I have found that when I place a question here to the readership, experts (and non-) come out of the woodwork.
So, I put a question to the readers.
Do you know what the situation is right now with the Girl Scouts in these USA and their relationship (or non-) with Planned Parenthood?
There was a dust-up about this a few months ago. I also read that a committee of the USCCB was looking into what relationship the Girls Scouts might have, nationally or at the local levels, with that big-business abortion-for-profit killing machine.
I ask because I have had more than one question about the propriety of allowing the sales of Girl Scout cookies at parishes.
What is the state of affairs? Anyone?
If there is a connection between the groups, we should know. If there isn’t we should know that too.
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from the site of the Girl Scouts: old and new problems: see site for more information.
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/mpmf/faqs.asp#a1
Q: Does GSUSA have a relationship with Planned Parenthood?
A: No, Girl Scouts of the USA does not have a relationship or partnership with Planned Parenthood.
Q: Did GSUSA distribute a Planned Parenthood brochure at a United Nations event?
A: No, we did not. In 2010, GSUSA took part in the 54th Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. Our participation in that conference was the subject of numerous Internet stories and blogs that were factually inaccurate and troubling. Girl Scouts had no knowledge of the brochure in question and played no role in distributing it.
Q: Is any money from Girl Scout cookie activities used to pay the WAGGGS quota?
A: No, all of the money from Girl Scout cookie activities stays at councils. The national funds that GSUSA sends to WAGGGS come solely from investment income.
Just been reading the Girl Scouts USA website. I didn’t know that they had a lobbying arm in D.C. and that most of the profits from the girl scout cookie sales remain in D.C. Their “Troop Capitol Hill” is bi-partisan, but Debbie Waserman-Schultz is one of the members of the troop. Draw your own conclusions, I guess. Here’s the link to the Troop Capitol Hill:
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/advocacy/troop_capitol_hill.asp
…and one might consider exploring the website of Honest Girl Scouts (mostly former girl scouts):
http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/
OrthChick: Draw your own conclusions, I guess.
No, I don’t think that is a good idea. We need a little more than that. I do NOT like that member of congress one little bit. It don’t take it as a good sign. But that is not enough given what I asked at the top.
Father,
I have been following the situation with GSUSA and PP for a few years now. I don’t think much has changed in the last few months in regards to anything official from the USCCB.
The connections between GSUSA/WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) and well documented as are the shifts in the program to a radical feminist agenda. In addition, the national leadership is full of folks who are radical feminists or openly gay or gay agenda activists or all 3. You may know all this. None of this has changed. The only thing that has shifted is that more people are becoming aware that GS values conflict with Catholic values. The information from the national website is false. This website http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/ has the latest information on the issue.
I have not heard any updates from the USCCB investigation. It is parish by parish, family by family. There was a bishop who spoke out and said that GS was not appropriate for Catholic girls but I can’t find a reference for it. Mary Rice Hasson has written several articles about the issue that might be helpful. This one profiles a parish in VA where the pastor banned the GS.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/cw/post.php?id=626
My personal opinion is that since the national organization has developed a program that is not compatible with Church teaching it is a group that should not be chartered by Catholic parishes so therefore they should not meet or sell cookies at the parish. There are faithful Catholics who don’t see the connections and still think that as long as the local troop is o.k. then GS is o.k. A part of all cookie money, dues, etc goes to national. It is big bucks. You can follow the money by going to the site I referenced above, honestgirlscouts.com . Buy/sell cookies and you support their evil agenda. If a parish is allowing cookies to be sold on its property then they are sponsoring a troop. It is very hard to sponsor a troop and then say “no you can’t sell cookies here”. The issue really is that the parish needs to say no to troop sponsorship. There are better alternatives like the American Heritage Girls. Parishioners shouldn’t get sidetracked by the cookie sales. The issue to pursue is that GS should not be sponsored by the parish.
I wrote about them here in September 2011 (with some updates to last summer). There are videos and a bunch of links.
If it were up to me, parishes would move en masse to American Heritage Girls who are now what the Girl Scouts once were (IMHO).
