View Full Version : A sure cure for AT cynicism
gsingjane
05-07-2014, 10:57
I am always very impressed to read about the amazing feats of folks who can do 25 or 30 miles per day, in January, with a 10 pound pack. That's really something! But it also kind of seems to me, sometimes, like we get caught up in the superlatives and the technicalities. No matter how far or fast we hike, or how amazing our gear is, I hope that we all share a love of the outdoors and the trail that transcends what we are individually interested in or capable of doing.
In that spirit, I wanted to share with you some of the written comments I got from a group of middle and high school Girl Scouts who went out with me for a wet and challenging weekend a couple of weeks ago (all spelling and grammar from original):
"Even when I couldn't feel my toes because of the cold (and lack of insulation in my shoes) I had a blast. I got the most accomplished feeling when I scaled the Giant's Thumb and when I made it to the top of the mountain."
"We are very excited to keep hiking and planning new adventures... we are already arranging more trips."
"It's best to bring fleece insted of cotton, especially if the forcast is rain."
"I really enjoyed it and would do it again if I had a chance. I liked everything about the trip except the rain in our shoes."
"My favorite part was when we were just about at the campsite and we were walking down the rocks next to a waterfall."
"As we hiked on, my pack felt heavier and heavier especially as the incline was steeper and steeper. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt so alive!"
"You are not kidding when you said the first sip of coffee was the best thing to ever touch your tastebuds!"
There is nothing like taking people (whether it's kids or adults, your own or someone else's) out for their first overnight to make you remember what you loved about doing this in the first place. It truly is a gift to get to see it all through new eyes. Of course, my agenda here is to inspire and empower, to help folks gain that confidence and enthusiasm to get out there again and again. If you feel like you're getting a little worn down with all the choices in gear, and all the worries about mileage and so forth, do give some thought to making it possible for others to start enjoying this experience we all love so much. I promise that you, too, will have new eyes!
Jane in CT
Damn Yankee
05-07-2014, 11:07
It is always nice to hear about the Girl Scouts. Seems as though everyone wants to give to the Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts don't need to sell anything to raise money like Girl Scouts. Bravo to you and the Scouts
Sarcasm the elf
05-07-2014, 13:54
GSingJane, i'm glad to hear your troop has such dedicated leaders and scouts. I can think of plenty of folks that would have bailed at the thought of going on a rainy trip in early May. Glad the girls got to experience how much fun it really is out in the woods.
It is always nice to hear about the Girl Scouts. Seems as though everyone wants to give to the Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts don't need to sell anything to raise money like Girl Scouts. Bravo to you and the Scouts
America is supposedly the only country where the boy scouts and girl scouts are run by seperate organizations, which is why there seems to be such a disparity. It's a shame.
It is always nice to hear about the Girl Scouts. Seems as though everyone wants to give to the Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts don't need to sell anything to raise money like Girl Scouts. Bravo to you and the Scouts
Not true. we're all dependent on dues, donations and fundraisers. Girl Scouts' national fundraiser is cookies, Boy Scouts sell popcorn. Each unit decides participation and other fundraising activities. My own troop has had an annual Pancake Breakfast yearly since our charter in 1961. I agree: BRAVO to all Scouting volunteers, leaders and scouts!
gsingjane
05-07-2014, 14:27
Yes, I was very impressed - we saw a big BSA troop out, coming SOBO as we were going NOBO, and they told us they'd stayed the previous night at the same site we were headed to. I thought, uh-oh, but when we got there the site was absolutely immaculate, you couldn't tell a soul had been there. Hats off to the leaders and boys...
Sounds like my troop. We're old school Leave No Trace, OG (original green)
perdidochas
05-08-2014, 14:58
It is always nice to hear about the Girl Scouts. Seems as though everyone wants to give to the Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts don't need to sell anything to raise money like Girl Scouts. Bravo to you and the Scouts
Actually, we do sell stuff, we just don't sell as recognizable stuff. In my boys' troop, we sell popcorn and camp cards.
perdidochas
05-08-2014, 15:12
GSingJane, i'm glad to hear your troop has such dedicated leaders and scouts. I can think of plenty of folks that would have bailed at the thought of going on a rainy trip in early May. Glad the girls got to experience how much fun it really is out in the woods.
America is supposedly the only country where the boy scouts and girl scouts are run by seperate organizations, which is why there seems to be such a disparity. It's a shame.
Please show evidence of the disparity, other than BSA doesn't have a good national product to sell like Girl Scout Cookies.
gsingjane
05-08-2014, 17:10
Well, I can't speak for STE, but one thing I've definitely noticed is that BSA is tremendously better at working its alumni network for contributions and support, than is Girl Scouts. I've never seen any numbers one way or the other on the relative sources of funding, but BSA really keeps in close touch with its alums, invites them to stuff all the time, holds get-togethers for alums, and doing other things to keep former Scouts connected to the organization. Girl Scouts seems to be playing catch-up - in the past couple years they've been making more of an effort, but before that - pffft. Maybe one reason is that so so many girls leave Girl Scouts before high school and the more fun and exciting stuff, or because the Gold Award hasn't historically been known by folks or a big deal.
Wouldn't you be happy not to have so much pressure to sell cookies though? In our area the "sales season" is now about six months out of the year, counting election day booth sales and their extending sales from January through May - enough is enough with the cookies say I!
