I really wanted to be Girl Scout when I was a kid, but for some reason my parents wouldn’t let me. To this day I don’t know why. At least one of my sibs was a scout and my father was even a Scoutmaster. But, as much I wanted to wear Brownie Brown and Girl Scout Green, it didn’t happen.
But dreams deferred aren’t dreams denied.
As a young teacher, one of my friends was a Girl Scout Leader. I often joined her on special scouting events (like camping). That’s when I learned about lean-to’s, smores and outhouses. And, because she was pregnant a lot during those years, I got to be the adult who did the falling down stuff with her scouts – roller skating, ice skating, and horseback riding.
Later on, with another teacher, I became the Scout Leader for my own troop of Senior Scouts. They were fun teenagers – and because we weren’t so much older, we scout leaders were more like mentors and big sisters than leaders. And they did badges that were way more fun than roller skating!
Today’s scouts have come a long way. Yes, badges are still important for character development and they still include things like cooking and shopping. But while those were the main badges of the past, they’re only the beginning now! Depending on a scout’s age, girls can get badges in money management, digital arts, product design, marketing (customer insights), entrepreneurship, entertainment technology, car care, business ettiquette and website design.
If you don’t know today’s Girl Scouts, take a look: https://girlscouts.org
