Denver bishop: Girl scouts could make girls more open to pro-abortion agenda (issues warning)

Life Site News ^ | June 1, 2011 | PATRICK B. CRAINE

[NYer]

DENVER, Colorado, June 1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Denver Catholic bishop is warning parents that membership in the Girl Scouts could carry the danger of making their daughters more receptive to the pro-abortion agenda.

In a Wednesday column for the Denver Catholic Register, Denver Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley observes that in the last year a growing number of parents and youth ministers have shared concerns with him over the Girl Scouts alignment with groups advocating abortion.

He urges parents to browse for themselves the websites of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) to see the organization’s approach to “sexuality, ‘choice’, and reproductive issues,” saying this exercise “may be a sobering experience.”

The Girl Scouts have faced strong criticism especially in the last year after the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) revealed that they participated in a United Nations workshop distributing the Planned Parenthood sex education pamphlet “Happy, Healthy, and Hot.”

The pamphlet instructs young girls not to think of sex as “just about vaginal or anal intercourse.” “There is no right or wrong way to have sex. Just have fun, explore and be yourself!” it states.

Just last month, two teenage girls went public with their decision to leave the Girl Scouts after eight years because of the organization’s ties to Planned Parenthood.

In his column, Bishop Conley quotes a youth minister who warned that girls who have been influenced by Girl Scouts USA will be “more receptive” to the pro-abortion and pro-contraception agenda.

“It’s hard to imagine that a girl who remains involved with Girl Scouts into young adulthood won’t eventually learn of the connections her organization has with ‘pro-choice’, pro-contraception and ‘reproductive freedom’ groups,” the youth minister wrote.  “If she was introduced to GSUSA through her parents and her local parish, then that will inevitably create contradictions between her Catholic faith and her Scouting experience.”

The bishop notes that Scouting’s structures allow local troops to have a certain amount of autonomy, but nevertheless he says the activities and orientations of the international and national Scout bodies have “an important trickle-down effect.”  “This is exactly why ‘pro-choice’ organizations have worked to develop connections with the Scouting movement,” he writes.

“Parents, as the primary educators of their children, have every right to insist that their beliefs, especially their moral and religious beliefs, be respected—not undermined—by the organizations to which they entrust their children,” he says.  “Parents need to remain alert to the content of their daughters’ activities. And Catholics involved in the Girl Scouting movement should make it clear to leadership that Scouting is only a means to an end—the proper formation of young character.”

“It’s not an end in itself; and should Scouting ever fail in that proper formation, other groups can be found or formed to take its place,” he concludes.

Contact Information:

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Bureau, Olave Centre
12c Lyndhurst Road
London NW3 5PQ
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7794 1181
Fax: +44 (0)20 7431 3764
Email: wagggs@wagggsworld.org

Girl Scouts of the USA
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10018-2798
Phone: (800) 478-7248
E-mail: Use this form.

[fwdude]

This is what the sodomites want to do to the Boy Scouts.

[achilles2000]

The Girl Scouts were coopted by feminists and lesbians a long time ago. Unfortuantely, many parents have no idea that the organization is just another institution promoting a leftist worldview.

[Loud Mime]

Look at where they are leading our society: Sex with children - without having children.

It is our duty to stop them.

[livius]

Sadly, he’s right. Once upon a time, Catholics were not allowed to join the Boy or Girl Scouts and had their own alternatives and, eventually, special chapters.

One of the original reasons for this was that Scouting was very anti-Catholic (founded by what would now be considered Evangelical Protestants, during their late 19th-early 20th century “muscular Christianity” phase) and also that it was devoted to the secular religion.

Sadly, yesterday’s secular religion looks like total Christian orthodoxy compared to what they are pushing today. And the Evangelicals have abandoned it, too, so the only folks left (at any rate, those in charge) are complete secularists.

We need to revive the Scouting alternatives.

[Indy Pendance]

25 years ago, I was a girl scout leader. This would never be discussed with my scouts.

[fishtank]

I refuse to buy Girl Scout cookies.............

In fact next yeear, I’ll tell them WHY!!!!

[Mrs. Don-o]

It's sorrowful news but true: the Girl Scouts even reportedly have some kind of "responsible sexuality" merit badge, which is not about valuing a pure body and a pure heart, not about the sanctity of sex within marriage, but includes pro-contraceptive and anti-family slant ("be safe and responsible", i.e. know how to select the contraceptives that's right for you, "only you can decide when you're ready" i.e. not your parents, not even the laws concerning the age of consent! Faith and family, church teachings, parental values and marriage have no authority, "only you"!