Sarcasm the elf
05-08-2014, 19:00
Please show evidence of the disparity, other than BSA doesn't have a good national product to sell like Girl Scout Cookies.
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/facts/pdf/2012_annual_report.pdf
http://www.scouting.org/filestore/about/AnnualReports/pdf/2012_TreasurerReport.pdf
During my years as a Boy Scout and years active with my troop after getting my Eagle I had many conversations with local scoutmasters and members of our district council about the state of the BSA versus the Girlscouts of the USA. The nearly universal consensus was that the girlscouts were getting short changed when it came to funding, outdoor activities, organizational curriculum (eagle scout vs. Seniors/Gold award.) and general support in the community, especially for scouts in high school.
The financial statements linked above speak to the issue of disparity between the two groups better than i ever could.
With all of that negativity written, I'd like to finish by saying that they are both amazing organizations and when I have kids I hope that they enjoy the Scouts as much as I did.
gsingjane
05-09-2014, 09:26
By the way STE, I was fortunate enough to connect with a great high school Girl Scout troop from Shelton and they came out with me twice on backpacking weekends. They were awesome and so was their leader! The last time they were out with me was about 2010 though...
chiefiepoo
05-09-2014, 11:53
I'm an Eagle Scout, 1964. My son is an Eagle Scout, 1998. Your personal perspective on Boy / Girl scouting might change a bit when you have two granddaughters who love the outdoors and have parents who foster the ideals both organizations are based upon. Like, why can't girls earn the Eagle Scout rank in some form of scouting program?
gsingjane
05-09-2014, 13:17
Just curious, did you find my posts negative about BSA? That's confusing!
Anyhow... Girl Scouts has a "highest award" as well, it's called the Gold Award and the requirements (for project submission, approval and execution) are quite similar to those of the Eagle Award. Hopefully more folks are becoming aware of it and it will become as prestigious as the Eagle Award.
I do know that some girls cross over into Venture Scouts and continue with that instead of Girl Scouts, and of course that's their choice. But I like it when girls will stay with Girl Scouting, too (you'd probably feel the same way if Girl Scouts had something co-ed...).
Congrats on your and your son's Eagles!
Old Hiker
05-09-2014, 13:55
The comments from the hikers were GREAT !! It's neat to see the enthusiasm, even in the face of adversity. Jane, hats off to you and your people for providing an AWESOME trip.
As for the disparity between the organizations, not sure why that's a problem for some people. It's not like there is one pot of money and someone gets a bigger share. It's where people CHOOSE to put their money, time, etc. It's also part of how effective the organization's leadership is at going out and asking for donations.
My other part comes from comments from the local Troops: they can only keep a portion of donations, everything else has to go to Council. Not sure if that's true or not. The amount they get from a box of cookies is pretty bad as well. I just cut a check directly to the Troop (my niece) and don't worry about buying the cookies.
I was a Boy Scout for the maximum period of time allowed, did not make Eagle (council bureaucrats shot down two of my service project proposals). Maybe that's why I never got hit up for contributions, or perhaps it's because the troop I was in was in a poor Appalachian hamlet and disbanded not long afterwards.
My daughter is in Girl Scouts, now in her second year as a Junior the troop finally went (cabin) camping. Outdoor adventure does not seem to be emphasized, unfortunately.
gsingjane
05-09-2014, 17:40
KiOEH! I was hoping someone would post a comment like yours!
Now is the absolutely perfect time for you (yes you) to register as an adult volunteer and take the appropriate camping training and be the guy or gal who helps your daughter's troop get out there. If you wait for her leaders to "see the light" you might be waiting until high school graduation; I've seen this happen more than once.
It doesn't make sense to go into the relative pro's and con's of why GSA leaders do or don't do camping and outdoor stuff. But what I will guarantee you is, if you take the time to get involved and to get the girls out there, you can absolutely make it happen. The leaders may be initially suspicious and resistant or they may not. Don't let that stop you.
As I hope came through in my initial post, despite all the bureaucracy and institutional inertia or even resistance, helping kids and teens to get out and enjoy the outdoors and nature and backpacking is one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do. Of course it's wonderful when people take their own kids out, or their kids and their friends, or whomever. But when you go that extra mile to take kids that aren't "yours" in a setting like Scouting, that's golden. You'll never know whose life you'll touch...
Jane
LIhikers
05-09-2014, 19:32
Jane,
I'm glad to hear that you're still working with the girl scouts. I can't understand why some woman, and girls, don't think enjoying the outdoors is a girlish thing to do. If anybody can be a positive influence on them I'm sure it's you. I meet so many men that only dream of going backpacking with their wives or girlfriends but never get to do it because the women just won't try it. I must be the luckiest guy in the world and consider myself fortunate that my wife Kathy enjoys being out there just as much as I do. Keep up the good work young lady!
gsingjane
05-10-2014, 05:39
That "young lady" made my day (and you knew it would)!
I've asked for a hike with me as my Mother's Day gift from each of my 4 kids, and am on my way to collect on the first of them!
Jane
strogiyogi
01-30-2015, 17:39
What a wonderful, positive post! Thank you for sharing and introducing the outdoors to young girls. :)