Sisterhood of Girl Scouts becoming ethnic patchwork

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/16/SCOUTS.ART_ART_04-16-07_A1_GU6D2CV.html
http://tinyurl.com/2ut5uc

The 12 girls are beautiful, always moving and free, like monarcas, Spanish for a type of butterfly.

But the lessons on appearance for the young Latinas aren't just on how to look pretty; they're meant to boost the confidence of the girls, who are members of Girl Scout Troop 1118, the Monarcas.

At a recent troop meeting on the West Side, volunteer stylists gave the girls tips on dressing appropriately. They created a mixture of hairspray and happiness, along with lip gloss and laughs, to help the girls earn their "looking your best" badge.

"The things they put on my face made me feel real pretty," said Yomaris Sierra, 6, who strutted across the room like a model, showing off her light eye shadow and sparkly stickers. "You should dress like a lady."

The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 95th year, and the organization is pushing to recruit more immigrants, especially Latinas. Nationally, the participation of young Latinas increased 22 percent between 2003 and 2006, said Marion Swan, spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Central Ohio has troops that are predominantly Latina or Somali. The area's growing ethnic communities led to the outreach, said Donna Hughes, membership director of the Girl Scouts Seal of Ohio Council.

"The program that we offer girls to help them achieve their goals and raise their level of confidence really has no racial or ethnic boundaries," she said. The council, which serves 17 counties including Franklin, had 403 Latinas, 303 Asians, 67 American Indians and 1,800 black scouts as of the end of March.

Besides being happy when they're together, the Monarcas "are becoming responsible," said their troop leader, Carla Breckenridge.

They will use the fashion tips they learned to become bien bonitas at the Princess Ball, a dance arranged for scouts in the Westland Service Unit next week, Breckenridge said.

Most of the girls were recruited from the Ohio Hispanic Coalition's after-school program. The troop's weekly meetings are held at the coalition's office on Sullivant Avenue.

Maria Camargo said her daughters, Yomaris and 12-year-old Luz Reyes, are surrounded by girls in the troop who are a positive influence.

"I don't have time to take them to the park to be with friends," said Camargo, who works full time. "Here, it's fun and entertaining, and they learn."

Girl Scouting, which exists around the globe, is popular with Latino parents in Columbus, Breckenridge said. "In Latin American countries, it's like a privilege, like a social status."

Scouting helps boost high-school and college graduation rates for Latina girls, Breckenridge said.

"It's not just having kids. Most of them think that is their fulfillment in their life," she said, "but there is more than that."

Two predominantly Somali troops are based at Westside Academy, a charter school at 4330 Clime Rd. The troop of girls between sixth and eighth grades started in January, and a Brownie troop of first- through third-graders started Wednesday.

The girls have sold cookies, attended a basketball camp and gone to Ohio State University and Ohio Wesleyan University women's basketball games, said Heather O'Bannon, director of the Westside Academy and troop leader for the older girls.

"They can still stay true to their family roots, but there are some good things they can do to take part in American culture and be OK," O'Bannon said.

The troop of African, Arab and black girls also attempts to appeal to all of the interests of the girls, including faith, by having them work toward religious badges and share their work, O'Bannon said.

The ethnic troops interact with other local troops in competitions and gatherings, Hughes said. For instance, during a chili cook-off in February, the Westside Academy troop won a prize for their Somali chili-type stew served with rice.

Eighth-grader Saynab Hussein, a native of Somalia, said girls in her troop are like sisters.

"We learn about all of us, African-American girls, African girls, Arab girls," Saynab said. "We learn about how we can work together."

“The things they put on my face made me feel real pretty,” said Yomaris Sierra, 6, who strutted across the room like a model, showing off her light eye shadow and sparkly stickers. “You should dress like a lady.”

A SIX YEAR OLD wearing MAKE UP?

Not in THIS house.

Confidence comes from WITHIN.

Confidence isn’t on the OUSIDE through MAKE-UP - but rather CONFIDENCE is from WITHIN.

The Girl Scouts is NOT an organization to be a part of. Very politically correct and cozy with obnoxious feminism and heavily involved with Planned Parenthood. Worst of all they OPENLY allow LESBIANS as troop leaders and Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts are BANNED in this house and we don’t buy their cookies either.

You know, I had a big rant all planned, and now I figure why bother? I am the leader of a Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout troop and proud of it. I am NOT a lesbian,and neither are any of the leaders I know. We are a group of working and stay at home moms and we don’t cozy up to anyone like Planned Parenthood. Maybe if you got off your high horse and made a donation to GSUSA (or heaven forbid buy a box of Thin Mints)that would mean fewer program dollars have to be found from corporations.

As for the make up-have you ever heard of dress up?

By the way, my troop was able to get enough donations to send 15 cases of cookies to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like I said, I’m proud of my girls.

Oh well, guess I ranted after all!

As for the make up-have you ever heard of dress up?

By the way, my troop was able to get enough donations to send 15 cases of cookies to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like I said, I’m proud of my girls.

Oh well, guess I ranted after all!

Denial isn’t even becoming to YOU.

Yes, the Girl Scouts DO SUPPORT Planned Parenthood. Funds YOU happily raise go to them.

Yes, LEBEIANS are WELCOMED in the Girl Scouts. I see you don't deny that FACT. All the good deeds in the world won't cover what the Girl Scout PHILOSOPHY is TODAY. Perversion gone mainstream in the Girl Scouts! Just because YOU aren’t one and don’t have any in your troop doesn’t cancel the FACT that LESBIANS ARE WELCOMED with OPEN ARMS in the Girl Scouts.

The article CLEARLY IMPLIED that MAKE UP gives little girls CONFIDENCE! LOL! At SIX YEARS OLD no less ... No, dear, MAKE UP or DRESS UP as you’d like to phrase it - DOES NOT give one “confidence” and neither will being a member of TODAYS Girl Scouts. Confidence comes from WITHIN. LOOKS are UNIMPORTANT.

Perhaps if YOU’D get off YOUR “high horse” and step out of DENIAL of what the Girl Scouts has BECOME TODAY, you’d with drawl yourself as well. But hey, if you want to be a fool and DENY what are FACTS, that’s up to you.

No, dear, I don’t support the Girl Scouts. I refuse to FUND Planned Parenthood and risk girls getting molested and raped by lesbians and imagining that LESBIANS are NORMAL people, pretending that confidence is easily solved with a dab of make up - even at six years old ... nah, you tout that nonsense! It’s as hollow as you are.

YOU really are hilarious. I tell you AGAIN, WHY id don’t support the Girl Scouts and you don’t refute the FACTS and then suggest this:

“Maybe if you got off your high horse and made a donation to GSUSA (or heaven forbid buy a box of Thin Mints)that would mean fewer program dollars have to be found from corporations.”

Dear, I want NOTHING to do with the Girl Scouts and certainly will not be worrying about corporations having to fund YOU and your radical, godless feminism. I could care less how many cookies you send to Iraq. It is what the GIRL SCOUTS PROMOTE and STAND FOR TODAY that I find atrocious. Be an aid in poisoning young minds ... not me.

Go bankrupt! The philosophy YOU help push there is already bankrupt but hey, live in denial.

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