Overall Direction of Organization Comments
Comments to the question: "Overall, how satisfied are you with the current direction of our organization? "
Comments are presented "as is" from the survey. They have not been edited for spelling or grammar.
Comments are presented "as is" from the survey. They have not been edited for spelling or grammar.
- The program has dropped all the important pieces--outdoor emphasis, exploring many areas (try-its and other badges), girl-led explorations. And the Journeys are required for Gold, Silver and Bronze--yet the girls do not like them
- too big for council. Makes very disjointed, very non personal approach to things.I like that the journeys are good pathways but what happened along the way from Worlds to Explore to now? dropping badges..not good. Dumbing down everything..not good.
- I believe in the program but not the leadership. I have only been a part of the organization for a year but my Council made the decision to close our local office and shop. I already have difficulty reaching staff with questions through phone or email. I have emailed staff questions and never received a response. That is unacceptable.
- While I am happy with my council most of the time, I do not like the direction of the new program. There are very few of the old badges that represented the outdoors. The journeys are a horrible waste of time. They are poorly written and very difficult to execute without a major rewrite by VOLUNTEERS. They are too much like school as are the new badges...I wonder if those who wrote the badges have ever led a troop or even have children because any parent or teacher would have told you that the majority of the activities are boring and well over the heads of the age group they are targeted to.. Perfect example is anything for Daisies...they are kinder and 1st graders and new readers and their books are at least at a 2nd grade reading level...so we buy them a book they cannot read? The journeys need to be discarded and you need to re-introduce new outdoor themed badges and ask girls currently in the program what they want.
- We're losing the history of Girl Scouts! More outdoor camping, more specialized badges.
- I do not like the journeys at all.
- I am saddened and disappointed with the loss of traditions and Girl Scout ways. The lack or organization that I remember as a girl is gone. There are too many leaders left to their own devices with no direction. They come in with no help and quit after a year or two because there is no one to teach new leaders. I'm extremely disappointed in the offering of badges and interest projects. I am doing what I am with the information and little direction in the resources that are available but because I am a lifelong Girl Scout I feel that I know what to do. My senior year was in 2001. Girl Scouts shaped me into the woman I am today but the present program doesn't have the Girl Scout way in it. Not all girls and women are to be CEO business leaders. I feel that we need a more rounded program with the Girl Scout traditions for our girls.
- We have gotten away from the core of what Girl Scouts stood for. We no longer put an emphasis on skills, but solely on leadership, and in a cookie cutter manner, at that. Not every person is cut out to be a leader.
- I have no problem with the outcomes identified within the GSLE but the program written to support those, primarily the journeys, are not easy for most and are hard to make fun---unless creative adults recreate activities rather than using the written materials. We need more badges particularly at Brownie and Junior levels. We need an outdoor based badge that is beyond Junior Camper and before Cadette Trailblazer. I like the Girls Guide materials but the whole package is quite pricey and so most girls do not get to own one. The notion of selling extra packages of badge requirements is highway robbery. Girls love to learn new practical hands-on life skills and their families are happy with that as well. Too much of what is in the journey materials is covered in school curriculum. Way too much. In an effort to develop a program that could be marketed within public education settings, GS program morphed into something nearly unrecognizable. Such a shame.
- It appears that GSUSA no longer finds camping activity is what the girls want. As a 10+ year Summer Camp staff I find the opposite is true when asking our campers. What they do NOT want is to be entertained or program that lacks substance. Our girls are no dummies. They expect and deserve quality program - our council has not delivered that and the numbers show it.
- I would like the program to be geared more towards outdoor programs and basic skills. I understand the need for the newer programs but we also need to keep what worked before. When I became a leader, I expected programs to teach my girls outdoor skills such as knot tying, leave no trace, etc. I also wish there was more unity. I understand the need to not single out girls by financial ability, but I think the uniforms were a statement of pride. If our daughters were to join a sports team, or cheerleading, or dance...they would be required to have the full uniform. I think it has become too lax.
- Overall, I love the Girl Scout organization. I believe wholeheartedly in its ability to shape our young girls to be strong leaders. I do think that changes are needed and we need to, in some ways, go back to our roots.
- Very dissatisfied, I think that's supposed to say.
- KEEP ALL 4 GSEIWI OPEN
- One should never be totally satisfied with an organization. GSUSA needs to better communicate with members (and the public) in all parts of the US.
- The program seems to be more simplified then when I was a girl member and, dare I say, easier to earn the Gold Award. I earned my Gold Award in the 1980s when there were multiple requirements (IPPs, challenge, career exploration, leadership).
- I would like to see more older girl programs that delve deeper into subjects, and I would like more programs held at camps.
- GSUSA has been putting entirely too much focus on trying to turn young girls into business women. Girl Scouts is supposed to be about teaching girls that they can do anything they put their minds to. I personally learned a ton about myself and the world at girl scout camp, and would like to see more focus put on the outdoors part of the programming. The nation wide selling of our camps is uncalled for and inexcusable.
- GSCSNJ is very well run. The East Brunswick Service Center is friendly, helpful, and caring. (I have not been to the others). Staff from all Service Centers are visible at many Council and local GS functions. Camp Oak Spring is immaculate. It's run like a National Park system park. It's the best urban camp in our area and has a variety of activities girls love.
- focus on the outdoors and camps is severely lacking
- I think you goofed on this question and meant to have a "very unsatisfied" option. If yes, I would have chosen that one.
- Don't seem to help volunteers make the system work. And who designed the Journeys? URGH!!
- very unsatisfied how our council is not focusing on the ENTIRE area it services. very unsatisfied on the changes to the programs - talk talk talk and not much doing. The girls feel journeys are stupid and these are high school kids. my daughter was going to go for gold but sees no value in it and would rather do service on her own.
- I feel we need a LOT more official Outdoor Program added back into the Journey program. I also feel that girls need many more badge choices. In addition, the sale of Girl Scout camps needs an immediate moratorium. The Girl Scout camps are national treasures, and they are for the girls of today and in the future. We need to save all the remaining camps so that girls can get Outdoor Education and learn about nature the way Juliette Low intended. Girls from ALL backgrounds need to experience nature and be able to learn and grow in a safe environment. That's what Girl scout camps are for. GSUSA National and all Councils need to be promoting Outdoor Education a lot more, and will be able to with more official Outdoor Program, such as an Outdoor Journey that leads to the Silver and Gold awards.
- I do not believe that the girls are being heard. NONE of the girls in my troop want more STEM projects. ALL want more camping and outdoor adventure. The recent resting of 4 of our 6 camps has made it almost impossible to give the girls what they want...grass root girl scouting
- Keep campsites like DeWitt!
- Need more outdoor programs
- Leave the council shops in local council hands. Used to be able to drive to the council shop and purchase what I needed very easily. No shipping costs. Now I have to order from a non-personal online website and pay for shipping - where's the convenience and use of resources wisely? Speaking of using resources wisely.... I do not like the fact that councils are taking on more expenses to pay for employees - GS is supposed to be a volunteer run organization. Talking heads do nothing for me. Find cheaper areas for headquarters - dont be excited about having to expand offices into high tax area buildings. Cheaper more efficient locations are available. Get rid of the incentives - give troops more funds.
- The councils are not very cooperative with each other and i'm finding it very difficult to get answers.
- My girls don't like the Journey program (even less than they liked Studio@B, if that's even possible) and are very upset that their two favorite camps in NW Indiana are gone. They also do not like the new badge books, forcing me to scramble to find them old IPA to do. I have 16 high schoolers, btw.
- Wow...I guess you think everyone is Satisfied or above since 3 of the 4 options are that. I almost mis-read and checked the wrong box. Way to be deceiving!
- While I think the STEM initiative is valuable, I don't care for the journeys. Get the girls back outside, learning to tie knots, hike, camp, canoe. Of the 38 brownie badges, 12 are journeys. Gone are the days of close to 60 badges that let the girls really decide what interests them. Replaced by fun patches. Daisy thought badges should represent that a girl was proficient in an area.