Father, I’m not sure there is a single policy. For example, in my youth, when I joined GS there was no contact between the groups. But then the local council started offering so-called “Rape prevention workshops” at camp and other events and as you might guess, it involved showing 11 yr. olds how to use a condom, the importance of contraception, etc. The troop leaders, like the one at my Catholic elementary school, could tell parents what was going on and remind them not to let their daughters attend, but the local council was not interested in hearing objections. That happened in Texas in the late 70s-early 80s, the same time the national organization dropped all patriotism from the program.
My point is that I have seen myself where the local GS council had no official affiliation with PP, but still invited them to propagandize girls at GS events. Yes, that was decades ago. But a lack of official association doesn’t mean nothing’s going on.
Here is another link about the bishops’ investigation into Girl Scouts. I think it is more the whole modernist agenda that is now part of the Girl Scouts which concerns me. It caused quite a dust up in the parish in which I teach. As teachers, we were told to say nothing about the Girl Scouts lest we hurt someone’s feelings. It’s a nasty situation.
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/05/10/bishops-to-investigate-girl-scouts-planned-parenthood-ties/
From Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing on the GS and their investigation here:
http://www.dioceseoflansing.org/sites/default/files/files/Girl_Scouts_letter_from_Bp_Boyea_1112.pdf
I remain very uneasy about the GS and will not allow my daughters to participate.
[That link was useful.]
My husband bought a couple of boxes from someone at work. As much as I have always loved Girl Scout cookies, I think they are way overpriced and I will probably tell him not to buy them again. Keebler has done a fairly good job of duplicating all of their best cookies, and you get much more for your money. Of course people could probably dig up problems with Keebler, too. There are also many homemade recipes floating around on Pinterest and the blogosphere. There is no reason to be tempted to buy their cookies if the organization bothers you.
We have much worse problems than the Girl Scouts in my diocese. Diocesan fundraising money was used to host a “Nun on the Bus” speaking at a local parish, and more recently the local chapter of Call to Action, which is sheltered at that same parish, flew in Roy Bourgeois to speak (though not in a church this time, thank God). It is impossible not to donate to the diocese because they take money from regular parish collections if fundraising goals fall short. I almost feel more comfortable buying a couple boxes of Girl Scout cookies than giving money to the diocese. It’s so infuriating! That said, I don’t think I’d like seeing a secular organization set up shop in the church vestibule–leave that for the rosary society, youth group, etc.
flyfree432,
The letter from the Diocese of Lansing reads a lot like the statement from the NFCYM on this issue. “We will remain engaged…” It means they drank the kool aid. Our family has been in GS and are now in American Heritage Girls. One conflicts with Catholic values, one does not. One allows for a Catholic identity and development of Catholic values, the other does not. The written agreement between the troop and sponsoring or chartering organization sets the tones for how much the troop will be or won’t be a part of the parish youth ministry. GS is not meant to be part of a parish youth ministry and the program reflects that fact, in that there is no emphasis on the spiritual development of the girl. The agreement is that the parish provides meeting space and that is all. Spiritual development is a key component of American Heritage Girls and it is meant to be part of the youth ministry of the parish. An AHG troop is subject to the direction and authority of the parish DRE and pastor. Not so with GS.
I hope that with time bishops and pastors will see that other programs, like AHG, are more beneficial to our youth than GS. Even without the controversial issues involved, AHG is a better program. Why would a diocese or parish encourage participation in a program that does not develop the faith and spirituality of the youth members?
On the national level the GS is not affiliated with PP. There might be some individual troops who choose to do activities with PP. However, the parents are notified before those things happen. As for the liberal agenda, that’s on a troop level as well. My troops were always run might nice christian mothers (I grew up in the late 80’s/early 90’s) Some folks have pointed to random activities, that girls can choose to do, that are feminist. However, I don’t think it’s worth writing off the whole organization. Girls can choose what they do. For example, one activity has them read a futuristic book about men being osolete and women running the world. I wouldn’t have a problem with my daughter reading that. Better to discuss it with her now (comparing it to God’s plan), then with a secular teacher or girlfriend at school (or furture co-worker). I think it makes one’s faith stronger. It’s like a vacine against the world. Here are satan’s tactics and here’s why they’re illogical. Here is what atheistics are going to tell you, here is why they are wrong.
