Letters to the Editor
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Why veils instead of berets?
From my observations, it appears that a girl does not have to wear a veil (if she so chooses) until her early teens, by which time she is usually done with Girl Scouting. So until then the nationality-neutral berets should suffice.
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Why veils?
I'm not sure how the rules work. But the article specifically referred to girls wearing hijab (and "swirling head scarf"), and the accompanying photo portrayed them with their heads covered as well.
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That's the boyscouts!
"...an image tainted (perhaps unfairly) with shades of creepy (religious) conformity and assorted allegations of discrimination." There are religious badges available. They are mentioned in the Handbook, but not shown. I think this outreach is great. All girls are to be a sister to EVERY Girl Scout. This works both ways, so they will be welcomed at area events as are all Girl Scouts. Seems like a win-win to me.
Non-parents and parents of all kinds are are very much encouraged to participate. Even adult men can be Girl Scouts and troop leaders. (We all get background checks.) There is a man in our area who has a "It takes a real man to be a Girl Scout" t-shirt. A big bear of a guy, with two daughters. He is a very active Girl Scout! So, if you would like to twist the minds...um I mean be a role model to the next generation, call your local Council.
I am a G.S. leader (Shocking, I know!) Even I can be considered a role model by this organization. The soccer moms are often too busy to add yet another thing, so G.S.U.S.A. tends to pull in the moms who like the outdoors and charity and are pretty much up to learning anything for the sake of 'the girls.' And yes, liberal me just taught my girls how to do a flag ceremony for an investiture. Uf!
I lived in the Minneapple, and there is another advantage to giving outreach to this group, which tends to be low income. Scouting is very cheap. In my area it's $10 a year, plus more for activities (Usually $15-$35 about one offered a month.) There is also an opportunity fund which provides a sash and enrollment fees. Even in my rural area, the range of activities is impressive. Summer camp, Trips to see the Ice Capades, Mackinac Island, Indoor rock climbing etc...There are a ridiculous number of activities in the badge book to try.
So yeah Girls Scouts! (My daughter now wants to make a bridge out of Thin Mints. Yet another project...)
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I don't care about the GSA
If it helps pry girls out from under the crushing anvil of conservative religious beliefs then I'm all for it.
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Scouting headwear.
Juniors don't generally wear hats, anyways. Plus girls scouts goes all the way up to adulthood, as all leaders are registered Scouts (Even me!). So Cadettes would certainly be of an age where they would be expected to cover themselves.
Girl Scouts wear saris in India. They wear their national costume elsewhere as well. The Muslim girls want to cover their hair. So what? It makes them comfortable. Plus hey, after a couple of days in the woods, most of us are wearing scarfs. It's called a bandana! What could be more Scout-like?
What a dumb thing to use to exclude the children of first generation Immigrants. They are girls, and they may not be permitted to participate by their parents if they aren't what their parents consider dressed properly. The girls are not in control of that.
We forget that until VERY recently (until the mid-sixties) a woman wasn't properly dressed unless she was wearing a hat and gloves. So honestly we all need to suspend our judgment on this.
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A good first step
But it still excludes the atheists among us. Why these organizations have to have ANY religious language or intention is beyond me.
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Girl Scouts...Yuck
I belonged to the Girlscouts for exactly as long as it took me to realize that while we were selling cookies, learning how to fold towels, and practicing 'lady-like' behavior, the *boy*scouts were learning survival skills, knife skills, camping skills, and other *fun* skills.
This segregation of knowledge by sex can only reinforce the belief in the inferiority of females present in large swaths of muslim culture as well as reinforcing the sterotypes of muslims that most Americans have.
The Girlscouts is a LAME organization, and it isn't made any less lame by topping its members with 'swirly headscarves.'
'Hijab Arrangement' will be the next GS merit badge, no doubt.
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Veils vs. Berets
I live in a neighborhood with several Middle Eastern families, and the young girls are usually bare-headed. Depending on how "Americanized" they are, the teens and adult women may or may not be veiled. Perhaps different nationalities have different rules.
I'm sorry about the poster whose Girl Scout troop concentrated on domestic skills while the Boy Scouts were busy camping. My own experience was pretty much the opposite. My leader was an outdoorsy type who couldn't seem to think of any worthwhile activity for us that didn't involve the great outdoors in some manner. We were constantly planning campouts and picnics, while my suggestions for seeing a play or some other indoor/feminine activity was usually shouted down. Obviously the personality of the leader is going to greatly affect the direction that a troop would take. It helps if she has an assistant who can offer some alternatives for the agenda. But I wouldn't give up those cookies for the world!
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Wrong bunch of scouts
"*boy*scouts were learning survival skills, knife skills, camping skills, and other *fun* skills"
Strange. I was in the Girl Scouts way back in the late 70s and we spent about 2 weeks worrying about selling cookies. The rest of the time was spent camping, backpacking, voluntering with the elderly and disabled children, publishing a newspaper, sports (swimming, archery, track & field).
I had to go to "charm school" for the napkin folding.
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@ Spankathon
Man that sucks that your troop was such a bore. I have vivid memories of camp and making home made (allbeit ugly) candles with bubbling hot wax. We also got to learn all about matches (maybe the beginning of my pyromania), and survival techniques. We did cheesey stuff to, like making hideous christmas ornaments with some plastic crap you melted together using an iron. But for the most part I remember getting to socialize with all the girls and hiking at camp and selling Papa and Gramma cases of cookies never to be eaten.
I thought it was such a positive experience as a girl I can't wait for my daughter and I to join when she turns five in April. And I hope that there are girls of different ethnic backgrounds in our troop, because it teaches children that everyone is a person with their own merits and flaws and not just a color or religion.