- I'm a former council staff member who worked for my council during realignment, as well as a year as a troop leader and seven as a camp counselor and 12 as a girl member. I've spent lots of time thinking about Girl Scouts and the direction they are taking and from my own experiences and knowledge of organizations, I think the direction is not the right one. 2) The core supporters of Girl Scouts have been sorely neglected. These are the women whose mothers ran their troop and their mother's ran their troop. The women who run the campouts in the rain, plan the bridging ceremony with 0 support from parents or the council. The women who train the trainers, who write the training program. The organization with their core strategy to win new girls basically turned their back on these women and their work. 3) Girl Scouts isn't for all the girls, sure you can bring your numbers up, but isn't a focus on what you do better better than bringing in new people by throwing out who you are? Yeah, camping and crafts aren't that relevant anymore but they've brought together mothers and daughters with shared traditions and values for over a 100 years. 4) If you're honestly interested, I have plenty to say on this topic as well as others about council staffing and structure. (e-mail removed)
- I am a 4th year leader and feel like Girl Scouts is becoming irrelevant. The Journeys program has taken away the experiences the try its provided. The program has become fluff. Girl Scouts is nothing like what Juliette Gordon Lowe started or intended it to be.
- Between Satisfied and Unsatisfied.
- I think that Girl Scouts is becoming a brand instead of teaching girls courage, confidence, and character. We sell things at the shops, websites, stores, and then the girls sell sell sell also. We charge the girls for membership (which is fine of course), then we charge them for every event HUGE prices, then we ask them to sell to pay for things, yet other than in their own troops, they pay for everything. We are taking away the few things that have been offered (ie camps) and acting as if those should be profiting. Maybe we forgot that we are a NON profit. :( Very disappointing....
- Some parts I am VERY happy with others I feel VERY UNSATISFIED! The outdoor programming is not there, the support of leaders is questionable. The older girl programming is non existent unless you want to drive half the state. The choices if you can drive or are one of the lucky few living in the PREMIER locations are creative, and could be fun(not sure...not driving 2 hrs for a 1 hr program).
- Lol ... can be satisfied, very satisfied, highly satisfied, or unsatisfied?
- I am very dissatisfied with the financial order. GSUSA is a non profit however if it was a for profit, the board would fire the chief officers. Communication is poor, and the councils are simply too large. The girls have gotten lost, and politics is the new order, at least in Eastern PA since that terrible merger of the councils. Camps are being sold and our heritage is lost yet there is no clear vision what is being traded for the future. I do not expect to be back in 1972 however if we must sell camps, I would expect to see solid strategic planning put forward to increase campers moving forward and evaluate where we are moving in 10, 15 & 20 years. We are raising the future after all.
- I know little about the current direction
- Seem to be losing the rural aspect, camping, building, making things. Technology is important but it should be balanced with legacy skills
- Girls join a few weeks then want to drop out.Very hard to get them to stay in long. not troops that is ok just don't like the way badges are.
- Seems like some poor judgements made regarding hires and fires at the National Level.
- I am not happy with the Journeys. The girls find them boring and it is like pulling teeth to get them done. The girls feel they too closely resemble school work, and scouting is supposed to be FUN. I am also not happy with the selling off of camps. I feel that if the camps were better promoted, filling them would not be an issue. The girls simply do not know the opportunity exists in many places -especially those places that have already sold theirs off. The girls do not realize they can go to a camp in another area outside their own service unit.
- I feel like GSUSA has become a desperate girl who will do whatever she can to make people like her. I understand that we need to have a program that is relevant to today's girls but I think that Juliette Low would be very disappointed if she could see what is going on now. Especially at the older girl levels. There is a dumbing down of the program. The Cadette Woodworker badge has requirements similar to what BSA asks of 2nd and 3rd graders. And GSUSA has decided that troops are no longer desirable for older girls.
- The powers that be on the wrong track. They are into demographics and school like projects. They ignore what the girls want (camps), they ignore what leaders want (fun activities for the girls, at the camps, whether they are indoor activities or outdoor activities - the girls want troop time at camps.) The current powers seem to be hell-bent in including all girls, to the point of interesting few girls. It is not possible to be all things to all people. The focus should be back to what Juliette Low was striving for - building leadership skills, giving positive esteem building experiences.
- I believe they need to reach out to middle class scouts. Too much money is being directed to target scouts in low income areas or in correctional facilities. Losing the mainstream scouts results in loss of income to support these special outreach projects.
- I have been Highly Unsatisfied which doesn't appear to be an option. My memories of scouting involved outdoor activities and experiences not provided during the school day. From my observations and recent experience working at a camp, the organization has shifted away from the things I loved about scouting. Both the camp that I attended and worked at over the past decade have been closed which is extremely disappointing. We had many traditions and a community of scouting that taught me the values set forth in the Girl Scout Law.
- I find resources are not being used wisely, funding missions are misleading i.e. cookie money and we are not living up to the standard Juliette Gordon Low would have liked. What happened to earning badges, doing weekend programs and getting our girls outdoors. Instead it's all about the media please read this article: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/12/our-dangerous-obsession-with-external-recognition/
- I love girl scouts and the new way it is going it is coming along. I really would like to suggest when choosing the CLT's that you choose and do so with the intent they enjoy the changes. I really do not like all the negativity that goes on with our CLT. I would like to be a part of the CLT in 2014 if you so need me. I will be training my replacement for the Region team, if I am needed. I have been a part of the Promise project in the coming together part and I love the changes, I love the fact that Regions is for the older girls with or without troops and the community is for the troops. I love the idea of the way it is to be done. I think communication is the best way to have Girl Scouts and to let each one know what is going on, through email, phone or by mail.
- There are some things that are going well, and other things that are not. Our Council is not very supportive of our activities (we're 4 hours away from their office and the major population center of our state.). They hired a full-time employee in our region to recruit who doesn't do anything else (and doesn't seem to do that much successful recruiting either). The new "Community" structure of the old Service Unit is ridiculous:19 volunteers with dippy little jobs and no one in charge!!! The cost of written materials (especially Girls Guide -- why couldn't one expensive binder be used for multiple levels) for GS curriculum are ridiculous. Too few badges to keep girls interested.
- Your change to focus on academic items instead of teamwork and out doors and the skills that GS taught me as a child/teen is appalling. My daughter is a GS so that she can camp only. What is left of GS is not something she, or I as a mom, are interested in.
- I signed up to lead my daughter's troop because I thought Girl Scouts was about empowering women and teaching them the importance of realizing the deep connection between the wellbeing of their community and themselves. I have learned that it is instead a breeding ground for consumerism: selling cookies with cheap, addictive and unhealthy ingredients so they can go on fun trips and get material prizes. I am not alone in my dissatisfaction as i have spoken with other members who feel similarly (and others who strongly disagree, but I believe that is a product of our materialistic and selfish culture). I have enjoyed the Brownie World of Water Journey and particularly picked session 3 which taught the girls about the difficulties some women face in getting water (something we take for granted). If only the focus of Girl Scouts could be more community focused rather than teaching the girls that they should only participate in helpful efforts if there is some sort of material payment involved as if the benefits of helping another person are not enough.
- More variety in badges would be great. Also a decent handbook that the girls could buy. Right now, for the girls to have all of the Journey info, the handbook and the add-on badge requirements (that don't fit in the binder, which is ridiculous!), it costs in the neighborhood of $55 for 2 years, which is NOT going to happen with most of the parents. I still have my handbooks from when I was a girl. It makes me sad that the girls don't have one resource that they can use.
- It is going away from core values of camping and outdoors.
- Overall I think what the organization does for girls is awesome, or I wouldn't have come back as a leader even though I don't have a daughter. However, where I have problems is with the fracturing of girls by age range even further than they used to be, even though many troops I knew of when I was younger mostly had girls of one grade, "juniors" or "brownies" covered a wider age range. Also, the Journeys suck. They're supposed to provide a "standard of leadership", well that's a load of hooie. How I do it vs. how another leader does it will always be different. And they are so boring and feel too much like homework to the older girls and the younger girls can't read well enough to do them! And the badges, at least at the Cadet level, have been cut down from well over a hundred when I was that age to barely two dozen. And only one or two options from each of the previous "Worlds"? So, I've got a Cadet who's really into horseback riding, she can't earn a badge for it any more. She used to be able to earn three I believe. I've got a girl who loves to read, nope, no badge there. Nor is there one for any art but one. While on one hand saying we want to empower and teach our girls about the whole world around them, we only officially recognize very few things at any age level. So, yes, over all I believe wholeheartedly in the mission of the organization. Do I like the tools we're being given to reach out to our girls? Not so much. I emphasize the skills the girls want and need to know over earning badges and awards, they're just the icing on the cookie.
