So Your Daughter Wants to be a Girl Scout?

Your five-year-old just came home with a flier from school and says, "Mommy, I want to be a Girl Scout".  Your initial reaction is "Oh, no, here we go.  One more place to take  her, one more piece of my time gone, one more thine I have to do in an already tight schedule".  If this was  your initial reaction, you're not alone.  But let's step back for a moment and think about what saying yes to this opportunity means.  As a Girl Scout Daisy (grades K-1), your daughter will benefit from a positivie role model - and this person could be you. She is going to learn the Girl Scout Promise and Law and what they mean and begin to understand the value of Courage, Confidence and Character.  As a Girl Scout Brownie (grades 2-3), your daughter is going to continue to learn abou the "three C's" and what they mean to her.  She's going to do community projects that help her learn about caring for people outside her family, earn badges that deal with computer smarts, earth and sky, manners, music and wildlife - just to name a few.  As a Girl Scout Junior (grades 4-5).  She is going to realize what a difference she can make in the lives of the people she touches.  With other girls her age, she is going to plan her troop's activities, work on budgets, set goals, and learn what it takes to achieve a mission and then celebrate successes.  As a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8), your daughter is going to have opportunities to travel to places she's only dreamed of.  She's going to be able to handle peer presure because she is a more confident individual.  As a Girl Scouts Senior (grades 9-10) and Girl Scout Ambassador (grades 11-12) your daughter is going to continue to make smart decisions.  She is going to find her voice and advocate for positive change as she earns her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award for Girl Scouts, which will give her pride at completion and make her eligible for scholarships.  She's been given the courage, confidence and character to do these things...and you helped, because when she was five, you said, "Yes!".  For more information about Girl Scouts, volunteering or placing your daugher in a troop, please contact Barbara Wilson at 973-842-4226 or bwilson@gshnj.org