Secular alternative to Girl Scouts?

[mo2]

Is there a *secular* alternative to Girl Scouts out there?

[8circles]

:confused: I don't think there is any religious affiliation to the Girl Scouts. It isn't the same as the Boy Scouts.

[Remudamom]

Girls Scouts are a Christian group?

[frugalmama]

Not sure why you're wanting an alternative, but Girl Scouts itself is pretty secular. As for alternatives - maybe Frontier Girls? Spiral Scouts {they are pagan though}? Boys and Girls Club?

[Jenny in Florida]

:confused: I don't think there is any religious affiliation to the Girl Scouts. It isn't the same as the Boy Scouts.

 

Girls Scouts are a Christian group?

 

I may be way off base, but I assumed she was looking for an alternative to Girl Scouts for some reason other than religion, but was finding all of the other groups to be religious?

 

If that is the case, I will say I'm not aware of any such groups.

 

There are some co-ed scouting alternatives, including Camp Fire (religious, but non-discriminatory and non-denominational), Spiral Scouts (pagan), Earth Scouts (tiny and not active in many places last time I checked) as well as the Christian groups. But that's all I've found.

[8circles]

I may be way off base, but I assumed she was looking for an alternative to Girl Scouts for some reason other than religion, but was finding all of the other groups to be religious?

 

If that is the case, I will say I'm not aware of any such groups.

 

There are some co-ed scouting alternatives, including Camp Fire (religious, but non-discriminatory and non-denominational), Spiral Scouts (pagan), Earth Scouts (tiny and not active in many places last time I checked) as well as the Christian groups. But that's all I've found.

 

Ah... OK. Sorry, OP, I misunderstood. I have no suggestions.

[SJ.]

 

Roots and Shoots?

[Farrar]

Earth Scouts. There aren't a ton of troops out there though - everyone I know in a troop (I know of a couple around here) was involved in starting it themselves or joined a new troop someone else was starting. They don't have a big organization that can find a potential troop for you like girl or boy scouts.

 

Though I agree with others that if "religion" is the only reason the op is avoiding Girl Scouts, my understanding is that they have a few vaguely spiritual words in some of their things but there is also specific language in their handbook that allows atheists to substitute for it. Many troops meet in a church, but it's just a meeting place.

 

I only have boys, so no girl scouts for us. Oh well. :)

[mommymilkies]

Well, it depends where you live. The first year my oldest dd was in GS, there were many many prayers and Jesus references. They weren't allowed to eat without this horrid song/prayer. When I became a leader, I used a more inclusive and palatable one.

[Night Elf]

At the beginning of each meeting, we said the Girl Scout Promise:

 

On my honor, I will try:

To serve God and my country,

To help people at all times,

And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

 

I didn't really run my troop in any religious way but I knew of some troops that did.

[momofkhm]

Well, it depends where you live. The first year my oldest dd was in GS, there were many many prayers and Jesus references. They weren't allowed to eat without this horrid song/prayer. When I became a leader, I used a more inclusive and palatable one.

 

This is weird to me. Coming from a Christian point of view myself, I found it odd the last few years I was at camp as a CIT and counselor that we had to take ll references to God out of our prayers before meals. So we couldn't sing

 

Back of the bread is the flour.

Back of the flour is the mill

and back of the mill is the sun and the rain and the Father's will.

 

I can see how that one is blatantly Christian/Jewish. But we couldn't refer to Lord or God either. But oddly enough we could still sing songs with references to Abraham and the ark, I guess because they weren't asking a blessing on the food?

 

And this was back in the 1980's/90's.

[mommymilkies]

I was in GS as a child and then was a parent and leader. We never had any secular movements in any areas of my experience (two rural, one urban). I wish there would have been. We had many forced (literally) recitations including Jesus when I grew up Jesus. It was very uncomfortable. I chose a neutral blessing at meal time as a leader because I knew I had many girls of different faiths. I would never have told the girls they couldn't do their own blessing, but mine for the group was neutral as possible.

[NanceXToo]

4-H. But other than having the word "God" in the Girl Scout promise (which they basically tell you to interpret how you want) and having an annual Christmas party, my daughter's girl scouts group is run very secularly.

Edited January 28, 2012 by NanceXToo

[sparrow]

4-H. But other than having the word "God" in the Girl Scout promise (which they basically tell you to interpret how you want) and having an annual Christmas party, my daughter's girl scouts group is run very secularly.

 

:iagree: Wasn't American Heritage Girls started because christian families found GS too secular?

[Radish4ever]

4-H. But other than having the word "God" in the Girl Scout promise (which they basically tell you to interpret how you want) and having an annual Christmas party, my daughter's girl scouts group is run very secularly.

 

 

Ours, too. I'm co-leader now and will be starting my own troop next year and I keep it secular. It is not my place to foster the faith of these kids.