- I would like to see the badges/awards focus on things they can not do during the school day. My Troop feels it is too much like school and homework. I would love to see a Outdoor program and more focus on camping and those skills. I liked the old programs minus 2b. A lot of the leaders did and to this day still use the old programs and barely use the new programs. I find the ones who use the new programs are girls or leaders who this is their 1st time.
- Needs to get back to the basics.
- Girls hate journeys !! No organization -
- The change was too extreme. Eliminating all the old badges and not replacing most of them with something similar was a big disappointment. Was looking forward to including many of the old badges for the younger girls as they were in that level. Journeys are like home work or school and girls are disinterested.
- I'm satisfied with the way our council is run. Not necessarily the organization as a whole.
- Too much focus on singular topics, no broad exposure to a variety of skills and knowledge. Unless accomplished by adult members, NO OUTDOOR EDUCATION, NO OUT-OF-DOORS experiences. Program TOO TIED to school curricula, for most girls, what is in the Journey Books REPEATS what they are or soon will be doing in school. 2) Not every woman is an activist, but many women are LEADERS. I thought we "grew" young women, with the skills and knowledge to be not only an active citizen in their communities and in this country.
- I think too much emphasis is being placed on Journeys. For the girls they journeys feel more like school work. I have older girls and they miss the old badges and interest projects. 2) Since the 4 councils merged (to make GSEIWI) we have been in a worse financial position than we ever were as GSMV. 3) I think we need to get back to what the GIRLS want and stop assuming we KNOW what they want without asking the actual girls themselves.
- GSUSA has changed and flopped around so much, they have lost all recognition among the public. People sign up their children for Scouts expecting what they enjoyed and learnt...ever since GSRI, it has been a mess. Trying to attract girls that never had an inclination to join has simply annoyed those that were in...until they left. 2) It is amazing how much fun and how popular the program is in troops that are doing it 'old school'...patrols, large variety of badges, and multi level...who's dumb idea was it to divide the girls into so many small levels? It promotes loss when they have to change troops, and is too confusing to always have parts of a troop at two levels for leaders who stick with a small troop.
- too much focus on corporate goals & not enough on outdoors
- I have been involved as an adult volunteer, working directly with girls, for over the past 15 years. During this time I have seen the focus shift from girl centered to money centered. The primary focus appears to be on increasing membership to increase dollars whereas in prior years the focus was on increasing membership to positively impact girls. As an accountant, I am fully cognizant of the financial pressures on our organization. However, with the current MONEY centered mentality, services and programming directly benefiting girls have diminished greatly. The fundamental basis of Girl Scouting is to enable and assist girls to be all they can be. We are failing the very group we exist to serve.
- Many of the changes over the past few years have hurt my two troops and lessened the value of Girl Scouts for our girls.
- Going high tech did not result in better girl program.
- I feel the three Journeys and 25 badges per level do not offer enough variety and choice for girls to select things they enjoy. There is now very little outdoor programming, which builds confidence, in the choices. Girl Scouts needs to provide something that other organizations don't. We need more PSA's about the Girl Scout Leadership experience instead of cookie sales. All program resources should be online and available for FREE instead of forcing leaders and girls to buy Girl's Guide, three badge supplements, three Journey books for each level.
- GSUSA has totally lost Juliet Lowes philosophy of Girl Scouting! It is being run as a business for profit and NOT in the interest of girls! Closing camps is criminal! Taking away the outdoor experience from girls and replacing it with an indoor, technology laden experience is NOT acceptable!
- The removal of the Outdoors & lack of emphasis on camping in the National Program is quite disturbing to me. I signed my daughter up for Scouting, so she would have the opportunity to learn about nature and experience Girl Scout camp. With the widespread selling of the camps she and girls like her across the USA are being deprived of that opportunity. Girl Scout camp is the best place to learn leadership skills, develop courage and confidence, and experience STEM activities.
- I really don't think you can learn leadership through a journey as well as teaching skills you have gained. Not enough badge topics.
- Not enough focus on what the girls really want or need. The program is to much like school, we have lost a lot of the leadership training and steps to leadership, they are just thrown into it
- The program is getting away from providing girls with the opportunity to investigate new things. While STEM and investigating non-traditional roles is very important, They should not become the basis of Girl Scouts. Camping, self-sufficiency, and diversity of skills should still be the basis of the program.
- I am currently a senior in High School. I have been a Girl Scout since Kindergarten when I joined as a Daisy. I have experienced the old system of earning petals, try-its, badges, and IPPs. I have also experienced working through the Journey books. I hate the Journey books. They are the most limiting and ridiculous system of earning awards that I have ever seen. Multiple girls in my troop were unable to pursue earning their Gold Awards because they were unable and uninterested in completing the Journey's. Journey's prevent girls from exploring activities that they may have never explore otherwise. I think if Girl Scouts continues to monopolize the Girl Scout experience around the Journey's, they will find that membership will decrease exponentially. I know for a fact that when I have a daughter one day, If the journey's are the primary focus of Girl Scouting, I will not be registering her. I love Girl Scouts. I truly believe that Girl Scouting is a part of me that I will cherish and carry with me every where I go in life. However, I hate to know that the organization that I grew up with, and that has been the most influential thing in my life, is turning into an organization that I am completely embarrassed and ashamed to say that I was ever a part of.
- Need to start listening to what leaders need and want. Girl Scouts is more about raising money for the council or GSUSA!
- There is way too much emphasis on cookies. Ask someone what comes to mind when they think of Boy Scouts, they might answer camping, hiking, Eagle projects, service projects... Ask someone what comes to mind when they think of Girl Scouts, they'll say cookies every time. Boy Scouts sell popcorn, but you only hear about it for a couple of months a year. With Girl Scouts, it's all cookies, all the time.
- The Program changes including the Journeys and new badges have cost us both new and old members. The costs are rising significantly while the profits from cookies and nuts has dropped. GSUSA is no longer about the girls; it's become a business...that is sinking fast.
- its very unorganized. I feel like they're always giving me a hard time for anything!!!! They don't even know who trained so they could teach classes to get other people trained. I also had to fill out my background check three times cause they keep losing it. Some of the programs are good but over all, my troop doesn't partake in outside activities because it's like pulling teeth with them. they need to hire people who will do their jobs and they also need more MVP's. I heard there's only 2 and they can't make it to all the service unit meetings
- While I am very happy with our local council and Service Unit support, I am disappointed with the current programming coming from GSUSA and the removal of the scope and variety of earned badges available. As a volunteer, I feel that the Journey programming takes too much 're-working' to make it interesting to the girls and fails to introduce young women to activities out of their normal scope of daily experiences. Trying new things, learning something they haven't done before and facing/overcoming fears are all things that help build girls of Confidence, Courage and Character. I would love to see GSUSA bring back the nearly 100 badges that they did away with for our 100th Anniversary, update them in part if needed, but to get rid of them entirely was a huge mistake.
- Traditions have been trashed and it seems as if a corporate agenda is the track being taken. I don't feel as if the best interest of the girls are the reason for the current direction of National GSUSA. I have Ambassador Girl Scouts and they have never embraced the Journey Books...in their words...this is too much like school, where is the challenges of trying something new that the badges let us do? We have gone back to the old books from 1990's even though we don't get a badge reward for completion.
- Focuses too much on urbanizing and artificial leadership. Get back to the roots of camping and true life skills.
- There is no support. All volunteer resources cost money like trainings. I invest all this time and you can not supply my training for free? My service unit is very unorganized but the service unit manager won't let it go.
- It takes a long time for decisions made at the top to trickle down, so I can't say that I know how the new CEO is doing. I don't feel like they consult with us "little people" very often though. The Journey books are a good example. They say they were field tested, but to me they feel very "top down" and like they were designed to sell more expensive books to more girls.
