Are the Girl Scouts run in a similar manner as the Boy Scouts?

[militarymanusaf]

Specifically regarding the Boy Scouts being homophobic (not allowing anyone who is homosexual to be a Boy Scout). I'm curious because we are approaching the annual Girl Scout cookie drive.

If the Girl Scouts are equally homophobic as the Boy Scouts...then I will consider not buying any cookies this year.

[The Traveler]

1. Please do not

project political issues on small children. When you turn down their attempts to sell you Girl Scout cookies, they feel like you are rejecting THEM. The fight for gay and lesbian rights is a just fight. But that does not mean we have to drag kids of either gender into the field of battle. Let's be grown up and fight it out ourselves.

Buy the cookies. Eat them. (I strongly recommend the thin mints.) And fight the good fight.

[Iris]

3. More importantly, please DO NOT equate the Girl Scouts with the Boy Scouts

in any way. They are entirely different. GS teaches respect for others and deals with issues like sexuality in a respectful way. One thing I remember from my Girl Scouting days was a "world day" which was a celebration of cultures from all over the world. One year I learned how to put on a sari.

But I agree with you, if they were teaching what BSA teaches, I'd simply say "no thanks" to whatever they are selling. Rejection is a part of life.

[Maddy McCall]

2. Actually, GS is a very progressive organization.

They teach girls to achieve on the same level as boys, and if I am not mistaken, Planned Parenthood helps GS.

[Piperay]

4. NO, GS are entirely different

they are progressives, here in California they are even honoring the super-market strike and not selling cookies at markets where there are pickets. Please don't give them a hard time.

[depakid]

5. I just got my cookies today!

the Girl Scouts are a totally different organization- They haven't been taken over by "conservative" religious groups like the Boy Scouts have.

PS: the Do-si-do's (peanut butter cookies) are the best, and I'm now the proud owner of 10.. er... 9 1/2 boxes of them!

[Bridget Burke]

6. Sorry, the boycott seems to have failed....

It was announced because the Girl Scouts work with Planned Parenthood. However, sales have been better than ever this year.

You're a little late.

[Iris]

11. wait, wait, wait. . .

so someone really did try to organize a boycott?

[militarymanusaf]

13. Thank you for understanding

that I never mentioned a boycott. The thin mint cookies are something I look forward to all year.

Due to a large majority of the responses to this thread I'm glad that I asked for opinions...as opposed to presuming the Girl Scouts adhere to the same rules as BSA.

[Nobody]

7. Having been a girl scout once

I still don't know. It never came up. All I remember is how desperate they were for leaders. No mention of any political viewpoints, but we did learn citizenship such as how the court system works and flag etiquette, and the camping trips were to die for.

[onehandle]

8. The Girl and Boy Scouts are like night and day...

My Progressive and politically active wife is a Girl Scout leader if that tells you anything.

[foreigncorrespondent]

9. They are not at all like their counterpart.

The girl scouts do not discriminate against queers at all.

[blondeatlast]

10. Check out the handbook

The leadership of GSA is very progressive. Get a hold of the handbook--it represents everything the Democrats ought to be, IMHO.

Last I heard, Campfire was pretty progressive too. I don't want my son in the BSA, thankfully he hasn't been interested even though his best friend is a Cub.

[Loonman]

12. Yeah, screw young girls out of money b/c of politics

Good move.


NOT!

[ArkDem]

14. The Girl Scouts won't allow any

homosexual boys to join either.

[truthspeaker]

15. They have a non-discrimination policy

Homosexuals and atheists are allowed in the GSA, although because of the autonomy of local troops I think local troops might be allowed to discriminate. Not sure about that.

"God, and country" is still in the Girl Scout Pledge but you're allowed to leave out "God".

[Mrs. Overall]

16. My daughter is part of a local troop,

and believe me, if there were any hints of discrimination, patriotism, or religion in her troop, I would never have allowed her to become involved.
Her troop focuses on camping, community service, and doing great little craft things at their meetings. They use the cookie money for going to summer camp, and for doing special things like going roller skating, or donating to local causes. Our group is especially environmentally sensitive and they often have beach clean-up days.
I have a friend, however, who pulled her son from the local Boy Scout troop because of the overt patriotism and God-talk. The local troop leader also has a wife and child who regularly appear in public with blackened, bruised faces--no kidding.
Buy cookies from girl scouts.

[mainer]

17. I was a cub scout den mother...

I have two sons who wanted to be scouts, so I thought I ought to volunteer to be a den mother. Then I read the scout leader's handbook and saw the thing about "scouts must believe in a higher being" or something like that. And there I was, an agnostic, having to ask a bunch of rowdy boys if they believed in god - something i don't even believe in! If the kid's an atheist, they don't qualify as scouts! And I was supposed to talk to them about god!

So I asked them "Do you love Mother Nature?" They all said yes, and I figured -- okay, I did my duty. They all believe in a higher being, and that's that. Onto knot tying.

My sons enjoyed BSA, and got some great outdoors activities out of it, but I'm still po'd about the "must believe in god" thing.