Male Girl Scout Leader

I took my 2nd grade daughter, Rachel to the Girl Scout Shop.  She needed her Brownie Vest, Troop Numbers and other stuff.  She got a T-shirt and hat too.  I also got her a couple of patches.  It’s the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts this year, and dadgummit she needed those patches… 

I also turned in my membership application to be a part of the Troop.    Yes, I am soon to be a Girl Scout Troop Leader.  Well, I am going to aid her Troop Leader who is totally awesome.  Her son joined the Pack in the Spring as a Tiger.  Plus a lot of the boys in the Pack have sister’s in the Girl Scout Troop.  It’s all about the Scouts!

So, why did I do this?  I realized over the summer that Rachel did not go to Summercamp with the Troop due to several issues within the local Council and I think Troop.  It’s NOT due to the leadership whatsoever. (Need to make that point clear.)  It was more along the lines of the Service Unit within the Council.

I firmly believe that camping is one of the main things that will keep Scouts in Scouting.  It’s not a male/female thing, it’s a SCOUT THING!

I have a lot of learning to do about how Girl Scouts run and function.  I already know that I am a minority within Girl Scouting.  (Finally, I can claim being a minority!)

Within the Cascade Pacific Council that I belong to in Boy Scouts, there is a Girls Camps offered twice in August.  Elliot went there 3rd grade as a Webelos I.  He had a blast.  The fee for both Scout/Adult as a Boy Scout or Girl Scout is exactly the same.  No difference.  (Unless the Pack has attained FOS for the year, then there is a difference.)  So, I posed this to the Troop Leader about going next year as the Brownies will be old enough to go.  I have historically heard that the local Girl Scout Council’s camp do not have good food nor enough food and girls go hungry.  I have not been there, this is hearsay but I have heard the same from many people.

I do have other reasons in joining Girl Scouts.  Just as I joined Cubscouts to be with my son and have that time & relationship, I should have same & equal time with my daughter.  Elliot’s time within Cubscouts is slowly coming to an end. So is mine.  So, I can shift my time to Girl Scouts.  I will still be involved with Boy Scouts and his Troop.  (At this time, I do not know what my involvement at the Troop level will be.)  I can help Rachel’s Troop to have fun and reach their goals to be the BEST BROWNIES EVER!  A lot of the Cubscout material does work for Girls.  I need to read her Brownie Girl Guide Book and understand what they need to do.  I also need to look at all the training that I need to take either online or in person.

I am looking forward to this.  It’s going to be fun.

I have also started looking for Dad’s who are Male Girl Scout Leaders.  There is already a patch, and I found an interesting blog.  More fun, more to blog about.  Beside’s I’m ScouterAdam.  Not BOY SCOUTER ADAM or GIRL SCOUTER ADAM!

I will admit that I have already talked to Rachel about Venturing and SeaScouts.  Both programs have girls in them.  My hope is, just like the same with Elliot, that she has a wonderful time within Girl Scouts.  If she attains the Gold Star Award, awesome.  If she does not, that’s fine too.  If she finds that Venturing or Sea Scouts offers more, great.  I will switch/follow her as needed and if she wants.

If you have a daughter or are a daughter, please read Strong Father Strong Daughter.  It’s a great book that I found from listening to Dave Ramsey.  It’s changed my world just as Rachel did.

Read Full Post »

Daisy Meeting!

Sunday’s are the Daisy Girl Scout Troop 45481 meeting time.   I asked if I could take Rachel instead of my wife.  I had missed her Daisy ceremony when she got to and official Daisy Girl Scout.

It was very interesting.  They had snacks, someone even brought cookies I found out later.  They even collected dues at the beginning of a dollar. (My Cubmaster senses kicked in wondering why, not just as a parent.)  They practiced the Girl Scout oath & law & sign, they all knew it.  Very impressed.    Then, they got down to business. The Craft!   It was a cute little flower painting craft that was theme driven.  They did talk about what it is being a Daisy, Good Turn and the like.  That was all good.

I was in and out of the room since there was nothing for me to do and the leader told other “Moms” that we did not have to hang out.  Most did.  I was the only Dad there.  Two of the boys that did show up in tow were from my Pack. (One is now at Tenderfoot in the Troop).  So, I went out and talked to them.  They were playing their Nintendo…

I did at the beginning introduce myself to the Leader and explained who I was.  She replied “oh, your the one in Boy Scouts…coming to spy on us?”  I replied, no, not really just wanted to see what Girl Scouts is all about.  I also explained that when we got our tree that day, that a girl who was helping at the Boy Scout lot started as a Daisy and now going for her Gold Star.  The Leader was impressed.

What I did not mention to her was that she was in the Venturing Crew that is attached to the Troop and they had gone to Philmont this summer. All 94 of them.  I think it is important to show the girls that starting out as a Daisy, that they can get the Gold Star and continue in Scouting.  Having a girl who is currently doing that is a great role model.

My hope for my daughter is that she goes as far as she wants to in Girl Scouts and continues on.  It is the same as for my son.

Read Full Post »

Girl Scouts in the House

Last night my daughter (fourth from left) was inducted into Girl Scout Troop 45481 with eight of her newest girl friends!  I am so very proud of her.  This now makes us a Scouting family.  Elliot, myself, Rachel and my wife.  My wife was a Bluebird and Campfire Girl.

I told Rachel last night as I went off to a Pack outing to the Winterhawks Hockey game.  The Pack and Girl Scouts need to coordinate this stuff..;)  I was sad to miss it since it is a huge thing.  Think Bobcats for Cub Scouts.  I told Rachel that I would not miss the next big Award Event.

Rachel as a little sister has been afflicted with the syndrome of going to “stinky boy stuff” meetings.  That is what she calls Cub scouts.  Last year I bought her a Daisy hoodie that she wears a lot.

The cool thing is that in her troop, there are four girls including her, that have brothers in our Pack.  I know that there are several other boys whose sisters are in Girl Scouts at different levels.

I know that Rachel will have a long and happy life within Girl Scouts.

Read Full Post »