- It doesn't seem like the girls are the priority.. just $$$$
- I am very disappointed in the removal of progression in Girl Scouts. There is no incentive for girls to remain in GS as we can no longer tell them they have to wait until they reach a higher level to go on a longer trip, overnight camping, etc as they can do everything as a younger girl
- Where is Very Unsatisfied?
- The focus on individual leadership for each girl and moving away from mixing grade levels within a troop causes there to be less opportunities to practice actual leadership. There is no focus in the new program on being prepared or increasing skills that each girl could be an expert/leader in that certain area of interest.
- The outdoors, which was the foundation of Girl Scouts, is being dismissed and shoved aside for more indoor activities. Many girls are tired of doing the same indoor activities all the time and are looking for something different. Many girls also say Girl Scouts is starting to feel like school, or craft hour, and that's not what they're looking for. Also, many girls hate the journeys and parents hate buying new books all the time.
- Unsure
- Combining does not mean exclusion of an area of scouts. This is making it VERY difficult for girls, and adults to stay involved and be able to enjoy camping experiences. From what I have seen, the counsel is trying to close Camp Wakatomika. That is a beautiful camp and has many opportunities if it were utilized instead of letting it fall apart.
- I suspect that last option should read: Very UNsatisfied; if so, that's my selection. I, and my girls (former troop girls of varying age-levels, as well as my own daughters) absolutely despise the Journeys. I believe that if the girls hate them, and I have to go to major effort to "adapt" them, the Journeys are seriously flawed. "Too much like school work" is the general consensus, and I wholeheartedly agree! Cut your losses now, and send the Journeys the way of Studio 2B... Add more badges, and stop the "dumb it down" process. JGL would be horrified by this latest incarnation of recognitions, I am sure. I realize we depend on cookies financially, but there is far too much focus on product sales. And stop changing the requirements for the higher awards - Bronze, Silver, Gold - so often. Between the time my eldest started the process of earning her Gold and the time she earned it, the requirements (at least in our Council) changed three times. And why is that process different for girls in different Councils? Consistency earns awareness and respect - something our awards lack from the public.
- Too large of area covered by one council, no stores local , very little local representation and closed our local camps!
- Consolidation was a nightmare for our council and pushed more into volunteers
- Too little emphasis on outdoor camping opportunities. Not appreciative of volunteers.
- Not really sure where they are going; our favorite GS council employees have left for other jobs
- I am both proud of and disgusted by GSUSA right now.
- So many barriers have been put up, and Girl Scouts seems to bend to abide by what others are thinking instead of what's good for the girls. No longer is this an organization promoting leadership and self confidence in girls as much as it's a business that forgets the little people.
- Our new MEGA council is closing cherished camps and alienating current and former girl scouts. My troop can't attend activities because they are all at least an hour away.
- There is concern in my service unit about a seeming lack of organization at council. Also, many of our volunteers feel like they're burned out because they are asked to fill a lot of roles that council is not staffed to handle.
- Too focused on financial literacy. Programming no longer allows for as much exploration of various experiences. Not enough focus on outdoor programming. Poor channels of communication overall.
- poor programming, even poorer implementation, extremely high staff turnover, staff aren't "real" Girl Scouts
- Girl Scouts is getting too commercial, it seems like Girl Scouts is no longer Girl centered. Every time I turn around GS is pushing some new product at me. Either journeys which are sponsored by Dove or new shirts, or ever more expensive cookies. As a troop committee member and SU team member, I see Council shoving more and more at VOLUNTEERS. They are requiring us to do things which should be their job responsibilities (go out in the neighborhood and find new leaders. find community leaders to lead programs, etc) The only way I can make girl scouts fun and meaningful for my girls is to ignore the GS programming and do things the girls enjoy (8th graders). Luckily, none of my girls want to get the Gold Award so we can just have fun and enjoy our style of scouting.
- Girl Scouts seem to be trying to reinvent the wheel. My son is a Boy Scout, and I can't help but compare how the organizations are run. I do not think that GSA comes out looking good in any comparison.
- The journeys are very dis-satisfying to the older girls and to some younger ones as well. They want to work on badges not read some "stupid book" that means nothing to them. It is not their choice of what they want to do, and the journeys take too long to complete thereby discouraging them from participating in troop discussions and dropping scouts all together.
- The journeys are a little long and can get boring in spots but we have learned to adapt them and make them fun again!
- I am very disappointed that Girl Scouting seems to be be moving away from its best leadership development program. I was very excited when GSUSA announced the new tag line "-the premier leadership organization for girls" as I thought that finally there would be recognition for all the good that camp and outdoor programming accomplishes. Camp and outdoor programming are tangible leadership development methods that have proven successful in developing young women of courage confidence and character. They are also two of the programs that made Girl Scouting unique among a host of other organizations and activities for girls. With the sale of camp properties nationwide and GSUSA's movement away from outdoor programming, I am very concerned about what will make Girl Scouting different from any other youth program for girls. GSUSA needs to rethink their strategy and shift focus back to what made them a unique and viable leadership organization in the first place. This needs to be done immediately or I fear that Girl Scout membership will continue to decline and support will shift away from the local councils and GSUSA.
- My satisfaction is on the neutral side--not fully unsatisfied, but not convinced the present path is working well.
- Get rid of the journeys and and the "girl led" scenario as the primary focus of Scouting. Create a better handbook by going back over the best badge work from the old handbooks from the late 1990's and early 2000's they make more sense and are more fun for the girls. The girls hate the journey books. The series for Daisies are too complex, while the series for older Girl Scouts are ridiculously stupid.
- It has become so political that it is to hard to be a leader for girl scouts. I quit because of all the hassle and I loved working with the girls but it just was too hard to deal with anymore
- It could be organized better. For example, people who have been leaders for awhile are now being told they can no longer do so if they have not taken the correct classes. The problem is no clear records were kept when these classes were given. And the names of the classes have changed several times. There is no accurate data base.
- Trying to be all things to all girls puts Girl Scouting in competition with school, church, community, sports, and other agency programs. It is frustrating to watch Girl Scout councils struggle to maintain participation by older girls because of competition for their limited time, while divesting of camping properties and opportunities to provide adventure and leadership through outdoor programming. Troops can't afford to use council properties because the fees are outrageous, so councils close and sell the camps. Without camping, Girl Scouting is just like any other youth group.
- I understand the reason for the direction but I think they need to find a way to blend the old with the new
- It seems Girl Scouts is getting away from the fundamentals it was started from.
- GSEP stopped putting the GIRL first in GIRL SCOUTS.
- While I recognize the importance of staying current, Girl Scouts have lost their core. Camp experience played a big role for me. I thrived on earning badges. The basics are gone ..why?
- In trying to remain relevant the organization has abandoned what makes it unique - a focus on camping. Too much corporate-speak and not enough use of volunteers.
- Smaller areas (service units) seemed to work better. More personal and Easier to keep track of people and projects
- The girls do NOT want to be at school anymore by the time we get them in our meetings. We want to learn real life skills like being a TRUE friend and learning life skills that will make us independent and able to take care of ourselves. We want to go outside and not be stuck in a room doing crafts and reading boring stories from a journey book. The girls LOVE to go camping and want to learn about cooking ,sewing, and to play games, do scavenger hunts, and community service. They want to make a difference in their communities. They want to have FUN. They want to make choices and have lots to choose from. They want leaders that will hone in on their likes and dislikes and draw ideas from the girls. They want to feel apart of a group and want to feel secure in that environment. The CORE curriculum that has made it way into the program is cold and does not allow for self expression or a chance to grow individually. Let the schools do their job. Let Girl Scouts be the missing link to Get Her There in every other way.
- We are starting to head in the right direction but have a ways to go.
- While I believe change is necessary and good, I do not see where we are staying true to who we are. Girl planning is lost in a sea of words. We aren't walking the walk anymore. We are failing to challenge today's girls- we need to help then see that a life outside of their comfort zone is how they grow and learn- and expand that comfort zone. We need to keep the basics- outdoor skills and girl planning- and expand on them. STEM is a natural extension of what Girl Scouting has always stood for- and does not need to be the end all of every program offering.
- I find the organization to be highly unorganized. They lose records on training, etc. and attempt to make leader retake things already taken. There is a lot of miscommunication between council and service units. CORA is a complete waste of time and is never correct.
