Posted on 06/10/2012 3:29:57 AM PDT by markomalley
Whos calling the shots over at the Girl Scouts? And wheres the organization headed?
The questions matter for two reasons. First, its cookie season. Any day now some cute little girls wearing green sashes and bright smiles will knock on your door and sweetly seek support for their projects, badges, and activities. Do you write the check or not? (Forget your craving for Thin Mints. Think rationally!) Should you support the Girl Scouts?
Second, the Girl Scouts organization (GSUSA) is in trouble again. In recent weeks, theyve drawn scrutiny for promoting biased resources (the left-wing Media Matters) and pressuring an employee to muzzle her pro-life views. The latest events top the pile of controversies that has outraged parents and spurred some Scouts to quit the organization.
Whats going on? Are these merely quality control issues or do the problems reflect an ideological divide between the Girl Scout leadership and the families they serve?
In recent years, the Girl Scouts have tacked left, and criticism has mounted over their programs and their partnerships with Americas leading abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. (As an aside, the Scouts mislead families and churches into believing that they have no relationship with Planned Parenthood at any level; they maintain that Girl Scouts of the USA (i.e. the national office) does not have a relationship or partnership with Planned Parenthood, but say nothing about the many local Girl Scout councils that do partner with Planned Parenthood and its teen subsidiaries.
Concerned Scouts and their parents have publicized and documented the Girl Scouts liberal bent. And theyve asked for changes.
The Girl Scouts consistently respond as if the reported problems are small brush fires that erupt sporadically because people are careless. And they project the impression that these brush fires would die out on their own, but for the hysterical bystanders conservatives, of course who shriek at the first wisp of smoke.
Offensive materials? Quality control issues, thats all.
The official spokespersons carefully worded statements make small concessions, hoping to blow the smoke far enough away to divert attention from the incendiary truth: the leadership of todays Girl Scouts is driven by a liberal ideology far out of step with the families and churches that support them.
Americans tilt right, increasingly so. For the third consecutive year, according to Gallup, conservative Americans (40%) outnumbered both moderates (35%) and liberals (21%). Interestingly, over the same three year period, the Girl Scouts lost half a million members and operated at a loss (In 2010, for example, GSUSA reported a $4.9 million loss.)
Thats a lotta people and a big chunk of change out the door.
Youd think the Girl Scouts leadership would consider a right turn or two, maybe even circle back around to their founding principles, like promoting virtues and womanhood.
But still the Scouts turn left. They cant help themselves.
The Girl Scouts have filled their National Leadership Team and Board of Directors with unwavering ideologues whose careers, non-profit work and philanthropic choices reflect a hefty commitment to liberal causes same-sex marriage, gay and lesbian rights, abortion rights, comprehensive sex education and girl power feminism.
Their liberal ideology drives everything from program materials to themes to partnerships even their view of leadership.
Its who they are. And its who the Girl Scouts organization has become.
A few examples tell the story.
A pro-abortion bias
The Girl Scouts imagines itself the thought leader and voice for and of American girls. But the only voice the Scouts hear is a liberal one. The Girl Scouts own research shows that the voice of American youth is strongly pro-life: just nine percent of 7th through 12th graders would advocate for abortion if a friend sought advice on an unexpected pregnancy. And only 25% believe its all right to have an abortion when a baby seriously disrupts life plans.
But the GSUSA refuses to allow pro-life advocacy to count towards badge work or program requirements, even within faith-based religious recognition programs. Its not an option, they say. Yet their leadership program objectives consider advocacy for reproductive health in school or neighborhood as a sign that a Scout has mastered the desired advocacy skills.
In addition, the Girl Scouts curriculum ("Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy") instructs girls to explore five pro-abortion advocacy organizations, including the Population Council, to see where and how they are promoting change. Pro-life advocacy groups? None.
The pro-abortion bias reflects the core convictions of the Girl Scouts National Leadership Team and Board of Directors. These individuals, who frame and implement the Girl Scouts mission, maintain tight connections with Planned Parenthood, other abortion advocates, and foundations that support them.
Consider:
GSUSA CEO Anna Maria Chavez collaborated* with Planned Parenthood as head of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas; (See UPDATE).
GSUSA National President Connie Lindsey donated to the pro-abortion, pro-LGBT Chicago Foundation for Women;
GSUSA Board Member Barbara Krumsiek is the Board Chair of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation which funds Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington;
GSUSA Board Member Monica Gil is a volunteer and former Board Member (through 2011) of the Saban Free Clinic in L.A., which provides free and easy birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion referrals to teens over 12, without parental notice or consent;
GSUSA Board Member and Executive Secretary Debra Nakatomi is International Commissioner to the pro-abortion World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and promoted contraceptives to Asian teens through Californias Get Real program;
Laurie Westley, GSUSA Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Advocacy & the Research Institute, previously worked for the National Womens Political Caucus, a group dedicated to electing pro-choice women.
Joan Wagnon, the GSUSA Treasurer, Board of Directors, accepted large campaign contributions from late-term abortionist George Tiller while she was Secretary of Kansas Department of Revenue and praised Tillers social conscience and big heart;
Ellen S. Fox, GSUSA Board Member from 2008 through 2011, serves on the Investment Committee of the International Planned Parenthood Federations Board of Directors.
The list goes on.
The new normal: homosexuality and sexual promiscuity
Pro-life views are not the only ones given short shrift by the Girl Scouts. Traditional sexual morality takes a hit, while lesbians enjoy good press in required Girl Scout materials. These books the Journeys series generally push global environmentalism from a feminist slant; certain books go further, normalizing homosexuality and degrading sexual behavior.