mamajen,
“We have much worse problems than the Girl Scouts in my diocese…..” These problems are all tied together. Not all but the majority of Catholics involved in GS are Catholic in name only. They vote for Obama, support the Nuns on the Bus, etc. Families involved in GS are not filling the churches on Sunday or clamoring for a reform of the liturgy. Families involved in GS are the families that need to be evangelized and catechized. GS is not going to help us build stronger families. The same diocese that supports Nuns on the bus will support GS. As long as the chancery of a diocese has a liberal bent, they will support GS. As long as GS are in parishes children will not receive proper formation in the faith. THAT is a major problem.
BTW, diocese use the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministers as cover for their support of GS. The NFCYM is no friend of orthodoxy and is part of the problem as well.
You know if this is true I’m going to have to feel bad about Caramel Delites and that is not okay.
I was a girl scout and leader for many years. The last being in the early 2000’s. We sold those cookies for $2.00 – $2.50 a box and the troop got to keep 10 – 15 CENTS per box. If you one buys them it would seem that one is supporting the whole rather than just the troop. Now I have 4 daughters as well and they will not be Girl Scouts as long as I’m alive due to reasons already listed in the comments section. The more I learned about the organization, the more disgusted my husband and I became.
Father,
The letter from Bishop Boyea was most helpful. I appreciate his investigating the matter and your bringing it to light on your blog.
As a parent of two daughters, my wife and I have discussed allowing our girls to join the Girl Scouts. Right now, other activities have taken priority. But it is good to know what is going on if they should show some interest.
I think parents need to ask themselves why they want their children in scouting. I think Pastors need to ask themselves, why does the parish want to sponsor a scout troop?
Even with the inclusion of a catholic merit badge, my experience with scouting (in a K of C sponsored, parish troop) was that is was at best neutral on religion. I am not sure why a Pastor would want to get involved with a basically secular youth group when there are several fine catholic based groups (such as the Squires or Young Catholic Daughters etc) which could help enrich parish family life.
This isn’t a knock on scouting, just a question as to why the church wants to have a hand in it.
My 2 cents.
I have no knowledge to contribute to the discussion, just a question: parenthood involves a mommy and a daddy, right, so by any correct logic both the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts should be connected to PP if they were going to be consistent, but only the Girl Scouts seem to be, which seems to imply that the issue is more of radical feminism issue than actual concern about anything connected to parents having babies. So, it seems as if the connection is to more than just the PP issue, alone.
The Chicken
It is not just Planned Parenthood but a high percent of their full-time staff are lesbians. Do you ever wonder why there has been so much pressure from the gay lobby on Boys Scouts but none on Girl Guides?
I will let some sources I assume you trust tell the story:
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/is-the-girl-scouts-safe-for-catholic-girls-part-2
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/say-no-to-girl-scout-cookies
I wrote about several options to Boy Scouts if they go the same way on my blog 10 days ago. They delayed the decision but the pressure is on. “3 options instead of Boy Scouts” http://22catholic.com/?p=150
Ralph: I think that pastors and parishes want to sponsor scouting because it has traditionally been representative of the best attributes of secular Western society. The Boy Scouts, hitherto at least, have been influencing young men for the better for a very long time. Sponsoring that on a parochial level, and endorsing such practical and civil development, is well within the responsibilities of pastors, and twice as good when the troop has a decidedly Catholic focus.
The Girl Scouts, on the other hand, I believe are popular because the have the word “scouts” in their name. I must admit to my ignorance of the actual activities and mission of the GSA, and how or what a young lady should be “scouting”.
Any discussion of the relative merits of the GSA’s corporate connections should start with an analysis of the premise of a girl “scout”. On the surface it would seem that the organization exists to copy/imitate the success of the Boy Scouts (who actually learn how to “scout”), and as such I’m not certain that they would have anything authentic to offer young ladies. A group that presupposes a paradigm of girls-must-be-like-boys is already an ally of P.P. whether or not they have any formal ties.
The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are completely unrelated.