- Getting away from structure with Studio 2B, a dismal failure to Journey's which have no specific goals for girls. Also so much focus on leadership in non-troop based venues. What happened to badges, clear guidelines, songs, camping?
- Scouts should have outdoor programs, scouts should be teaching survival skills. the badges need to harder and more detailed, they are too easy! girls like the badges, but even my child says they are too easy now.
- I am a girl scouts alum having done Brownies, Juniors, and Cadets in my own childhood and am now in my 5th year of leadership with my troop. I love the bonding opportunity scouting provides for girls in the troop as well as between my daughter and myself. I do find myself frustrated with some of the changes that have taken place, particularly the emphasis on the Journeys as opposed to a variety of interest patches giving the girls more opportunity to explore a wide variety of topics.
- As a former staff whose legacy council was doing great, it was very heartbreaking to see how the CEO practically destroyed the council by firing all the experience staff and hiring people who had never been Girl Scouts and knew nothing. of how to run a non-profit organization.
- I believe the decisions to reduce outdoor programming, most importantly the closing and sale of so many wonderful camps is denying our girls the most important thing that scouting has had to offer. The opportunity for girls of all income levels to experience wilderness adventure is priceless and cannot be gotten any place else. This is true leadership training and teamwork training that will serve for a lifetime of benefits as Juliette Lowe intended and as has been the case for 100 years.
- I serve 3 troops and the girls complain about the journeys. They don't like that journeys take more than two meetings to complete. It is hard for the leaders to guide the girls when the girls complain and tell you they didn't join scouting for it to be like school.
- The journeys are confusing as a whole, the girls don't seem to enjoy them as much. I keep hearing about all of the girl scout camps being closed down which is a huge part of girl scouting (or was when I was in scouting as a young girl). I live 40 miles from a large city and all of the BIG events happen there. Hard for our rural communities to get there. That is why it's hard to keep girls in scouting after a certain age - all of the good events are too hard to get to.
- This is NOT the Girl Scouts my Great grandmother (name removed) brought to Mass. This is not the Girl Scouts my Grandmother or Mother were a part of. This is not the Girl Scouts I grew up with... Today's Girl Scouts is a terrible evolution from a great program. Volunteers aren't valued, the emphasis of councils is not on programming, it is on raising money, and the new top-down management approach that is employed to align with the new mission of Girl Scouts is TERRIBLE. Our girls need to become individuals, not indoctrinated into a collective individuality or group think paradigm.
- Very unhappy with councils recent decision to not allow multilevel troops. My daughter has been with the same girls for 3 years and now you say the girls don't have the same interests?? This is not fair to the girls to break them up, and aren't their voices to be heard? No one asks them what they want. Ridiculous rule!
- The organization has become money driven and has removed the communities and the girls from the decision making. They are shutting down camps without input from the members and making changes that are causing girls to leave the organization. The girls feel that the programs are too preachy and too much like school work. The outdoor activities are minimized and selling cookies is the most important goal. Many programs are centered around selling cookies and making money.
- Myself and my girls do NOT like the journeys. The girls feel like they are too much like school. Their focus on them made it very hard to complete the one we did. They like getting the badges much better.
- We have lost tradition. Camps are closing. Journeys are losing girls and leaders.
- Ok on the national level, very poor on the local council level.
- The focus of girl scouts has changed in the last 10 years. There is no longer enough emphasis on the outside and camping and the independence and confidence it instills in girls.
- The roll of of a complete new program while councils were forced into realignment caused major problems. Rolling out a new program while dealing with staff changes at the same time just made everything difficult to implement. 2) While leadership skills are important, girls were able to develop them by having more program choices. The journeys and the small number of badges limits the girls exploration of topics. 3) The idea behind having program so that adults have to do minimal planning work is a good one. However, more and more adults have to work with the journeys and develop creative ways to make them interesting to their girls. Girl Scout program should be fun and interesting without being like school work.
- The Girl Scouts of America is still a wonderful organization that helps develop girls and their minds. As a member I see the flaws and highs of the program. If you would like to contact me with more comments please contact me at (e-mail removed)
- Too many favorites. Not enough team players.
- Program changes have left us with too few badges. Girl Scouts should be about introducing girls to many different opportunities and letting them explore and try new things to expand their horizons in ways they may have not imagined. The program is so focused on how it maps to the school subjects that it seems to the girls no different than what they are doing in school. It is what they do all day in school and thus boring not new and exciting. With the focus on cell phones and computers girls need to get outside and get unplugged. Girls scouts are focusing too much on STEM and too little on nature, camping, and getting girls out of their urban plugged in world - to and out to the outdoors. Also girls from ALL walks of life and ALL socio-economic backgrounds can and do benefit from Girl Scouts - it seems like council programing is focused on bringing STEM to inner city girls only and not bringing girls scouting values and opportunities to ALL girls.
- We need more outdoor programming, and to keep our camps!
- I think the girls are losing interest at a fast rate. I've been trying to get them more interested in journeys as much as I can. They are receptive and think it's too much like school. they love hanging out with each other, they love trying new things, they love supporting the community- I think the journey program is putting too much pressure on the girls and taking the fun out of scouting
- Very pleased with the level of inclusivity of girls with different religious backgrounds or who may identify along the LGBTQ spectrum, etc. Disappointed in the direction GSUSA is taking with its outdoor programs, cookie marketing, journeys, and programs available for older girl scouts.
- I feel like there is a lot lacking in leader development, service unit support and leader and girl recruitment. I feel that Girl Scouts owe it to the leaders to work with schools & cities to secure safe meeting spaces for girl use as well.
- I am distraught that we have come so far from Juliette Low's intentions. I can not believe that the one thing that set us apart from other youth programs, OUTDOOR programs, have all but been eliminated. Realignment has been the demise of the Grill scout program, financially, program-wise, and in terms of morale. I am ashamed that we have girls sell cookies under the guise of helping them to support pensions and deficits in the budgets; with the girls only earning 5 cents per box only when they sell 50 boxes and no significant earnings for less than 500 boxes. This does not help our low SES girls get to camp... Or any girl for that matter. Girls can be our corporate fundraisers... But they can not even fundraise for their own Silver or Gold Award projects. Get your act together GSUSA... Admit you made mistakes and let's get back to what GS is really supposed to be about.
- I am unsatisfied with the large changes that are happening with Girl Scouts, particularly at the closures of several camps.
- Worried about camps disappearing though, and still miss the old badges.
- I love scouting! I was a girl scout as a kid, a girl scout camp counselor as a teen, and now as a Mom I am a leader and SU member. I think there are many wonderful people in the GS organization who genuinely try to provide training and assistance to individuals and service units, but from the organization as a whole, something is missing! Our Field Exec has changed multiple times and is not typically at our leader meetings. Everything I do as I leader I feel I have to 'figure out' on my own. Events sponsored by our council are pricey and therefore not well attended or cancelled. There is little that brings the girls together as a whole. And the rules get so complicated. I am also a Cub Scout leader and Pack Committee member, and their overall structure and rank requirements are SO much clearer and easier to follow... so we can focus on learning and having fun. And of course there is also camping or the lack thereof. Girl Scout is not about doing crafts and making money, it's supposed to be about growing girls into mature, confident, independent women.
- It seems to be going in the same direction as Campfire..................The reorganization was poorly planned and caused more problems.
- Miss the old badge programs. I see benefit to the Journeys but they are long and when teaching "by the book" don't hold girl's interest. It feels too much like "school." Would like to see more badges dealing with non school subjects and more outdoor opportunities.
- I wish there was more cohesive guidelines between councils.
- I hate that the councils are selling off all the camps and getting away from teaching camping and outdoor activities.
- I am on my way out.
- The Journeys are poorly written, difficult to lead, and should not be the focus of girl scouting in my opinion. Making them a prerequisite to higher awards (in lieu of a selection of better-organized, relevant badges) is a bad decision. We've lost many girls because of the journeys. They don't like doing them and actually did more interesting and more community service projects before we had to start wasting so much time on the journeys.
- I am a science teacher, students are losing connectivity to the natural world, they don't know things like bugs are under logs or that dandelions have two stages. I have seventh graders that have never lit a match and have not been allowed out of their yard without adult supervision. These kids need camp. Their parents need to be convinced it is a good idea. Instead the council has decided to focus on other programming needs at the expense of maintaining a full camp experience and actively advertising it's existence. I am disappointed by this decision.