In fact, we have an optional activity we sent home with the girls related to their faith because we didn't want to talk about it in scouts because you know how little 6 and 7 year old girls can be (well, any kids, really!) and we didn't want any peer pressure/swaying/judgement going on. If they want to do it, cool - I'd like to learn about different viewpoints so I hope some girls participate... but if they don't no biggie. I read over the activities in this and an athiest could easily tailor the assignment to themselves, just as a Jewish or Christian or Buddhist or whatever kid could.

 

That said, another friend of mine mentioned this:

http://navigatorsusa.ning.com/

 

and this wikipedia article has some ideas:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting_in_the_United_States

[mo2]

I may be way off base, but I assumed she was looking for an alternative to Girl Scouts for some reason other than religion, but was finding all of the other groups to be religious?

 

 

 

Yes, this.

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will see what I can find.

[bettyandbob]

The YMCA has something called Indian Guides (they may have changed to a more PC name).

[YaelAldrich]

Looks like some people think the GS is an avowedly secular institution. ;)

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/robert-mccartney-dont-fall-for-smears-against-the-girl-scouts/2012/01/27/gIQAEJtMYQ_story.html

[Lady Florida.]

You can see if there are any Camp Fire USA clubs in your area, or you can start a club. It's co-ed though, and I don't know if you're looking for something that has just girls. Although Camp Fire USA uses the name God in it's pledge, there's a notation that says God can mean whatever you want it to mean. My son has been with Camp Fire for 5 years. We discovered it when looking for a Boy Scout alternative.

[Laura in MI]

What about boys & girls club?

[Rivka]

At the beginning of each meeting, we said the Girl Scout Promise:

 

On my honor, I will try:

To serve God and my country,

To help people at all times,

And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

 

I didn't really run my troop in any religious way but I knew of some troops that did.

 

GSUSA's policy is that girls may replace the word "God" in the Promise with whatever fits their own beliefs. Some leaders make a point of letting their troop know that and making space for different religions. Others don't. The GSUSA doesn't send secularism inspectors to make sure that meetings don't have exclusive Christian content.

 

In my daughter's mixed-level homeschool troop, the leader used teaching the Promise as a way to encourage the girls to think about their family's beliefs. She herself said the Promise in a different way each time, to be inclusive of everyone. "to serve God..." "to serve science..." "to serve humanity..." "to serve the Goddess..."

 

I know that would upset a lot of people here, but I liked it. :D

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Here is a timely article on the Girl Scouts.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/robert-mccartney-dont-fall-for-smears-against-the-girl-scouts/2012/01/27/gIQAEJtMYQ_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop

[kathymuggle]

Thanks for the article. Interesting (scary) read.

[TracyR]

Other then having the word God. Which your child isn't required to say. Girl Scouts is pretty secular unless otherwise stated so.

Right now we're a pretty secular group. But at some point we may add in the religious award ., but that's because we're a Catholic school.

 

If you find a group that runs out of a public school, you shouldnt have any problems. ACtually Girl Scouts is becoming more and more secular these days anyways.

[2_girls_mommy]

Here is a timely article on the Girl Scouts.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/robert-mccartney-dont-fall-for-smears-against-the-girl-scouts/2012/01/27/gIQAEJtMYQ_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop

 

Thanks for sharing that. It is nice to see an article like that.

[mo2]

Here is a timely article on the Girl Scouts.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/robert-mccartney-dont-fall-for-smears-against-the-girl-scouts/2012/01/27/gIQAEJtMYQ_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop

 

Interesting article.

 

For us, the issue is not necessarily that GS is too religious (although we do meet at a church and celebrate Christmas). My daughter is getting bored with Girl Scouts. We have a multi-level troop, and most of the activities seem to be geared more towards the younger girls. And we HATE the Journeys. Boring, boring, boring!

[m0mmaBuck]

:confused: I don't think there is any religious affiliation to the Girl Scouts. It isn't the same as the Boy Scouts.

 

No. They are not the same group or run by the same people. Totally separate although certain Packs and Troops may choose to work together.

[mom2scouts]

:confused: I don't think there is any religious affiliation to the Girl Scouts. It isn't the same as the Boy Scouts.

 

The Boy Scouts don't have any particular religious "affiliation". They only require that you believe in a "higher power" of some sort, but you can be Jewish, Buddist, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Wiccan or whatever. Some Packs or Troops are sponsored by churches and they *may* have religious activities, but boys are not required to participate.

[garddwr]

Try Frontier Girls, they look very flexible, although you might have to start your own troop. Also, if you scroll to the bottom of the page I linked to, they have a whole list of programs that can serve as an alternative to the Girl Scouts. Actually, I'll just copy and paste here (I know little or nothing about most of these programs, but it gives you options to investigate; some look religious and others secular):

 

Campfire

4H

Missionettes

Little Flowers

Spiral Scouts

Pilgrims of the Holy Family

Earth Scouts

Keepers of the Faith

Pioneer Clubs

 

--Sarah

[windmillmarie]

Bumping this because I'd like to know if anything else has come out since the date of this thread? I am not really crazy about the Journeys either, but it seems like the only alternative around here is American Heritage and is a bit too religious for me. I am debating on becoming a girl scout leader myself so I can cover the extras I want (more outdoor etc.) and do activities within the journey boundaries I like-- or if I should learn more about Frontier Girls and start the first area group.