I served the Boy Scouts as an adult for 10 years (as a counselor for Catholic religious awards for Boy Scouts: http://www.nccs-bsa.org/emblems/index.php ) I assure you that Boy Scouts are challenged to do their ‘duty to God’ and to live up to the expectation that ‘a Scout is reverent’.
Boy Scouts promote traditional values and character. My daughter was in Girl Scouts for 2 years (nearly a decade ago) and I saw no sign of any such focus.
There is certainly no comparison between the programs.
Choirmaster,
Scouting, whether for boys or girls, is first and foremost a character development program. Lord Baden Powell, founder of Boy Scouts, believed that boys character could be developed for the good through activities linked to the outdoors (camping, hiking, cooking, survival skilles, etc). Activities that boys naturally gravitate too and so would be appealing to them. Juliette Gordon Lowe, founder of GS, was a friend of Lord Baden Powell’s and borrowed many of his ideas and adapted them for girls. Girl Scouts and American Heritage Girls develop a girl’s character through a variety of activities, including outdoor activities like camping, hiking, shooting (fun stuff!) all the while taking into account girls abilities and interests which include more traditional girl things like arts and crafts. Girls are multi dimensional and as such are interested in capable of and needing to learn many different skills in order to develop into woman of strong moral character. I learned more life skills and virtue learning how to camp with my husband than doing anything else. My boys on the other hand learned how to cook, clean and do laundry while at scout camp. We all go to shoot rifles at camp (me too!). Not that was fun! Got a bulls eye first time out. But I digress….
This is not a case of “girls must be like boys” but we are way past the days when a girl was thought to be unsuited for camping or other outdoor activities. GS has developed a radical feminist agenda. American Heritage Girls do not use the word “scouting” for legal reasons but “scout” like activities is what we do but we are not radical except in our love for Our Lord.
BS does lend itself very well to developing the faith of the boy. All depends on the chartering organization, the troop leaders, and the boy’s family. Please check out the National Catholic Committee on Scouting especially the St. George’s Trek which is a 70 mile, 10 day hike in New Mexico with priests, seminarians, daily mass. It is a retreat in the mountains. Coolest thing a boy could do and enhance his spiritual life. My oldest went two years ago, my 2nd will go this summer.
@Choirmaster
A group that presupposes a paradigm of girls-must-be-like-boys is already an ally of P.P. whether or not they have any formal ties.
That’s probably a true statement.
I’m not sure that GSA presupposes that paradigm, although I don’t think it explicitly rules it out. A problem with a lot of organizations is that they used to pre-suppose that motherhood and family were both inherently good and fulfilling, and that women were naturally attracted to them. Thus, a lot of the movements to expand opportunities for girls and women took that as a given.
Of course, it’s no longer taken as given, and our social structure now actively penalizes women for having children.
So for example, when I was in Girl Scouts in the seventies, I knew it was the “girl’s version” of boy scouts, but it was quite different from what the boy scouts seemed to be doing. We did crafts and traveled (all the way to Mexico once) and oh, by the way, I think we camped out once. I thought at the time what we did as Girl Scouts was much superior to what the Boy Scouts did, which appeared to mostly be camping.
So maybe the thing is, while the Boy Scouts appear to have an actual structure and goal behind their activities, the Girl Scouts troop activities seem based totally on what the local troop decides to do, which could be anything from arts and crafts to camping to “reproductive rights.” The “Scouts” in the name never seemed to have anything to do with what the organization did, from my point of view, except to identify its relationship to the boy scouts.
Dear Father,
Johnnette Benkovic had a week-long discussion with three women about the girl scouts on her television program on EWTN. I watched part of it. These women had concrete facts that showed that the GSA has been overtaken by militant feminists. I do not remember specifics, but I would suggest you contact Miss Benkovic.
Father Z.,
Point taken. Sorry about that!
Here’s an interesting link with much information.
“Girl Scouts Why Not?”
You can find many more links on this website for further information
http://www.girlscoutswhynot.com/
Which is why my granddaughters belong to:
Little Flowers Girls Club
and
American Heritage Girls
Thank you, maryh, for your clarification. Why, then, should the organization adopt this misnomer?