- GSUSA has become just another greedy corporation. Tenets of scouting are secondary, tertiary. Closing so many summer camps is evidence of the above. I was a scout in the 1950s, a camper at Eagle Island Camp. Pathetic situation ... I've lost all respect for the organization.
- I am thankful for all those who willing volunteer their time so that my girls can experience what it is to
- The Council under the leadership of the CEO LIED about facts concerning the closing of the GS Camp Eagle Island. They refused to negotiate with the alumna who volunteered to run the camp at a profit for the benefit of the Council viewing the sale of this valuable property as a cash cow (which would help pay for salaries and pensions of staff--not benefit girls). Thus, an expensive lawsuit ensued.
- As a "seasoned" member who has stayed active w/the organization I feel like I have NO idea what is happening. Things have changed so drastically from programming to uniforms and policies are totally out of control. "Recommendations" are put out with no follow through.
- The focus seems to be more on how many girls are part of the program and how much money can be raised instead of on providing quality experiences for girls.
- Concept of leadership development is excellent. Journeys difficult. Handbooks are great. Sustainability aspect of Girl Scout Gold Award adds value added element
- In an effort to operate in a more corporate/efficient manner (not necessarily a bad thing), Girl Scouts seem to have adopted all of the worst characteristics of Corporate America, rather than selectively identifying the best practices applicable to a service/volunteer-focused organization and focusing on them. Also, they have lost sight of the value of many traditional Girl Scout activities, notably outdoor activities, in reaching the (very appropriate) goals of building character, courage and leadership among the girls of today. i.e. they seem to have "thrown the baby out with the bathwater"
- I WAS RELEASED OF MY LEADER POSITION BASED ON LIES AND BETRAYAL OF MY CO-LEADER AND WHEN I VE TRIED TO FIGHT FOR MY JOB I WAS DISMISSED WITH NO REASON OFFICIALLY GIVEN HOW CAN WE ASK THE GIRLS TO STAND UP FOR BULLYING IF THEY ALLOW IT WITH OTHER ADULTS.
- Too Pc, taking God out of the program is wrong. It all seems to be dumbed down; the badges are so easy to "earn"
- As the parent of a new daisy, I was given little guidance of what GSing was about, how it's organized, what to expect- the troop is disorganized and most recently spent their troop time watching a movie (not associated with a petal). I have been given very little info about what uniform requirements are. We have not been given info about getting a petal book (if there is such thing). Can I go onto the GSUSA website and find some of this info- sure, but I shouldn't have to. And frankly I haven't bothered researching uniforms and books and such because we are considering switching to Campfire, Spiral Scouts or some other organization. As 3rd generation "green blood" I'm also very disgusted about the "tossing" of outdoor and camp programming. I distinctly remember as a teen girl when my beloved resident camp put in shower houses with flush toilets/running water- it was painful to accept but I recognized that not every girl was comfortable with solar showers and pit toilets and this was a way to get more girls in the outdoors and camp. With the current state of electronic distractions, obesity and general family disconnect, NOW more so than ever society needs opportunities for children to get outdoors, to learn about our environment and stewardship and simply to have the opportunity to attend camp which is an experience unlike any others.
- I think the Girl Scout organization has lost sight of its original mission as an organization serving its girls members. Instead it has become overly corporate, rigid, and streamlined--not allowing troops the freedom and flexibility to be what they choose to be. And there has seemingly been a de-emphasis on outdoor program--a core part of the scouting experience for many girls.
- When I was in Scouts the girls were allowed to earn their own badges; my step-daughter can not do this. They also had to do/learn things for a badge... our local unit had a movie day recently and that counted for a badge. Really! I'm all for fun but I also want her to be learning, as I did! Camp is not promoted other than as a troop activity. Everything is all with the troop. One of the best things for me about GS was meeting girls from different troops through council activities and camp. Now if your troop doesn't do it, it doesn't happen. Also, they are moving too quickly through the levels of Scouts.
- GSUSA = very unsatisfied GSGLA = Is starting to REALLY listen to volunteers.
- I think that the focus of Girl Scouting has shifted too thoroughly to leadership development and pre-packaged Journeys, at the expense of camping, badges, and troop-initiated activities.
- I feel that the new badge program makes it harder to be a leader. There were so many very good badges available before that gave leaders and girls inspiration to try new things. Now the Journeys can be made into whatever you want them to be, but for those of us with limited creativity, it's hard to come up with ideas and takes much longer to plan without the 'prompts' in the old badges.
- It has changed so many times over the years. As a former Boy Scout troop committee chair and parent for 12 years, I have seen the similarities and differences between the two organizations. Boy Scouts have held their "high status" because of the continuity in their program, with such areas as rank advancement, badges, and eagle rank requirements.
- It feels like GSUSA has become a money making machine and has forgotten to take care of the troops and leaders.
- We are moving away from the basic foundation of Girl Scouting as Juliette Gordon Low envisioned it. No camping badges, closing camps, bringing the girls indoors instead of outdoors. Most of the programs are now geared towards the younger girls (Daisies-Juniors) which is disheartening for our older girls. Don't we want to see our Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors become the LEADERS OF TOMORROW that we keep talking about? If we do, then we need to get them out there and give them the programming and skills that they want and need. Instead of making them do the Leadership Journeys to earn the higher awards, let them experience life. Bring back the old badges/IPPs.
- As a 20 year volunteer who has served in four different councils from (locations removed). I see cuts across the board that are hurting the girls and the brand. Staff members have so many responsibilities that they can not do all of it effectively. Good volunteers are lost when they do not get support from staff. Staff should learn the basics of troop leadership and working with girls. Most have no clue what the volunteer troop leader experience is and are insensitive to it. That is the bulk of your volunteers and they tell me everywhere I go that staff doesn't know what their tasks are like or are unsympathetic to the extra stuff the council asks of troop leaders. My daughter is a lifetime member and is a 24 yr old volunteer...that frees me to really help other troops and adults with training and recognitions. That perspective allows me to see the issues that deter volunteers; shrinking staff and untrained staff are the two biggest issues.
- I think that the new journeys and badges miss out on a lot of girls interests. There is nothing for those girls and troops that really like the outdoors.
- I am thrilled that GSEM is providing opportunities for our girls that include fitness (Girl Scout Go running program/Cookies on the Run race) and robotics (FIRST Jr.FLL, FLL, and FTC grants and workshops) in addition to offering camps, service opportunities, cultural events and all things typical girl scout.
- I really wish that GSUSA would bring back more badges and add more earned items to the prereq's for the higher girl awards. The older Bronze award preqs did more to prep a girl for the Bronze than a Journey does. Council reorganization was good in theory but not in actuality and it is causing a surge in camp sales which is a main reason I stayed in GS as a girl and it is a special interest fro my daughter as well.
- Everything has become too extreme and excessive. It has become so much more work than in past years that it is turning girls off. I work at a camp and am an actual girl scout myself, so I see a lot. The badges have become horrible that I don't even want to do them. There are so few that it is hard to get variety (which diminishes a point of scouting). I get why you need to do all that training crap, but it is so excessive that you are ultimately losing members. My mom is a girl scout and she would be happy to be the cookie mom if there wasn't all that training and paperwork. BE GRATEFUL FOR THE VOLUNTEERS. Make their job as easy as possible in order for your success. That's such a simple philosophy and GSUSA is missing it. YOU SHOULDN'T BE ASKING ADULTS. THEY ARE USELESS. GO DIRECTLY TO THE GIRLS. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE ALL YOUR CHOICES DIRECTLY EFFECTS US. I could go on and on, but I have better things to do than complain about the current organization. (hey, you asked, so I gave my opinion)
- The core program needs to be a set program that doesn't change the basics - badges may change, but core requirements shouldn't. The awards will never be as recognized until there is more consistency.
- We miss the outdoor stuff. It seems that the focus is really turning away from that, since most of the outdoor-type badges have disappeared.
- No support, have offices full of PAID employees that do not help plan events, tools, etc. and except SOOOOOO MUCH out of the VOLUNTEERS, like time, money, etc.
