Need advice - girl scouts/catholic school

[geocajun]

My daughter just began kindergarten and her school (catholic school) pushes the kids to join the girl scouts pretty hard. It turns out that every single girl in her class, with the exception of my daughter, has joined.
On top of that, the school has a day once per month where the girls can wear their scout uniforms, and my daughter will be left out. I know that will affect her, so I'm not sure what to do here. I know another couple who don't let their children participate in scouts (kids are older), and they told us their kids often cry about it at home on those 'scouting days'. We would let her join the girl scouts, however; the connection between the girl scouts and planned parenthood is very real, and it presents a problem for us, and our pro-life convictions.
Last year, my wife and another lady (both pro-life coordinators) attempted to break our parish affiliation with the girl scouts due to the planned parenthood connection, however they ended up losing that battle within the parish, and apparently even Bishop Finn (yes she met with him over it) felt the connection, while significant, was not enough to be a problem.
So... we're in a strange predicament - we don't want to have our daughter feel excluded from the other girls, but we also don't want to compromise on this important issue and have her join the girl scouts.
I feel like this is a problem which we are only experiencing because this is a catholic school. It seems to me that if she was in public school, the participation in the girl scouts wouldn't be so great (or there would at least be alternatives offered), and we wouldn't feel like our own church is putting us in an awkward moral position of either seeming "holier than thou", or compromising on an issue we believe is very important.
Either way we go, it seems to me that it won't end up good for my daughter and I'm concerned about it.
What are your thoughts? I would appreciate any advice

 

[Miss Shelby]

Oh man I do feel your pain. I am fortunate I suppose that in deciding to send them to public school, we don't have to deal with this. But all of the girls in CCD and in the Catholic grade school participate.

Is there a local 4-H chapter in your area? I know it might not make her feel much better, but it's an alternative and maybe you can explain that to her. I don't know, though. That's a tough situation to be in and I'm sorry.

 

[geocajun]

4-H is a good suggestion, I'll look for one. We were looking into dance classes, and things like that as alternatives. I even told my wife we could keep her home on scout days (we're just brainstorming, but I'm half serious about that...).

 

[Miss Shelby]

dance is also a good idea. And little girls love that. They learn discipline and french and a lot about history if you have them in ballet. It really helps with their coordination, too.

Look at the bright side, Jason. At least you don't have Warren Buffet fincancing the smart boards for your kids' classroom.

 

[ZooMom]

You could make her her own little sash and 'uniform' to wear...sew images and medals of the Saints on the sash.

Does your daughter know why you don't allow her to be in Scouts? I know she is very young...but maybe you could tell her in very simple terms. Mine were in for one year...until we learned about the PP connection, and then they were out. And my daughters were fine with that...they know what abortion is, and they want no part of anything that is even remotely connected to it.

Who knows...maybe if she knows and then tells others in her class...they will ask their parents to take them out of Scouts, too. Not wearing that uniform is not anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

 

[Miss Shelby]

ohhhh.. I like ZooMom's idea about the sash and saint medals. And it's not like she'd feel totally out of place, it is a Catholic school.

 

[geocajun]

You could make her her own little sash and 'uniform' to wear...sew images and medals of the Saints on the sash.

Does your daughter know why you don't allow her to be in Scouts? I know she is very young...but maybe you could tell her in very simple terms. Mine were in for one year...until we learned about the PP connection, and then they were out. And my daughters were fine with that...they know what abortion is, and they want no part of anything that is even remotely connected to it.

Who knows...maybe if she knows and then tells others in her class...they will ask their parents to take them out of Scouts, too. Not wearing that uniform is not anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

There are at least two sets of parents in the class who are aware of the girl scout/pp connection, and have their kids in it anyway. One works for the diocese, and we consider both of them very orthodox. The pressure is so significant at my parish is the real problem I think. One of the parents kept their daughter out last year over the PP issue, but then enrolled her this year; she told my wife that she didn't want her daughter to feel excluded anymore. Stories like that one I just told don't help
My daughter doesn't even know about this whole thing yet. I hate to make her take a 'righteous' position in contrast to her entire class when she is only 6 yrs old.
My wife and I have considered just telling her she is doing something else, and not providing the reason yet.

 

[geocajun]

On the sash suggestion - I'm not sure that would be allowed. They are fairly strict about uniform policy at this school - though I am thinking about writing a letter to the principal suggesting non-scouting participants should be allowed to wear casual clothing on scout days so they don't feel left out from the uniform policy exception.

 

[ZooMom]

Gosh, Jason. Sounds like the same pressure at the public schools here to enroll your kids in the s*x ed classes. Just about everyone takes them...my kids never have. They have to sit in another classroom or in the library while this 'class' is going on...and frankly I consider it time better spent. My youngest daughter, Mallory, was a bit upset the first time I had to send the form back with an emphatic 'NO, my child will not be participating'...but that was because she wanted to be with her friends and didn't want to seem 'different'. Once I explained to her what the class was about and what they would be discussing in direct opposition to our own beliefs...she was fine with it. But it is hard for them to be 'different'...I know.

