Monday, September 10, 2007

Scouting?

I'm looking for input today. I've been looking at options for extra curricular stuff for Paris. We considered dance, but she wasn't really sure about that when she found out we would have to pull her hair up every time no matter what (she detests a pony tail). She love to dance, but I know her pretty well and I just wasn't convinced we should commit to the kind of $ and time dance would require. Most of the sports flyers we have gotten so far she isn't old enough to participate with since she just turned 5 in June. We got something that was for Daddys and daughters through the YMCA, but it looked like A LOT of camping and we have no camping equipment. So Friday we got the Girl Scout flyer sent home from school and I think I'm interested in that.

I got on line and looked over the website. They appear to be based in good values and I'm very much in favor of developing leadership skills. I know that Paris has some very natural take-charge genes and I think anything that will help her develop what may be bossiness and sass now into strong leadership abilities is a good thing. I wasn't a Girl Scout, but I was always interested. I even made my dad take me to a meeting in late elementary school to check it out but that's as far as it got - seemed like it was a little late in the game to join. Easy was a Boy Scout, but he claims that the two organizations are completely foreign entities so he has no input on Girl Scouts. So, I'm asking for your input here. If you have scouting experience of any kind and have positive or even not so positive input - please share! And I would love input from both childhood experience and if you have any parent experience I would love that too. Thanks!

7 comments:

Stephanie said...

I was a Girl Scout and loved it. I remember the meetings, selling cookies, campouts and all that good stuff that goes with it. I didn't do it very long but the short time that I did do it I loved it. I stopped just short of becoming a Junior Scout, there weren't that many of us and no mom to be the leader, so it kind of just fizzed out. I think that Paris would love it. I say take her to a meeting and see if she likes it. If she does I will have my own personal Girl Scout to buy cookies from instead of from the girls outside of the stores.

Angela Robinson said...

I was a B/CS Girl Scout from "Brownies" through "Juniors" (about 6th grade). I think Paris would be a "Daisy" if she joined this year, so she'd get in a little earlier than I did. I hated the uniforms (I always felt SO dorky in mine), but, Daisies are the cutest, so at least she could ease in. I loved earning patches for my sash (the only part of my uniform I was proud of). A lot of the ceremonies were a little tedious for small kids (I remember a lot of symbolic candle-lighting...but those are only about once a year). We camped some (Camp Howdy is the GS camp just outside of town, and they have a day-camp in the summer...I LOVED it there), but they always provided all of the equipment.

I know that Katie Gilletto (Carrie's daughter) has been a scout for a few years (she's been my personal cookie connection), so you might ask her what things are like in the 21st century...seeing as how it's been a couple of decades since I first joined. Good luck!

Irene said...

we've never done either but i have friends in houston who LOVE scouts both boys and girls. the only negative thing i've heard (and this was for boys and in cs) was that the time commitment gets a little out of hand sometimes. it's hard to do anything else with all of the weekly activities and expectations. just something to look into. fun!!! have you thought about music classes? we LOVED kindermusik!

erin said...

I scouted all the way through 12th grade! My troop raised $$ and went on a cruise in high school. I think I enjoyed the friendships made most of all. It was a fun activity but not my "major" thing.

Jenny said...

Well, I don't have any advice, but we do have tons of camping equipment (you can have it). So, if/when you need it... let me know! The GS's actually asked to camp in our backyard when I was really little. I visited them during the day... but then they tried to make me wash dishes... I was out of there so fast!!!

PS... pass along any advise you get... we'll probably be needing it too!

Sarah Elizabeth Foster said...

Hi, I stumbled across your blog while googling my name to see if my blog would come up. You can check it out at www.SarahElizabethFoster.com. Anyway, I danced, did girl scouts, and Indian Princesses with my Dad in Houston and Corpus Christi growing up. They were all wonderful experiences, but the best was dancing. Dancing really lets a child express their creativity while getting exercise. It creates an awareness of the body, great posture, and so much confidence. That kind of fun with exercise as a child can translate to a fit healthy adult. Now that I've put in a good word for dance, I want to say that I've really enjoyed reading your blog. Good luck on your spiritual path and everything else too!

-Sarah
www.SarahElizabethFoster.com

jenny said...

Hey! I didn't do Girl Scouts as a kid myself. I have had a really good experience as a Girl Scout Mom and now this year co-leader of a troop. B has been a Brownie 2 years, and now her group just bridged over to be Juniors (she's actually a year early for this, but we wanted her group together). What I love about it is that it encompasses anything your girl is interested in. You love to do sports? There's a badge for that. You like cooking, sewing, architecture? You got it. Science, business, camping? It's there. Of course, there's compromise to get a whole group doing the same thing. I love the uniform---we only do vests in our group, and we only meet every other week. The hard part is getting a good leader!

Kindergarten is the Daisy year, and we didn't do it. I think the program is really good, where the girls can grow and learn more respinsibility as they get older. And you can be really gung-ho and earn badges, Try-Its etc. on your own, or you can enjoy the social aspects of it, and not worry about filling up your vest or sash.

I'd recommend it! ;-)