1 My girls are both in Girl Scouts, and there is a LOT about what the organization has become that makes me want to turn around and run the other way. 

On the other hand, the implementation of a lot of that stuff depends on the type of troop and area you are in.  My #2 girl is in a more conservative Catholic School affiliated troop, and #3's troop has been the single most supportive non-military activity our family has had contact with while AFG is gone.  And there's no other way we could afford summer camp for the girls (outside of Girl Scouts it can run into the thousands). 

And, first and foremost for our reasoning, I've already told my kids they are responsible for their own college bills - as I was responsible for mine.  But since I'm making that rule, I figure it's also my responsibility to make every effort to ensure they have access to everything they need to get into a good college with a scholarship.  And Girl Scouts is a big step towards that (if they do it the whole way through school). 

So, we end up trying to make the best of it.  And it works (so far) with tweaking. 

The contrast between Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts is enormous, though.  ENORMOUS, as I found out when the boy became a cub scout this year.

Oh - and I'm a total Samoa addict.  Best cookies in the Girl Scout arsenal, hands down.

2 AFW -- I wondered what your girls' troops were like.  I figured if they were all eco- and lefty, I would've heard about it from you by now!

3 Looks like Girl Scouts have changed a lot since I was one back in the day. If you want to satisfy your craving for Samoas without contributing to that, I found this recipe awhile ago and they're pretty amazing. I took them into work once and they were gone in about 10 minutes.

4 Boy scouts went round the bend for Injuns and all that crap years ago.  I can remember when it was all "Mark Trail", hunting, camping, fishing, survival, great living in grubby times, and service projects. 

Now it seems like that is a far distant second to fundraisers to support the next fundraiser.

That was my experience at the den in western PA. 

Now, here at Fort Leavenworth, the pack is run by Army officers.  The boys learned how to use block and tackle, wiches and pulleys from an Army TM.  They learn how to tie ropes into knots from the Ranger handbook, and are instructed by Rangers themselves.  They camp out, take knives with them, and have a jamboree that cost all of $5 per scout--for the food they would eat, and dads provided some of our field gear for tents, sleeping bags, shelters, etc.

They learned to rough it--and LOVED IT.

Girl scouts for my daughter is still in the Daisy phase, so beyond cookie sales and macaroni art, I can't pass judgment.

But she did come home from school the other day telling me all about glowball warmening.  I told her it was all just made up stories, told by scientists who were bad at math and couldn't prove their stories without lying.  I asked her teacher about it today.  I asked if it was real, why are the computer models used to predict climate change decades in the future, unable to accurately predict YESTERDAYS weather?

/Sorry, off topic.  I support the local cookie dealer because she has big, beautiful blue eyes, and I loves me some samoas.

5 Before I clicked on the links, I imagined kevin's idea of Grrrrl Scouts. Then I read the WND article. It's closer than I expected, though I think it's over the top.

6 I have half a case of Samoas in the storage room.  Want some?

I've ignored the "journeys" for GS since they were introduced, too lefty for me, and I'm the leader, so I can do what I want