My research has not been able to uncover formal ties between the GSA and PP, but I think there are plenty of other, very good reasons for pastors to be hesitant to offer endorsements to GSA troops:
These reasons, along with the misleading name of “Girl Scouts”, should be enough to disqualify the sale of Girl Scout Cookies products at Mass, and also enough to disqualify formal sponsorships of GSA troops at Catholic parishes.
The Catholic Daughters of the Americas blew the whistle on the Girl Scouts to my pastor a couple of years ago. Now we sponsor a Heritage Girl group.
Not to go down a rabbit hole, but in light of recent announcements from BSA my local Knight of Columbus Council is evaluating whether we will continue to sponsor the Boy Scout troop which we have supported for decades.
It appears that it might be necessary for an alternative group to be formed for boys also.
I just remember the UN brochure (which the GS sure doth protest too much) advising 11 year olds to express themselves through anal sex. Just google:
Happy, Healthy and Hot: A young person’s guide to their rights, sexuality and living with HIV
And have fun…
PS brownie points to the UN for the “their” grammar. Or should I say thin mints points?
It appears that it might be necessary for an alternative group to be formed for boys also.
I will mention briefly that there is another alternative for boys and girls already: Civil Air Patrol. Not so widespread as either scouting group, and minimum age is 12, but worth a look, particularly as they require a monthly class in moral leadership.
There is also a NEW, *CATHOLIC* organization for boys associated with the Knights of Divine Mercy–the Squires of Divine Mercy. Anyone interested in starting a chapter in their parish or diocese could probably get the information here: http://squiresofdivinemercy.com/
I was in GS when I was a child. I remember doing a lot of what others mentioned–baking, crafts, reading feminist-themed stories, camping *once* (in cabins with wooden deck floors and creepy, moldy canvas sides)–and by the way, our “survival food” consisted of combining about a dozen different kinds of canned soup into a stock pot and being “brave enough” to eat it. I didn’t learn anything I couldn’t have learned between me and one or two ambitious friends from just about any volume of Childcraft which we all had in our homes. Totally not worth it, in my opinion.
My girls have also alternately done Little Crowns and Little Flowers. There is material around the interwebs about forming a group for girls based on St. Philomena…alas, I cannot find it at the moment.
I met the women who run this website at one point in time.
http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/
And a bizarre sidenote
http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/2012/02/zombie-porn-and-serial-killers-in.html
@Ann Roth, I apologize I did not know that “scouting” was such a general term for character development. My impression was that “scouting” was simply that: entering an uninhabited/unknown place, setting up a base (camp), establishing a security perimeter, and surveying the surrounding area; with this, of course, all the skills necessary to make that happen safely and comfortably. The genius of the Boy Scouts is in their application of these principles to Christian life, and hence the classic image of a boy scout escorting a lady safely across the street.
This is/was the essence of the Boy Scout’s mission, and how I had understood the term “scout”. So it follows to my confusion as to whether the Girl Scouts are, in this respect, primarily “scouts” either in practice or in mission.
If one searches, one can find a relationship between the Planned Parenthood and the Girl Scouts of Western New York. Scroll down to page 6 here http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppwny/files/Western-New-York/PP_annual_report09_no_donors.pdf
In its affiliates page, http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/our_partners/affiliates/ the Girl Scouts list the UN as an affiliate:
“GSUSA uses its Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council to provide information about the work of the UN and to bring the voice of girls to the global stage. GSUSA also participates in two annual UN conferences that examine global gender equality, and supports the eight Millennium Development Goals to end poverty in 2015.”
Looking at the Millenium Development Goals, go to the UN website http://www.unfpa.org/public/home/publications/pid/12511 and you will find a synopsis of a report which the Girl Scouts support:
“The report asserts that governments, civil society, health providers and communities have the responsibility to protect the right to family planning for women across the spectrum, including those who are young or unmarried.”
Another position taken by the UN and thus supported by the Girl Scouts (their words) can be found here: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG Report 2010 En r15 -low res 20100615 -.pdf#page=38
“During the 1990s, use of contraceptives increased among women in almost every region. By 2007, over 60 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 who were married or in union were using some form of contraception. Yet this average masks two disturbing trends: a considerable slowdown in progress since 2000 and a widening gap among regions. From 2000 to 2007, the annual rate of increase in contraceptive prevalence in almost all regions was lower than it had been during the
1990s.”