- I love my troop and the girls I have had for 5 years the leaders. But, we do not make very much off of the product/cookies sales spending a lot of time selling, collecting, delivering and just get a small % of the profit. Then not getting help from the organization were all the money is, is very disheartening.
- Juliette Low would roll over in her grave to see all the camps being closed, the time and effort and money being invested in simply making more money to line the pockets of high-level admin, the girls working on school-type curriculum (Journeys) instead of getting their hands dirty providing service and having fun outdoors, and the volunteers being pushed aside and told they don't know anything.
- 3rd generation scout, my daughter is the 4th. I'm so disheartened with the direction of Girl Scouting, the rule/regulations, the changes upon change. GSUSA is not listening. The merger(s) took such a toll on us, the dictates about awards, journeys, the changes in patches and programs.
- I feel as though there have been many changes without giving clear information to the girls.
- Constant is the wave of organization change, which results in widely fluctuating success.
- Communication is lacking. It seems I am less informed each year that goes by.
- Also I am not a fan of Journeys being the primary focus in Girl Scouts. They are so time consuming and the girls lose interest in them, they complain that they are ready to do something else. The new badges seem to be "girliefied". Science is science. It doesn't need the be science of beauty to interest a girl. And there is a lack of connecting with the outdoors in the current version of Girl Scouting.
- From what I have seen it is hard to get answers if you have questions. You leave messages and calls are not returned. I don't think there is enough support for girls trying to get their gold award. I feel many get discouraged and stop trying. Just getting the most up-to-date application is a problem. How about samples or bullet points of what the committee is looking for? not supportive or organized.
- When I was a Girl Scout, it was all about helping others, making new friends, finding our self-confidence, and having a safe place to just be ourselves. We learned self-respect, how to care for others, and how to help those around us that need it. We contributed to and bettered our communities while bettering ourselves. Most importantly, we had the TIME to do all these things without the pressure of having to LEAD....do it faster, better, etc... Not every girl WANTS to be a leader. Some just want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Our girls don't need the rigorous Journeys and hoop-jumping to know what being a Girl Scout REALLY means.
- I am very disappointed in the focus of Girl Scouting today. It seems that this has become more of a corporate driven organization than being an organization for the girls. The profits that the girls receive from the cookie sales is very low. The prizes that they give the girls for selling are a joke. I am very disappointed that they are closing the camps with no thought to the girls. Camp Tweedale is very near our house and if and when it closes then there is no other camp in Southern Chester County for these girls to go to. You will be forcing girls to give up camping as parents are not able nor willing to drive their girls over 2 hours to a camp. Get back to the grassroots of Girl Scouting - be an organization that puts the girls first.
- I am former leader of a graduated group of Girl Scouts. During the changes they always referred to themselves as older Seniors, not Ambassadors. The girls looked at several journeys and said they refused to do them. We deliberately took gold award training a year before one girl was old enough because the grapevine let us know the Journey requirement was coming. All 4 girls in my troop met the old 4Bs requirements and 2 completed their gold awards before the deadline (one month before). They all enjoyed the outdoors and camping. They were upset about the changes so we stayed with the old program and badges.
- It doesn't appear that the organization is listening to the members any more. The girls in rural areas are not being thought of. Girls do like camping, being outdoors and our camps are more safe than state parks. The camps give the girls more freedom to be themselves without outside influences. I am very disappointed in the way the members voices are going unheard. Communication also seems lacking between the members and the organization, even at the local offices open communication is poor.
- I feel like I have received the right help and assistance when needed. And if something didn't make sense or I was unsure - I asked for help and was funneled to the right people when it was needed.
- Instead of building on our strengths ( outdoor programming / girls making decisions), we have abandoned what we stood for in hopes of somehow becoming more attractive to a larger segment of the girl population. Our council has become an empty shell: 11 out of our 14 camp sold, members have no meaningful voice.
- It's so ridiculous how far off the path this has become. You have taken away ALL individuality of being a Girl Scout. You have made this program all about being "the SAME" and the girls HATE it. This is my 9th year as a leader and I have 20 Cadettes and 10 Brownies. My Cadettes have looked thru the new Girl Guide and they said "these are stupid. do we have to do them?" I said no - we can do whatever you want. Thank goodness I bought over $300 worth of the old IPs - this is what they want to work on. The choices are so much better - they can choose to do what they want to do - not what they are told to do. It's too much like school work to do what you're told. And the badges have become so dumbed down - it's sad and ridiculous. And don't get me started on the "worthless" journeys - they are a JOKE. Where are all the outdoor badges? Why did they take the "outing" out of Scouting?
- In Northeast Ohio it is clear that the board of directors and former CEO have no intention of listening to the membership and just want to further their own reputations and fill their own pocketbooks. Our current CEO has done nothing to reverse this trend. They have sold most of our properties despite an outcry from the membership. In a council with a budget of 11 million 8 million of which is raised via the girls' product sales, they should be listening more to the membership. Frankly, I'm disgusted with the people who run this organization in Northeast Ohio and Nationally.
- I would like a return to an emphasis on camping, outdoor skills, singing, and skills that teach girls to be self-sufficient. We need to live by the (10) Girl Scout Laws, including staff and especially CEOs.
- The heart and sole of the Girl Scout program is supposed to be the girls, what they want, need. The Girl Scouts of the USA has lost it's focus and need to find people who know the program well example; Alumni who have a professional background in Youth Development, or nonprofits to help turn the organization around.
- I was a trainer until this last program change, but I can't in good conscience train anymore.
- I quit when it became apparent that the organization had completely abandoned all pretense of serving girls and encouraging outdoor education and ACTUAL leadership skills.
- I has gotten very corporate & business directed. There is a lot of pushing girls to sell more products to make more money for the council
- I am a past scout and a returning leader. I am disappointed with the lack of outdoor programming to teach STEM and leadership. I also am challenged by what seems to be a very narrowed focus, instead of encouraging program diversity. To me GS was a way to experience the liberal arts and be exposed to many topics. I am still learning about the new programs, but it seems very specialized.
- It is my believe that Girl Scouts decline in membership is due to the decline in outdoor experiences and traditional Girl Scout values, traditions as well as overall value/cost of programs when compared to other local activities hosted by churches, non profit organizations, schools, etc.. While STEM is extremely important, it should not be the entire focus of our organization. STEM learning opportunities should be incorporated with outdoor learning experiences and camping which is the heart and soul of Girl Scouts.
- GS has lost its focus. Too much on leadership and not enough on the out of doors. Most of the people running the show, paid and unpaid don't have a clue about how to enjoy the out of doors. It is really too bad as it is the only thing GS offers that other organizations don't offer, GS is becoming an anachronism. My second daughter of four kids, is now in HS and getting much more interesting opportunities with BS.
- I think there should be more oversight over councils. There are rules in place to help and/or protect volunteers but when people can tell councils things that are not true or nit-picks everything a leaders does councils just side with the person complaining without looking into it. I also don't feel that councils should have the right to pick and choose which rules they are going to follow and which ones they will not follow since they know national lets them do whatever they want.
- A lot of girl scout camps have been closed down including the one I worked with. The council that I was a part of was merged and lost everything that I believe girl scouts was about. The girl scout camp I am currently operating out of still keeps a lot of the old traditions
- There seems to more of an emphasis on selling cooking that the outdoor program which is what kept me in as a girl and an adult leader, SUD, and now volunteer.
- The rapid increase in membership fees is ridiculous, many parents are upset with it, and our troop has lost girls because of it. Although there is the scoutership option, the initial cost is turning girls and their families away, and yet the troop still begins with no starting cash without asking the parents for even more.
- Too much emphasis on "Branding" and too much reliance on computers. Not everyone is wired and we are presenting an image of elitism - if you can't do this online, you aren't wanted. And the flaws in our computer generated registration systems make the process unduly difficult.
- Stop selling the camps. Restore the outdoor program to a world class program again. The girls need outdoor programming!!!!!
- I appreciate the emphasis on leadership and STEM, but I think we might be losing the emphasis on service and outdoors.
- I think GS is chasing money through program grants. STEM and financial literacy programing has always been present in GS program. It is unfortunate that other valuable programming has been sacrificed in order to point out the obvious to potential funders.
