Don’t Discount the Girl Scouts
Sometimes we just need to vent and let people in on our own opinions. When you work in radio this means post it up on the website for you to read.
I am a person who before I read the article, I read the comments. This is the most entertaining part of any article in my opinion.
In this case, I already knew about this new rule so I was informed before I turned to the comments.
When I began reading my stomach grew sicker and sicker. The opinions and public image Girl Scouts holds infuriates me. Now it's time to try to change your perception on, what in my mind is, the greatest program for young girls.
Let's start off with I am a Girl Scout. Did you notice I used the word "am" and not "was"? This is not a typo on my part. When I graduated high school I signed up as a lifetime member. I have been a Girl Scout since I was in kindergarten and I will be for the rest of my life.
I say this with great pride.
Did I want to quit at one point? Yes. Did my fake crying mom convince me to stay? Yes. Was it the right decision? Absolutely.
When I say Girl Scouts, I know the first image that pops into your head is a little girl selling cookies. I was a little girl selling cookies at one point, but Girl Scouts is much more than that. I credit the woman I am today to Girl Scouts.
Throughout my time in Girl Scouts I traveled all over; 38 U.S. states, 4 Canadian Providences, and 2 Australian territories. I held a koala, slept in a teepee, ate escargot in Quebec, went on an Alaskan cruise, climbed the Sydney Bay Bridge, met Tony Shalhoub, Terry Crews and Debbie Allen at Paramount Studios, and swam with manatees in Florida.
My mom was my leader and she thought traveling and seeing the world firsthand was important.
The experiences and memories I've gained through Girl Scouts is absolutely priceless.
When we traveled it was not like the "camping" scene from Troop Beverly Hills. Yes, the quotations were necessary. It's a great movie, but a far cry from what my Girl Scout experience was like.
Did we stay in a hotel sometimes? Yes. Did we mostly camp in tents on trips? Yes. We traveled on a budget and we were really good at it. Now when people say they are going "camping" and it is in an RV I laugh.
History class became a breeze for me, especially U.S. history. I experienced the places we learned about firsthand.
Traveling was not the only thing I took away from Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts changed me and molded me into the woman I am today.
I learned so many valuable life lessons from Girl Scouts. I earned all of the money for my trips myself. My parents did not pay for these trips, I did. Through cookie sales, chocolate and nut sales, car washes, school dances, and other fundraisers I earned every dime for every trip. I learned from a very young age that if you wanted something you had to earn it yourself and not expect people to just hand it to you.
Girl Scouts puts great emphasis on leadership. Throughout each level of Girl Scouts the amount of leadership that is expected of the girls grows. Girl Scouting is all about empowering our young girls and young women so that they can be the leaders of tomorrow. Yes, I know that is super corny.
Without Girl Scouts I would not be here. I would not have this job. That's quite literal.
When I was in college I was initially going to school for psychology. I wanted to be a clinical psychologist and I wanted to get my PhD. At the same time I was representing Girl Scouts on a local and national level on the radio and television. This is when I found my true calling.
I loved being in the studios and I loved talking. It was a win win. I switched my major and the rest is history.
I credit it all, everything about myself, to Girl Scouts.
My drive, my outgoing personality, my work ethic, my confidence, my job, and anything else that makes me who I am.
Next time you think of Girl Scouts, it's okay to picture a Brownie in her brown sash selling cookies, but also think of the high school girl that is growing into a young woman who has the potential to change the world for the better.
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