Would they take such an equivocating attitude toward cigarettes? ("Don't smoke until you feel ready"?) Bulimia? ("It has dangers, but many young women have made this decision and here's how you can prqctice safer bulimia"?)

Parents of girls teach them to resist the Lady Gaga mentality, and now they have to teach them to resist the Girl Scouts?

It's insidious.

[cizinec]

“We need to revive the Scouting alternatives.”

Navy Sea Cadets
Civil Air Patrol
Appleseeds (for marksmanship)
ummm . . . Fathers teaching their boys and girls . . .

My ten-year-old knows more about camping, knots, shooting and survival than my 17-year-old boyscout neighbor. I don’t mean offense, but “pass a test, get a badge and move on” isn’t teaching what the scouts used to teach. Badges get Eagle Scout and Eagle Scout helps get into some colleges and military academies.

The symbols of achievement have become the achievement. That is pointless.

[LibertarianLiz]

Kathryn Jean Lopez, over at NRO, wrote about this back in October 2000.

http://old.nationalreview.com/23oct00/lopez102300.shtml

[silverleaf]

It's sorrowful news but true: the Girl Scouts even reportedly have some kind of “responsible sexuality” merit badge

Well the good news is you can pack your sorrows back up. PUH LEEZE. I am am a Girl Scout leader and THERE IS NO SUCH BADGE.
The world association may have such language in an “AIDS” badge, which is a badge offered based on projects typically done by teen girls in African nation member GS. They are also have a badge on “ANEMIA”

The presence of GS at that UN conference was a serious misjudgment, and we let National GSUSA know that. The language quoted is coming from a UN pamphlet, NOT GSUSA material.

Our girls could go 12 years and never have anything to do with the WAGGGS or even GSUSA.

Pay attention, GS troops are local to the community, run by volunteers who are your neighbors, and reflect the values we leaders grew up with and try to pass along- such as choosing better role models than Lady GaGa and going camping instead of hanging out at the mall or on the computer

[silverleaf]

that’s right fish

get in the faces of those 8 yr olds who are trying to earn $.50 a box to pay for camping, and tell them you despise abortion loving lesbian GS

because National GS organzation has got entwined with the UN and sent girls to a UN conference 2 years ago, where inappopriate UN pamphlets were displayed

for which National GSUSA was blasted by its membership, and apologized

[iowamark]

""The good about Girl Scouting, and a caution" by Most Rev. James D. Conley

June 1, 2011 - For many Catholics, Scouting is one of the best memories of childhood—and for good reason.  It’s a time of fun, friendship and adventure. That was certainly my own Boy Scout experience.

At its best, Scouting forms the young person in a spirit of service. It creates a sense of duty to the wider community.  It also builds character and cultivates civic virtue.

So it’s no surprise that many Catholic parishes sponsor Boy and Girl Scout troops.  And they’ve done so, with great results, for decades. Plus, when it comes to the Girl Scouts, who can argue with the best cookies in the world?

Over the past year though, a growing number of Catholic parents and youth ministers have shared a concern with me.  And it deserves some discussion.

Their unease involves the Girl Scouts, and especially the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

Youth ministers are quick to note that Scouting’s structure allows for a lot of autonomy. Girls make up local troops.  Troops make up councils. And nationwide councils make up Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA). 

GSUSA and a few other large organizations make up WAGGGS. Each local council or troop determines what’s appropriate for its specific needs.  Each troop leader decides what members see. 

Nonetheless, what happens at the international and national levels of Scouting has an important trickle-down effect. This is exactly why “pro-choice” organizations have worked to develop connections with the Scouting movement. 

Parents would be wise to spend some serious time browsing the WAGGGS (www.wagggsworld.org) and GSUSA websites, following the links they find there, and examining for themselves how these organizations deal with sexuality, “choice” and reproductive issues. It may be a sobering experience.

As one youth minister recently wrote:

“It’s hard to imagine that a girl who remains involved with Girl Scouts into young adulthood won’t eventually learn of the connections her organization has with ‘pro-choice’, pro-contraception and ‘reproductive freedom’ groups. 

Having been influenced by GSUSA, she’ll be more receptive to this agenda.  And if she was introduced to GSUSA through her parents and her local parish, then that will inevitably create contradictions between her Catholic faith and her Scouting experience.”

The many good things offered by Girl Scouting in Colorado deserve praise from the Catholic community. Scouting and the Church have always had, and hopefully will continue to have for many years, a very positive relationship.

But parents, as the primary educators of their children, have every right to insist that their beliefs, especially their moral and religious beliefs, be respected—not undermined—by the organizations to which they entrust their children. 

Parents need to remain alert to the content of their daughters’ activities. And Catholics involved in the Girl Scouting movement should make it clear to leadership that Scouting is only a means to an end—the proper formation of young character.