I lost my taste for Thin Mints a while ago.
Magash@
Here’s a link to a boys club called the Blue Knights. It teaches boys about virtuous chivalrous behavior etc. It is Catholic based.
http://www.blueknightsboysclub.blogspot.com/
Hope it is some help to you
Choirmaster, I agree. They are not Scouts, and of course, the US group is the only one to completely reject (to the best of my knowledge) the term ‘Guides.’
Also, Supertradmum posted the response of GSUSA. All they say is true, except that it conceals the fact that local councils and WAGGS- but not GSUA- develop the relationships with PP, and that girls do pay for this because cookie money goes to the council. Thinking Day is developed every year by WAGGS , and most GS troops participate in this, so they have an intimate relationship with the worldwide body not seen in the BSA (I think the only time a Scout ever goes to a WOSM event is through World Jamboree participation).
Father, I too would urge you to reference the Women of Grace program on EWTN’s recent
series on this issue of today’s Girl Scout Organization. I learned alot about the difference
between the scouting experience of my youth…and what is happening today. No reason to
be in the dark or inconclusive about this organization. Plenty of information exists to concur
there are better ways for Catholic youth to spend their leisure hours.
Have 3 young daughters I always read about gsusa with interest…thanks for the post. My wife and some others in our loosely organized parish home schooling group are considering starting up Little Flowers in our parish in the next year or two.
Fr Z,
Short answer. Most of the National Organization (Girl Scouts of the United States, aka GSUSA) Board, many of the National level employees, and nearly all of the 100 or so franchises (also known as Girl Scout Councils) have adults that either are in the employment or are part of the governance (Board of Directors) that have in the past been employees, supporters or on the Board of Directors for “questionable organizations and corporations” like Planned Parenthood.
Many of their CV’s have been scrubbed to eliminate, at least on GSUSA related sites, any reference to PP or like-minded groups and organizations.
I was one that tried to influence “change from within” and failing to do so, have withdrawn my personal support for the organization.
Father, the concerns are very real! Please see Missouri Right to Life’s 2013 statement of pro life concerns about the Girl Scouts, which includes a very thorough citation guide at the end comprised of direct Girl Scout documents. http://missourilife.org/policies/girlscouts.html
Also, EWTN’s radio show The Good Fight did a very informative show on this topic on Feb 2, 2013. The links to the show, whose guests included MO Right to Life’s VP and Mary Rice Hasson, noted Catholic Studies Fellow at The Ethics and Public Policy Center in DC, can be found here:
part 1: http://avemariaradio.net/archiveListen.php?file=tgf_20130202_1
part 2: http://avemariaradio.net/archiveListen.php?file=tgf_20130202_2
Thank you for helping to get the word out to the faithful!
Thank you so much Father for facilitating this conversation. GSUSA’s spokesperson, Michelle Tompkins, says that councils are permitted to partner with Planned Parenthood should they choose to do so. (Listen to her interview stating this at this link at the 3:44 minute mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwgPf0j4ehs ) And some GS councils do use PP employees for various events or training. Here’s a fairly recent example: Girl Scouts Imperial Valley featured a Planned Parenthood “Community Engagement Manager” as a keynote speaker at an event for girls in August 2012. http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/ivp-summit-seeks-to-empower-motivate-valley-girl-scouts-20120809%2c0%2c7849139.story There are other examples. But what should also be a big concern are the pro-life issues that affect every Girl Scout council. Father, if you go into your local Girl Scout store in Madison http://catalog.girlscouts.org/client/girl_scout_councils/_custom/locations.php?council=gs_wisconsin_badgerland and check their books for girls, you will be shocked at what the official Girl Scout printed materials sold and promoted by your local GS council (and by every council) are promoting to our daughters. I know the letter from Bishop Boyea referenced above says GSUSA made some changes to the materials, and that is true. But the “fix” was only a band-aid – there are still so many problems. The GS materials for girls *still* promote abortion rights giants as heroes, like the founder of NARAL Betty Friedan, Hillary Clinton, Bill and Melinda Gates, pro-choice “Catholics” Dolores Huerta and Geraldine Ferraro, and others. GS materials also promote radical pro-abortion, pro-homosexual groups like Sierra Club, ACLU, Amnesty International, Population Council, WAGGGS and the list goes on and on. Please see a partial list of current concerns and the page scans from GS materials at this link http://speaknowgirlscouts.com/index.php?p=1_4_The-latest-Journeys-more Then check your council bookstore to see that these issues are not resolved. These books are in the girls’ hands, Father.