 

It's hard because I am more of a helper than a leader due to shyness!

 

 

We do 4H as well, but it's more one-meeting-a-month and then on your own for projects.

[chiguirre]

Interesting article.

 

For us, the issue is not necessarily that GS is too religious (although we do meet at a church and celebrate Christmas). My daughter is getting bored with Girl Scouts. We have a multi-level troop, and most of the activities seem to be geared more towards the younger girls. And we HATE the Journeys. Boring, boring, boring!

 

Could you look into Council level activities instead of troop level stuff? For example, the San Jacinto Council offers a lot of interesting options for girls 12 and up, but they're usually held at one of the camps or in Houston. You might also look for an active cadette or senior troop at a local school. Those troops tend to be small in my area and welcome anyone who'd like to camp whether they go to the sponsoring organization or not.

 

If you're willing to put up with the BSA's policies, Venturing might be a good option if your dd is old enough. They do high adventure stuff in co-ed crews and women leaders are very welcome.

 

Good luck finding something for your dd!

[Jennifer3141]

GSUSA's policy is that girls may replace the word "God" in the Promise with whatever fits their own beliefs. Some leaders make a point of letting their troop know that and making space for different religions. Others don't. The GSUSA doesn't send secularism inspectors to make sure that meetings don't have exclusive Christian content.

 

In my daughter's mixed-level homeschool troop, the leader used teaching the Promise as a way to encourage the girls to think about their family's beliefs. She herself said the Promise in a different way each time, to be inclusive of everyone. "to serve God..." "to serve science..." "to serve humanity..." "to serve the Goddess..."

 

I know that would upset a lot of people here, but I liked it. :D

 

This is our troop to a tee. :)

 

They have the option of excluding the god altogether, which is what my DD has chosen to do. Although she likes to joke that she wants to name a different moon goddess every time she recites the pledge and freak everyone out a little. The majority of her troop says the god part but no one has ever remarked to my DD for not saying it. I doubt anyone but the leader knows and that only because they have to privately recite it to her once.

[justamouse]

Is there a *secular* alternative to Girl Scouts out there?

 

Girl Scouts is in NO WAY Christian.

 

Now, Christian leaders can make their group more CHristian, but if you want secular, it doesn't come more secular than they.

[Susann]

I've familiar with several groups in our area and in no way would any of them be considered Christian in any way.

[Kyr]

We were not happy with Girl scouts for similar reasons to the OP. We recently found https://diy.org/ and have been happily working though their badges.

[advacad]

I'm starting a girl scout troop this fall and feel that t's not my place to affect the faith of my troop members. I want any girl of any religion or non-religion to feel completely comfortable among us. The Girl Scout Promise uses the word God, and I'm looking for an alternative wording. Also, although "my country" is innocuous, I want to encourage my girls to think more globally, and am also considering altering that wording. The Girl Scouts USA organization does allow this, by the way.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences to share with me on this topic? For reference, here's the GS promise general wording:

 

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

 

So far all I've come up with is:

 

On my honor, I will try:

To serve God and my country, To serve mankind and our world,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

 

Thoughts?

[Reefgazer]

I think the Girl Scouts are pretty non-religious as it is.  They mumble something about a God in their oath, but there is nothing religious embedded in their activities.  I can't think of a widely-available group that is much less religious.

[unsinkable]

Ask the girls in your troop. They might be fine with it or they might come up with something else.

[QueenCat]

Old, old thread.......... I thought it looked familiar.

[bwdiaz]

NM.

Edited July 31, 2016 by bwdiaz

[KungFuPanda]

Campfire USA?

[Carrie12345]

I was a Girl Scout in the 80s and 90s (and a leader while in high school) and my atheist self never felt out of place.

My girls are not members because it's rather poorly run in our area and I'm not overly thrilled with the programming changes of the past decade.  (And I had my hands way too full to tackle being a leader when they were Daisy aged.)

 

I've been looking into Quest Club as an alternative that our whole family and possibly our homeschool community can participate in.  I like the fact that it's co-ed and completely adaptable to whatever we want to make of it. http://questclubs.net/

[advacad]

I like it and we were saying it that way in the multi-level hs troop I co-lead, however one of the girls remarked that she thought it was weird we would use gendered language in GS so we changed mankind to humanity. So our usage is "To serve humanity and the Earth..."

 

ETA: We also say, "To help others at all times..." because it allows for helping the animals as well.

 

Thank you, bwdiaz. I was also trying to think of a way to expand the reach beyond humans, and your words work well. I appreciate your help!

[advacad]

I like it and we were saying it that way in the multi-level hs troop I co-lead, however one of the girls remarked that she thought it was weird we would use gendered language in GS so we changed mankind to humanity. So our usage is "To serve humanity and the Earth..."

 

ETA: We also say, "To help others at all times..." because it allows for helping the animals as well.

 

Another question: Do you ever have times when your girls are in a position to say the promise with other girl scouts who use the traditional wording, and how does that go?