GRIPE DU JOUR (Girl Scouts)

Ok.. this is gonna show my age I am sure... but when I was a girl scout... you had to actually EARN badges. The story: Several months ago SD's bio-mom arranged for her to join Girl Scouts. (How sweet of her... since SHE has to do none of the driving/organizing/etc -- and did it without asking us. I keep threatening to my husband that I am going to set her up for Mommy and Me with her newest baby). So I sit here in front of me with 10 badges to be sewn on her sash. (Darn those things are THICK!) But here is my issue: When I was a girl scout, I remember being handed a small guide that was this boring tiny-type, black and white, list of all the badges and what you had to do to get them. IT WAS BORING!!! THe book itself was like a dictionary/Famer's Almanac... and was ucky. It took WEEKS to earn a badge. I mean... a sewing badge meant you had to take lessons and make a shirt or such. A cooking badge meant you had to do a whole list of things. Heck... EVERY badge had a whole list of requirements that were going to take time, money, energy and usually some parental help. NOW... SD goes to a meeting -- which is actually a party -- and comes back with a badge. She goes to the "Diva Spa Night", gets her toenails painted and does a cute craft -- and comes back with a Cosmetology badge. She goes to some other party and comes back with a "Mardi Gras" badge. She goes to a meeting where they all participate in making cat treats to sell -- and comes back with a badge. THEY HAVE TO DO BASICALLY NOTHING BUT SHOW UP to PARTY-LIKE meetings to get these friggin badges! It really gets on my nerves. This is one of the smaller "Dumbing Down of America" things -- and it really bothers me. Ok. Vent over.

Hi Maria!! You surely hit this one on the nose!! I was in the scouts too.....no, not Girls scouts...LOL.....but i was in Cub Scouts. We had those very same books where we had to EARN our badges. In fact, all of the requirements in the book to which you were earning your badge, had to be checked off and that section had to be signed and dated by a parent! The badges you mentioned, Cosmetology Badge? Mardi Gras Badge? What about the ones that we grew up with, like a leadership badge and things like that. Ok, my semi-vent is now over.

Yeah... Her badges are stuff like: Mardi Gras 2008 Diva Spa Party (same party as the cometology badge) Cosmetology (in which they did cute crafts and painted their toes) The cookie selling (she sold exactly 5 boxes -- 3 to us) Food Drive (she didnt' do it, just handed in a couple cans from our cabinet) and... ... my current favorite: WORLD THINKING DAY. WTH? Can you imagine what it might take to "earn" that? LEADER: Well Troup it is World Thinking Day! TROUP: (applauds) LEADER: So, Sierra, did you do any thinking today? SIERRA: Ummm.... I think so. LEADER: Great job! Here's a badge! Actually, I asked SD if that was what the meeting was and she laughed and said no. So I said "well, what did you have to do to earn that." She said "We had to do some crafts that took thought." Uh... yeah... ok. Whatever. When I was a girl scout we would have had to spend a week researching current events and then write an essay with our opinions on an event. (Or something to that effect.) In other words... we would have had to think more than for a minute.

"She goes to some other party and comes back with a "Mardi Gras" badge. " Please tell me she didn't have to show anything to get *that* one..

I blame all that on the LEADER - not the girls... Our troop EARNS thier badges, by the book. I think some leaders think scouting is all about how many badges thier troop earns and they forget the entire purpose of scouting. That being said, hopefully she is learning the fundamentals of the program and not just taking away with "I show up and get this thing handed to me" I agree that the scouting program in general is "dumbing down" because so many girls are not into it anymore - they are trying anything to keep thier enrollment numbers up in the program for funding. It is a sad commentary on where america is heading...

When Lucas was in Cub scouts it worked a lot like this. Now that he is a boy scout, WOW are his eyes opened to the real world of scouting. Boy scouts have to do something, bring it to another scout two levels above where he is, show him and have him sign off on it and then when all requirements are met he has to appear in front of the scoutmaster who will then quiz him and see everything that is signed off on. I have to be honest with you, I hate boy scouts!!