Posted on 08/06/2007 2:13:36 PM PDT by fgoodwin
Christian Alternative to Secular Girl Scouts Growing, Expanding
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070803/28750_Christian_Alternative_to_Secular_Girl_Scouts_Growing,_Expanding.htm
http://tinyurl.com/36w64j
American Heritage Girls (AHG), a Christian alternative to Girl Scouts, has entered a new phase of growth this month with plans to expand to all 50 states by 2008.
Fri, Aug. 03, 2007 Posted: 20:14:11 PM EST
American Heritage Girls (AHG), a Christian alternative to Girl Scouts, has entered a new phase of growth this month with plans to expand to all 50 states by 2008.
The 12-year-old organization offering girls programs that are God-centered has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years while large secular organizations such as t Girl Scouts have declined in membership.
"Parents are looking for programs that complement their family's values, not contradict them," said Patti Garibay, executive director of AHG, according to Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink.
Parents raised concern when the Girl Scouts changed their pledge in 1993, permitting girls to replace "God" with "words they deem more appropriate" while reciting the Girl Scout Promise. Originally, the pledge included "serve God."
Girl Scout leaders said the measure "acknowledges growing religious and ethnic diversity" among the millions of Girl Scout members.
Membership has dropped from 2.8 million girls in 2002 to 2.7 million in 2006, according to Girl Scouts of America. The national group plans to combat the decline by restructuring and refocusing its mission beginning October 2008.
Meanwhile, AHG, which is currently in 33 states with over 6,000 members, continues to grow and aims to build troops in every state and grow to 7,500 members in the next year.
The organization is committed to "building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country."
In a culture that has the spotlight on Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Britney Spears – often labeled by media as girls gone wild – AHG encourages "women of manners" to unite.
"It is time that women with a strong moral compass and high self-respect serve as role models for today's girls, interrupting their lives in a counter-culture fashion," said Garibay in a statement released by AHG. "It is time that we quit shaking our heads in disbelief, hiding our children under our skirts and take action!
"Our nation's daughters desperately need to know that they are worthy of respect and need not be slaves of this culture."
AHG's growth comes amid a larger movement of young women returning to modesty. Wendy Shalit, author of Girls Gone Mild, calls it a modesty revolution with young women largely driven by their faith.
American Heritage Girls was founded in 1995 in West Chester, Ohio, by a group of parents wanting a wholesome scouting program for their daughters. The non-profit organization offers merit badge programs, service projects, girl leadership opportunities and outdoor experiences to its members.
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Audrey Barrick Christian Post Reporter
I’m glad to hear of this.
I’ve been very leery of Girls Scouts’ liberal agenda for some time now.
And when some chapters went so far as to endorse Planned Parenthood!!!
Too much.
bump
I tried to start one of these in my area.
The Main organization makes it VERY hard. I don’t know if they still do it, but at one time you needed 150.00 sponsorship.
We started “Little Flowers” instead.
Since the Girls Scouts have a section on sex, this alternative sounds great.
Had not heard of it, however. Had heard of a Baptist group — Awana?? Do I have the name correct?
How did you organize your “Little Flowers”? Sounds great!
One of the ladies in our homeschool group started it through the Catholic Heritage Curriculum website, when the American Heritage Girls fell through. My girls haven’t joined yet (they are so involved with other things!) but are going next year.
It’s all based on saints.
**It’s all based on saints.**
I like that. And I think you should movoe to copyright it. Only cost a minimum fee to copyright it.
I think CHC already did.
I know you get the badges through them.
It’s a lovely program.
Had heard of a Baptist group — Awana?? Do I have the name correct?
I don't think so. Awana is dedicated to helping little kids memorize scripture.
That’s great that the Home Scoolers copyrighted it. I thought about that as I sent the first message. Guess I spoke too soon.
Still it sounds like a wonderful program worth protecting!
Do you know what has happened to Camp Fire? That was always my favorite, but I fear they may have followed into this godless trap.
My daughter earned the Wo-He-Lo award,
(comparable to an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts).
Sell! Sell! More cookies!
It would be nice if somebody would put the Christian back in Young Men/Women Christian Association.
It would also be nice if the Church had something to mirror the Y. It chaps my hide paying $60 a month to an United Way organization for GYM facilities.
do they have cookies?
I think this is trashy journalism. Paris Hilton has nothing to do with Girl Scouts.
hmmm i dunno if i like promoting manly women either...
i read a bit on the american hertiage girls and from a religious standpoint i’m not sure their perfect either though they’re better than any group peddling planned parent hood and girls inc...
Yes, my Brownie troop has sold cookies. But you know what we used that money for? We saw an ice show, went horseback riding, participated in an "International Night", attended a Science Center event, and marched in our small town parade. At our meetings, we made crafts, learned basic first aid, and played games. We also wrote letters and sent two "care packages" to soldiers in Iraq. All this from a troop of five 2nd graders.
99% of what happens in Girl Scouts occurs at the troop level. I've never seen any subversive, lesbian literature. There's probably something like that somewhere, but it is not what Girl Scouting is truly about.
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