In addition, GSUSA is funding pro-abortion organizations, like the International Girl Scout group called WAGGGS, who GSUSA gives in excess of $1 million annually. Today, February 22, Girl Scouts across the country will participate in WAGGGS’ main fundraiser — an annual event called World Thinking Day. WAGGGS recently promoted the legalization of abortion and “sex work” (prostitution) at a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) event in Bali in December 2012. http://www.wagggs.org/en/globalyouthforum/blog WAGGGS was on the steering committee of this event in Bali along with International Planned Parenthood Federation and other pro-abortion groups. (scroll to bottom of this link http://icpdbeyond2014.org/about/view/17-detail-on-global-youth-forum) See how your local GS council in Madison (like most councils) promotes WAGGGS to their local members and tells girls they are members of WAGGGS, and links them to the WAGGGS website where girls will see support for reproductive and sexual rights, contraception, abortion, and LGBT rights https://www.gsbadgerland.org/About/WhoWeAre/tabid/83/ItemId/17/Default.aspx. WAGGGS says they have 10 million members globally – this 10 million includes our Catholic daughters. Do you think our priests and Bishops understand this, Father? Thank you again for the dialogue. I would love to hear a holy priest’s perspective on this issue that affects hundreds of thousands of Catholic girls in the United States. (Please note: The above is just a small portion of the many documented and verifiable prolife/profamily issues with Girl Scouts) God bless you +++
One more point, Fr, to answer your query about Girl Scout cookies. Local councils claim that all proceeds stay local, but that is a misleading statement. The production cost of each box of cookies includes a licensing fee which is paid to GSUSA. While GSUSA is not legally required to divulge how much they collect through licensing fees, my council CEO stated at an informational session last April that licensing fees account for 5-7% of GSUSA’s total budget, which in 2011 was right at $90 million. Based on these available numbers, GSUSA collects around $5 million from licensing fees annually — certainly not chump change! Furthermore, the troops themselves receive a very small percentage of the monies earned, just 12-18% on average. Please see a recently published first person narrative for examples of why funding or supporting this organization in any way is not compatible with the pro life teachings of our faith. Go to page 7 of http://www.mbcpathway.com/wp-content/uploads/PathwayWebOpt.pdf
Seriously? study the GS cookie ingredients: GMO Soy products, artificial food dyes, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors. The shortbread cookies don’t even contain butter. GS cookies bear little resemblance to the yummy varieties we ate in the 70s. I haven’t bought any for years, I don’t think they taste good at all.
And they are ridiculously over-priced.
From the perspective of sponsoring a rip-off and downright unhealthy bad-tasting ingredients, parishes should consider skipping the sale of GS cookies.
Anybody remember that scene in Soylent Green where the old guy is trying to describe the taste of lettuce to the young guy? Have we been eating “Soylent Green” so long, that we’ve forgotten what a cookie made with simple, real ingredients is like?
LOL – and don’t drink the Kool-Aid either, its all artificial.
More on the International Girl Scout organization — WAGGGS — and their recent work with International Planned Parenthood Federation to promote to decriminalization of abortion and prostitution. This piece was written by attorney Mary Rice Hasson, noted Catholic Studies Fellow at The Ethics and Public Policy Center. In the column, she shares her conversation with GSUSA about WAGGGS controversial advocacy efforts, and GSUSA’s refusal to denounce WAGGGS’ position. GSUSA also refused to take any steps to ensure they (and GS supporters) do not fund WAGGGS abortion/prostitution rights advocacy. http://wordsfromcana.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/girl-scouts-still-humming-the-pro-abortion-chorus/