scouts.

The funny thing is that as a Girl Scout, I didn't know at the time that I was earning such valuable life lessons. Back then, it was all about making friends, having fun, earning badges and going on field trips.

Based on this revelation, Girl Scouts is something I would recommend to any young girl. For more information on scouting, click here.

(Notes: I was in Brownie Troop #373 at Tobyhanna Elementary Center in Pocono Pines, Pa. from age six until I flew up to be a Junior. When I made it to cadettes at age 13, I moved away to Oklahoma and my Girl Scout involvement was over....)

FYI:
The Girl Scout Law-
--the Girl Scout Promise I mentioned above refers to obeying the Girl Scout law. For the curious, here it is:

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.