It’s not an end in itself; and should Scouting ever fail in that proper formation, other groups can be found or formed to take its place.

** The Register editors welcome comments about Scouting in general and the Girl Scouts in particular; the experiences of parents with Scouting; and examples of Scouting at its best. Email editor@archden.org.

Most Rev. James D. Conley is auxiliary bishop of the Denver Archdiocese.""

[Desdemona]

Gave up the Girl Scouts decades ago and now refuse to buy the cookies.

I have a friend who was related to Juliet Lowe and she said that even before Ms. Lowe died she was ashamed of what the scouts had become.

[livius]

The symbols of achievement have become the achievement. That is pointless.

Very well put.

[Politicalmom]

The Girl Scouts have been "partnered" with Planned Parenthood for YEARS. My girls were not allowed to join.

In 2004, a report from a pro-life group that monitors Planned Parenthood indicated more than one-quarter of GSA troops work with the pro-abortion group. Of the 315 Girl Scout councils in the U.S. at that time, 17 councils reported having a relationship with Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, and 49 reported they do not. The other 249 refused to disclose any relationship.

The Girl Scouts Promoting a pro-abortion agenda

They still sell cookies, but here are some new badges to earn: “domestic violence awareness, stress management, girl power and decisions for your life”3 (teen pregnancy, etc.). Let’s note a few examples of these changes:

In Pennsylvania, Junior Girl Scouts (age-12) can attend a workshop on puberty designed by Planned Parenthood to earn their “becoming a teen” badge.4

In Connecticut, Girl Scouts honored a Planned Parenthood official for promoting “healthy practices” in local troops.4

In Amarillo, TX, Girl Scouts have sponsored Planned Parenthood sex-ed seminars for 4th through 8th graders.4

The following quotes indicate the Girl Scouts are abandoning their original foundation on biblical principles consisting of definite moral rights and wrongs:

“You can rarely state that something is definitely right or wrong.” (See Exploring Spirituality—WAGGGS 2000)5

“There is no right way to live, look, talk, dress, eat, or act.” (See Brownie/Girl Scout Handbook—1993)6

In Amarillo, TX, Girl Scouts have sponsored Planned Parenthood sex-ed seminars for 4th through 8th graders.“Our movement is secular and founded on American democratic principles, one of which is freedom of religion.” (See What We Stand For—2003)7

Jim Sedlak of the organization Stop Planned Parenthood has stated that the Girl Scouts have said they would not take a position on abortion or birth control. That is the “official” position. However, many troops affiliate and work with Planned Parenthood, which is the largest provider of abortions in the United States. Further, their sex education programs are obviously aimed at young people and getting kids into sexual situations, which of course means more abortions for Planned Parenthood.

One of the initial controversies was quite revealing. A Girl Scout Council in Waco, Texas gave a “Woman of Distinction” award to the local chief of Planned Parenthood who runs an abortion chamber in Waco.8 The Waco, Texas area council then called for a boycott of the annual Girl Scout cookie sales and voted to end their partnership with Planned Parenthood of Central Texas. The Girl Scout officials denied that they supported Planned Parenthood.

However, the Girl Scouts Blue Bonnet Council had sponsored Planned Parenthood’s “Nobody’s Fool” teen and pre-teen educational events in the past. In 2003, Planned Parenthood announced in a “Nobody’s Fool” flyer that every child in 7th through 9th grade would go home with a free copy of the book, “It’s Perfectly Normal,” and 5th and 6th graders would be given a copy of “It’s So Amazing.”9 These books offered sympathetic treatment of abortion, masturbation and homosexuality. Pressure to stop this resulted in a firestorm of protests about the local Girl Scout and Planned Parenthood entanglement. As a result, a number of troops in the Waco and Houston areas disbanded or severed ties with National Girl Scouts. However, this remained relatively local and did not spread nationally at the time.

While the Girl Scouts claim neutrality on abortion, their website is clear. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts promoted their participation in a march advocating “sexual and reproductive [abortion] rights.” The participants demanded the following rights:10

All young people must have access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive [abortion] health services, including contraption and emergency contraception, in order to avoid unintended pregnancies.10

Accessible, affordable and safe abortions should be made part of the minimum packages of sexual and reproductive health services.10

[silverleaf]

This is a list of Silver Award projects approved this month by a Council, plus another leader’s report of her troop’s Silver Award, I saved this as my own troop (ages 13-14) plan their own Silver Projects

The Silver Award is the highest GS award that can be earned by girls—— age 13-14. It requires the girls earn 3-4 prereequisite awards, and must be s sustainable program developed by the girl(s) with a minimum of 40 hours of service time

I so look forward to watching the girls in my troop as they earn this award.