For example, the "Journey" book "Your Voice Your World: The Power of Advocacy" spotlights numerous lesbians and LGBT advocates as Voices for Good -- role models for young Scouts.
And the 4th and 5th grade "Journeys" book, "Agent of Change," highlights author Marjane Satrapi, a young Iranian woman with real moxie, whose life detailed in her comic book-style autobiography, "Persepolis" will inspire Girl Scouts. But in Persepolis, Satrapi crudely discusses mens genitalia (even with her own father), calls nuns prostitutes, gets explicit lessons about sex from a promiscuous friend, lives with eight homosexual men and attempts suicide twice. Offensive illustrations and shocking sexual dialogue complete the picture. For ten-year olds?
It gets worse.
Another "Journey" book, "GIRLtopia," encourages 9th and 10th graders, to imagine a perfect world for girls. It recommends the book, "The Gate to Womens Country," by Sheri Tepper (former Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood), as a utopian journey into a future world where women spend their lives learning and discovering lost knowledge. Thats a deceptive gloss on a book laced with obscenities, revolting dialogue, and lewd descriptions, and which presents men as violent barbarians. The book graphically describes women having sex with random warriors at a semi-annual Carnival, undergoing brutal, demeaning genital exams, and breeding out violence by compulsive sterilization and selective prostitution. The only good men are castrated men. This is Girl Scout utopia?
Juliette Low, the Girl Scouts founder, would be aghast.
Why would Girl Scout Execs and Board members approve this material?
Because they dont find it shocking or radical at all.
It reflects their worldview sexual promiscuity is a given and homosexuality is normal. And indeed, key players at the Girl Scouts have a history of advocating those very positions, particularly on homosexuality.
Timothy Higdon, for example, holds a pivotal position at GSUSA: as Chief of External Affairs, he oversees marketing, fundraising, advocacy, and research. Higdons official bio on the Girl Scout website touts his earlier work for the Army, a fundraising firm, and Amnesty International. It even mentions hes an Eagle Scout. But it doesnt mention that, spurred by his decision to come out as a gay man, hes a seasoned gay rights activist. (For example, in 2002 he headed a Florida gay rights organization working closely with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.)
In 2011, Higdon welcomed another homosexual activist to his team: Deborah Taft, Senior VP of Fund Development, sits on the Human Rights Campaigns (HRC) Board of Governors. (HRC pushes same-sex marriage and is an adoption bully, pummeling religious adoption agencies that prefer married heterosexuals to homosexual pairs.)
Other LGBT activists fill prominent GSUSA positions or Board seats. Consider GSUSA Media Spokesperson Joshua Ackley. By day, he writes the Girl Scouts blog. By night, he frolics in unsavory places reminiscent of his homopunk career. Hes the former lead singer of the Dead Betties, a queer band whose music videos feature masturbation, prostitution, and sexualized violence against women. Ackleys past activism suggests hes not likely to flinch over a sexually inappropriate book or lesbian role models. Hes not alone.
The LGBT advocates in the Girl Scouts inner circle help set the organizations trajectory: GSUSA emphasizes diversity and tolerance, applauds adolescent acceptance of LGBT behavior, promotes lesbians as role models, and allies itself with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Forget character. Think advocacy.
I opened this article with two questions. First, whos calling the shots at the Girl Scouts? The answer: incorrigible liberals unbending proponents of abortion, homosexuality and teen contraception.
Second, wheres the organization headed? The Girl Scouts vaunted leadership programs have morphed into liberal training grounds. While the Scouts founding vision promoted the virtues of womanhood; todays Scouts strive for advocacy-oriented objectives.
The new Girl Scout Leadership Experience is less about the person a girl becomes and more about taking action aligned with the liberal agenda. GSUSA trains girls to be advocates, mini community organizers who see themselves as agents of change, rather than young women of virtue who exercise leadership with an eye towards personal honor and the public good. (Girl Scout Mission, 1917)
Indeed, its hard to find the language of virtue in the Scouts program materials. Patriotism? Self-sacrifice? Humility? Self-control? Nope. The new Girl Scouts focus on diversity, environmental justice (theyve got a whole book on it) and liberal advocacy.
But dont expect the Scouts to fess up. Though theyve gutted the meanings of character and leadership, they continue to snow member families and sponsoring organizations (like the Catholic Church) with their institutional history as a character-building, leadership organization.
Bishops, pastors, ministers, and parents, dont be fooled. If the Girl Scouts leadership toting the same pro-abortion, pro-gay, environmentalist, feminist baggage showed up today as a new organization and sought your sponsorship to shape girls in their image, would you say yes? I doubt it.
So should you support todays Girl Scouts?
My answer: a resounding No!
Whats yours?
NOTE: *The word collaborated replaces the verb partnered that appeared in an earlier version of this article. Although partnered has a range of meanings including an alliance or collaboration, the author has replaced it in order to preclude suggestion that a contractual, business partnership existed. The significance of the relationship remains, in the authors view.
It;s enough to make you want to toss your cookies!!!
They know exactly what they’re doing and its intentional.
My militant lesbian cousin and her militant lesbian friends spend their lives trying to insert themselves into positions like this.
My cousin applies for jobs at Catholic and other religious schools every week. She knows they aren’t going to give her the job but she has to keep harassing them.
Heck, when I was a Boy Scout we thought some of the Girl Scout leaders were manlywoman types. The girls were OK, but they were being led by heeshees.
Then in the 1970’s, GSA’s radio ads went all feminista we-are-empowered-now. Nothing new IMO.
bump
I am sorry to have say, I told a girl scout no the other day who was selling cookies.
Established American institutions are a prime target for these terrorists.
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