I'll be praying for y'all to find the least painful way to cope with this situation without compromising your convictions.

 

[ZooMom]

On the sash suggestion - I'm not sure that would be allowed. They are fairly strict about uniform policy at this school - though I am thinking about writing a letter to the principal suggesting non-scouting participants should be allowed to wear casual clothing on scout days so they don't feel left out from the uniform policy exception.

I would definitely do that...as that would be an egregious double standard. Scouting probably isn't a part of the School curriculum, however popular it is...and to provide an exception to the uniform policy for Scouts on certain days and not to the other kids is unfair. Also, I would not like to think that any of your tuition funds were being routed to support Scouting in your diocese...maybe something to ask about.

 

[BillH]

I don't have any good advice on this one, but I justed wanted to say that that's really annoying. I hope that it works out well. I've sometimes wondered why Catholic schools don't disaffiliate from the national Girl Scouts and create their own organization. I mean, beyond the cookies, what do you get from them?

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

I personally don't have issues with the girl scout on a local level. Most troops aren't going to get any pp indoctiniation. The girl scouts also have wonderful religious awards. I firmly believe that the Marian Award I completed put me on the road to a strong relationship with Our Lady. The Marian award takes over a year of work, service, retreats, and ultimately an interview defedning your project. Not many organizations encourage that much time spent on your faith. Do you know the troop leader? I would say the quality of your troop would be completely dependant on your troop leader as she/he will decide what badges, awards, etc. your troop works on though any girl scout is free to not get a particular badge or award, or to work on badges that the rest of their troop isn't.

As far as the girl scout uniform day I can say I felt it was a positive experience at our school where we could be proud of our achievements and service.

And, not that it's much relief at the moment, but there will come a time where it will be anything but cool to be a girl scout.

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

that is obviuosly me (Colleen) and not Aaron.

 

[colleen]

I don't have any good advice on this one, but I justed wanted to say that that's really annoying. I hope that it works out well. I've sometimes wondered why Catholic schools don't disaffiliate from the national Girl Scouts and create their own organization. I mean, beyond the cookies, what do you get from them?

I received a lot more than cookies from the girl scouts. Their wider opportunities with scholarship options for those of us that didn't have the money allowed me to go to space camp, and had the opportunity to serve at a camp for girls with disabilities. And, there are lots of other wider opps that with scholarships allows less fortunate children have the world opened up to them. I was also offered scholarships to a few colleges specifically because I had gotten my gold award (the girl scout equivalent to the eagle scout).

 

[ps139]

What is the connection with planned parenthood?

 

[RoseofLima]

Ugh- I am so sorry- that really must put you in a quandry... You could also look around for horseback riding lessons or something supremely cool that most of the other girls will not be doing.

Ugh- it's obnoxious that parents would basically force parents to enroll/fund particular outside activities.

I have no answers or suggestions-- but I will pray for you all!!

 

[geocajun]

What is the connection with planned parenthood?

This site has a lot of background info: http://www.all.org/stopp/scouts/

 

[geocajun]

Thanks all, for your advice and for your prayers.

 

[Fantine]

My only daughter was a Girl Scout for about 8 years, some of those spent in Catholic School troops which are still going strong. I had never heard about a Girl Scout connection to Planned Parenthood.

Upon looking it up, I saw that there is no link between Planned Parenthood and the National Girl Scout organization, but that about 20% of Girl Scout Councils have had some affiliations with Planned Parenthood, much of that completely tangential (e.g. community holds a health fair and GS and Planned Parenthood might both have booths....)

So exactly what is your GS Council doing? Have you asked them? Are they doing anything involved with Planned Parenthood?

If so, you could boycott GS fundraisers without boycotting Girl Scouts. It's a disgrace how little of the cookie money goes to individual troops anyway (only about $.40 a box....)

The biggest involvement, of course, would be if your Council had classes or projects on human sexuality with input from Planned Parethood. (Since your daughter is in kindergarten, that wouldn't come up for you for a number of years.)

I can say that my daughter's only experience with Girl Scouts in this area was a weekend during which she brought home a crying baby doll whose needs she had to attend to every minute. To this day, I think she was one of the unlucky ones who got a colicky doll....

It was a good experience in teaching girls how much responsibility a baby is, and it was not hosted by Planned Parenthood.

She also took babysitting training, not hosted by Planned Parenthood.

 

[geocajun]

Fantine, there is tons of information on the net about it. Here is an article to get you started: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46214

During the last couple years, it has become clear that the Girl Scouts – nationally and, in many cases, locally – is allied with the abortion industry and Planned Parenthood. Last year, Girl Scouts USA CEO Kathy Cloninger announced on the NBC "Today Show" that local Girl Scout councils are at liberty to partner with Planned Parenthood.

Another keynote speaker is Kavita Ramdas, president and CEO of the aggressively pro-abortion Global Fund for Women. Ms. Ramdas is a past recipient of the Girl Scouts' Juliette Gordon Low Award, and she serves on the United Nations Ethical Globalization Initiative.