Approved Silver Award Projects (by girls age 12-14)

Kids Summer Cheer Camp
Science Fun! Experiements You Can Do at local library
Boating Course and Water Safety Awareness for township
Look! I Made It Myself for ages 5-12 at Phoenix camp and Bright Eyes
Academy Seating and Eating for Silver-Building benches for the BC Housing Group and Community Food Pantry
Scarves for Survivors for Mercer Bucks Hemotology and Oncology
Project Security Blanket for A Woman’s Place, BC Office of Assistance
Recipe Book using foods commonly given out at local food pantries for the BC Housing authority
Planting a garden and beautifying a local park by planting water plants around the ponds
ASPCA Redecoration by providing new sign-in stations, replacing bulletin boards.painting room, etc.
Summer Tennis Fitness Program at local high school
Design and run Junior Explorer Program at the BC Audubon Society
Creative wWriting for Kids at a community art center
Providing and teaching new arts and crafts for the Phoenix Village art Center
The art in You for children 7-11 at the local library
Summer Program Games For Fitness at a local elementary school

Search and Fins (letterbox and compass activity) at local historical site
Building a rain garden at Peace Valley Nature Center
Making and installing birdhouses at Joanne Furnace, a historical site.
Blankets for Bliss for The Children’s Hospital of Pila.
Field Hockey Clinic at a local church
Thinking of You Tote Bag Project for adult day care center
Clothing the Unfortunate—collected gently used clothes and setting up places at the YCWYCA and a local church for people to come in to get needing clothing
Beary Special Friends-making bears for the American Red Cross
Remodeling of Basement Youth Room in local church

A proud leader reports:

My troop has two groups working together toward their Silver Star. Both groups have chosen hunger in our community as their focus but have developed very
different projects.

The first group’s project is to install new shelving at a local food bank and then to completely fill the shelves. The girls have aligned with a church food bank and dedicated a lot of time to learning how a food bank operates, have attended Food Bank Board meetings, have participated in warehouse distribution, and conducted several food drives. They have successfully solicited donated shelving, and the last step will be to install the shelves and then fill them with all the donated foodstuffs.

The second group has created a project called ‘One Day Without Hunger’. They have had several different fundraising activities and food drives, created a
website, solicited volunteers, found a venue, planned a menu, and will prepare and serve a community dinner large enough so that no one in West Seattle goes
hungry... if only for one day.

In each group we have girls particpating under both the old and new guidelines, and the projects were developed with that in mind.

Cadette Troop -— from -—— improved Camp Pow Low as part of their Silver Award project. On Saturday, April 30, with the help of 18 adult volunteers, 7 girls from Troop—— built 12 picnic tables and 15 new benches for the camp
fire ring area. The girls learned how to measure, use a power drill and a ratchet.

This was Phase One of their Silver Award project. They also plan to install a new metal fire ring, develop a binder with activities for troops to do while atcamp, and add new curtains and a new bookcase with games, puzzles, books and
craft supplies to the lodge.

The girls will also be building several picnic tables for the local daycare center and running a summer program at the daycare as part of their Silver Award
project. (This was so they would each individually have a portion of a leadership project in order to all earn their Silver Awards together this year!)

Here are a few quotes from the girls:

“It felt good to know that people will be sitting on our tables and benches”
~Cera

“I felt very proud of myself making these picnic tables and benches and remaking
our camp” ~Elissa

“It feels amazing to know that we have the power to make a difference in our
community” ~Megan

“I had so much fun with all the Girl Scouts from our troop. I feel happy to know
we are helping our camp” ~Jessica

“It was a blast. I learned how to use power tools and how to build picnic
tables.” ~Cassie

[silverleaf]

This is a complete list of the badges etc available for the coming year, for each age group, as the GS program is underging a big change for 2012

See for yourself and stop spreading rumors

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/sJ_pTVqptLLKkEXLS4ZFm8SW9R2l-M0xm1NxxLdQYT0i-BNV8vMyVJr-hm8tijqzFUhceCDZXELNawyq-Sh52mxV7nrFOkvFjQOx8luLs65QDfM/Journeys/program%20chart%205-31-11.pdf

[NYer]

Sadly, he’s right. Once upon a time, Catholics were not allowed to join the Boy or Girl Scouts and had their own alternatives and, eventually, special chapters.

How long ago? I attended catholic school beginning in the 50s and they were very supportive of the Boy and Girl Scouts. The diocese also ran CYO day camps during the summer.

[Salvation]

I would not allow my daughters to be in Girl Scouts — and that was a long time ago. Even then I could see they were drifting left.