Girl Scouts: What's Behind the Cookies?

When you hear someone mention Girl Scouts, what comes to mind? Many people automatically think of cookies. Others picture bratty little girls running around in green or brown uniforms. Few people actually realize the depth behind the Girl Scouts organization and the impact it has had on many girls, from kindergarten to high school.

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts USA started out with only 18 members. It has now grown to 3.7 million members in the United States and in 90 other countries in the world. What attracts so many young girls to Girl Scouts? The Girl Scout Law says:

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.

In today's high tech, consumer driven world those words sound somewhat old fashioned. Many youth today would not take them seriously. There lies the key to the growing popularity behind Girl Scouts. It offers something genuine to young girls who are growing up with the internet, cell phones, Bratz dolls, and surrounded by superficial messages coming from every direction. If you are a parent with a daughter of elementary school age it would be worth your time to check into local Girl Scout troops.

There are four different levels of Girl Scout. Daisies are the youngest age group, composed of five and six year olds in Kindergarten. They do activities geared towards their age. Girls might do finger painting or colorful crafts, plan and go on picnics, or plant a community garden.

Brownies are the next group, ranging from ages six to eight and grades 1-3. Their activities include visiting a zoo and meeting a veterinarian, planning how to sell cookies to earn money for their troop, and planning an overnight trip. Brownies also work on something called Try-Its where they learn about something new like how to do a magic trick, decorate a t-shirt, or explore life in an unfamiliar culture.

The Juniors are ages eight to eleven and grades 3-6. They participate in activities including staying for a week at summer camp, horseback riding, sleeping over in a science museum, and learning different sports moves. They also sell cookies and plan how to earn money for their troop to do special things like taking a trip to an amusement park.

The oldest group of scouts are the Cadettes, ages eleven to fourteen and grades 6-9. Some girls remain in Girl Scouts after grade 9 and continue participating until they are seventeen. They do activities that range from white water rafting to traveling to exploring career options.

Some troops are composed of all different age levels, while others are more age specific. Every troop has several adult leaders to serve as role models for your child and help to guide them as they grow.

The Girl Scouts' main goal for young girls is to build courage, confidence, and character, and to give girls leadership ability along with skills that will help them succeed in the real world. They learn to relate to others, develop values, and contribute something meaningful to society. Girls work together on projects of different topics to learn new skills and earn badges. Topics range from environmental activities to volunteering to construction. Girls are exposed to many things and can choose which badges they want to work towards. In order to earn a badge a girl must complete the certain activities, learning many things in the process. Badges are worn on vests or sashes and are proudly displayed by the girls at troop meetings and Girl Scout functions.

Girl Scout cookie sales, something most Americans look forward to, are much more than just a fund raiser. These sales teach girls about stranger safety, self confidence, responsibility, how a business works, helps them earn different badges, and provides them with the funds to go on trips and do projects with their troop. Cookie sales are just one of the many things Girl Scout troops do.

Girl Scout troops spend a lot of their time doing activities together, many of them are towards particular badges, but others are just for fun or educational experience. They may visit museums, nursing homes and hospitals, national parks, recreational places such as malls or pools, and even go on week long trips together. One of the most valuable experiences are camping opportunities. The Girl Scout organization owns many camps around the United States. They offer camping spaces to troops on weekends for very little money. These camping trips are an excellent time for girls to bond and learn about nature. The camping experience can range from canvas tents and latrines to lodges including flushing toilets. Every camping experience includes nature hikes, scavenger hunts, and flash light tag. Meal planning and cooking with only a fire are also highlights of the experience. During these trips girls create lasting memories and build self confidence. The Girl Scouts also offer many week long summer camp opportunities that include earning badges and spending an entire week outdoors hiking, making crafts, building fires, playing games, and listening to guest speakers. Girl Scout summer camp will be a week your child will never forget.

If you are seriously considering finding a troop for your daughter to join, keep in mind that every troop is different. If you do not find one that she fits in with at first, don't give up. Look for another troop to try. Find out what kind of activities they regularly do to see if it would be something your daughter might enjoy. To find troops in your area visit http://www.girlscouts.org/councilfinder/ and click on your state.

Girl Scouts is an amazing organization that does not get enough credit for everything it provides to girls. If every girl participated in Girl Scouts the youth in America would be changed for the better. Girls can gain the self confidence they need to succeed and gain valuable skills and experiences that will be helpful to them later on down the road, all while making life-long friends and great memories.