- Local scouting in my hometown is non-existent because council cuts funding and only funds events in areas too far away for girls to get to. Camps are all closed. There are almost no GS activities for girls to take part in, and it's all politics/money.
- I do not think the current badges offer as many opportunity to explore different things nor do I think there is nearly as much outdoor skills and camping being offered.
- I'm really somewhere between the S and U. As an old GS and a new trainer, I'm really trying to learn the new Journeys and badges (and other programs/awards) that are part of GSUSA. I believe the Journeys can work, but I see 3 MAJOR flaws. 1) There is currently no Outdoor Journey. 2) The training for the new program is terrible and not enough. 3) The supporting books/materials are MUCH too expensive. All of these are fixable. There is a wonderful group working on #1. I'm working on and would love to find others who are developing better training for #2. And #3...isn't that complicated. Have one Girls Guide that you add and remove pages from. A $22 book for 2 years is NOT using resources wisely. The Journey books can easily be reduced to a few pages to add to the GG. The Journey leader guides can also be pages for a leader to add to her own...rather than individual books. Gotta get the cost down! Not fair to girls or leaders and really says that Girl Scouting is not for girls who cannot afford it unless the leader pays!
- selling Eagle Island camp? a priceless property, but more importantly, a priceless experience for 7 decades of girls. That is short-sighted and heartless
- There is way too much focus on cost and not enough focus on the girls themselves.
- There is no "be prepared" in our program anymore. We are NOT a "scout" program!
- You have thrown away the whole car rather than just changing tires. We need to keep up with changes, but that doesn't mean to get rid of the entire basis if the program. The Journeys are AWFUL. Get rid of them. Bring badges/IPs back. Scouting is no longer fun for the girls with the current program.
- The focus is on the money and numbers. The organization no longer supports the girls or the leaders. We are replaceable as leaders. Scouting needs to get back to the basics. Promise Laws Worlds. With this base it not only teaches science,math,and problem solving, but respect for yourself and offers.
- GSSGC has been failing its members for a very long time. They refuse to listen, are exclusionary, and rude. They only allow a select few to be apart of their core volunteer leadership. They are so out of alignment with GSUSA it's disheartening. And when you challenge their decision making you are blacklisted.
- The Girl Scouts are moving away from the girl and the old badges and it is so hard for girls to earn. Most girls never stay in to reach the Girl Scout Gold Award anymore. Programs are too far away from where the outlining girls live. Most programs are in Albany and it is too far for most parents to take the girls for a day activity. The focus has of events for girls is mostly in Albany region not many activities in the outer areas where girls live. The fact that councils are shutting down camps is wrong and girls don't the chance to go to camp anymore. It is very sad to see camps closing when it benefits so many girls in the summer.
- Leadership involves more than self "actualization"--you have to get out there and lead! I think the program issues lie not in the overall program itself. Girl Lead is the key and training of leaders is the answer to that problem, not different program.
- Need more training on running a troop, ceremonies, journeys especially for leaders who are new and have not been scouts.
- Discontinuing the majority of the badges destroyed the direction of Girl Scouting. While leadership is great, so are life skills and adventure. The Journeys program would have made a nice supplement to the main program, but is NOT Girl Scouting.
- Girls need more opportunities to build confidence through hands on experiences. Instead of closing camps we need to be improving them.
- Do not like the connection to Common Core.
- I feel that GSUSA has turned into a corporate monster. It does nothing to teach leadership to our girls. Its all about selling those cookies to pay for corporate retirement plans and inflated salaries.
- The new program is ok, but definitely need more badges. The journeys are long and tedious and the girls are only doing it to do their Bronze and Silver awards. They have stated that they don't like it and want to just get it out of the way.
- When you have something that works why redo it. The boy scouts do not change their program every time they change they turn around. If you look at the journeys 2 of them are almost identical. Could you have not done something different! Going back to Communities and Neighborhoods REALLY. When you have a huge area and you have strong leaders that just doesn't work. Again if it isnt broke don't fix it.
- Miss all the Life Skills badges that the girls got to dabble in- outdoor skills, cooking, sewing. These are important activities for everyone to learn. The Journey Program is too much like School work. The kids are not interested and the Leaders are not interested in doing it either. BORING. Leaders do not have time to work up a lesson plan for each session and it really doesn't mesh with the adult handbook. Studio 2B was better than the Journeys. At least you could get through them faster and they were more on topics that girls were interested in. It is to bad the handbook (Guide) didn't come out before the Journey- maybe the leaders would know how to use the badges to make the Journey FUN. The new program makes it almost impossible to run a multi-level troop. The journey and badges are all different. Instead of having bird for Brownie-Junior-cadette. They only have one outdoor badge for each level- brownie- ?, flower (Junior) and Trees (Cadette). None of the Journeys can be work on together. If you want girls to remain interested in Scouts- let the girls create their own program. Reward them for being strong leaders in and out of scouts. Give control back to LEADERS and less at the Council Level. We have too many employees that do not understand what girls what.
- we wanted to save our camps but they painted us as old women that are emotional. They don't listen to the members.
- No communication from council and others throughout council unorganized. Too many cancelled events. Not enough planned for older girls.
- Council not wanting to help our camp rebuild spends money on other camps that seem to be bigger but less local. Would like our council to start putting money in camps that really need it instead of disappointing our girls.
- Loss of so many camps is disturbing to me. The girls love their camps. Too bad we couldn't have found a way to keep them going.
- I'm in the middle...sometimes satisfied, sometime unsatisfied. I wish they were offering more items that could help girls earn badges. It's very hard to get a hold of people. Once I do, they're helpful, but it does take awhile. I feel terrible for all the camp closings. It makes it VERY difficult to get in to use a camp.
- Too much emphasis on teaching leadership instead of just "doing". The program is too school like.
- Traditions and the meaning for those traditions. Sometimes new is not better.
- The diversity has been taken away from the badges. The journeys and new badges are too much like school. The girls end up with homework which they complain about. The old books had enough badges that girls could find a badge that interested them. There are not enough to keep the girls interest and they are just getting through some of them rather than enjoying them.
- I feel that Girl Scouts is moving away from our founders vision in a bad way. Her idea that we should build skills and do service is getting muddied down with buzzwords and book work. The Brownie try-its is more talking about things that actually DOING them. This is boring to the kids and I don't think they're retaining as much. As for the journeys, we have to practically rework them to keep the girls' attention. We scrap the kid books all together. Also why did we more from an all inclusive handbook to the binders. They don't hold up as well, or contain as much information. I don't see it as an improvement, especially as they don't include all the badges! We need to stop selling camps, and keep encouraging the kids to get outdoors and not on computers! They get enough of that everywhere else in the world. There aren't many companies that offer pensions, as a non-profit that doesn't have the money it is ridiculous that we would put an emphasis on pensions over the girls and outdoor programing. Honestly, if things continue the way they are going I know many leaders who would move their entire troop to Heritage Girls.
- not at all what the organization was intended to be. Seems to be more of a charity organization for women who need a paying job....appears that the organization is trying to take on a corporate identity not a nonprofit identity......if that is the case then you need to give up the 501 designation.
- There are less badge options and they are easier to get for the older girls.
- We need to listen to the girls!
- Need to offer more programming. Need to offer more affordable programming. Need to only partner when it is beneficial for the leaders and girls- many partner opportunities are clearly money makers for the partners. Need better communication. Need to get rid of journeys. Staff needs to remember that they should be working to make the girls AND leaders lives better and easier- not the other way around.
- I hate the journeys
- My daughter & I were looking forward to the large array of badges to earn as a Junior Girl Scout; they disappeared. We feel very restricted as to the badges we can earn. I believe I also speak for my troop & girls we have lost over the last few years.
- You took away the versatility of what Scouting was with this new program. You are assuming that girls ONLY want to be leaders and are not interested in other things. You removed almost all the outdoor merit badges along with so many wonderful badges that allowed girls to explore all aspects of our world. Your current badges and especially journeys are too much like school work with homework and the girls are not interested. I would love to see a return to the old badges with many choices that allows the girls to pick their experience instead of just leadership or cookies.
- However, I feel like we should continue to support family events. Our parents want to feel involved, and activities that are inclusive for the whole family will help us grow. It will make parents want to make an investment with their time in scouting.
- We are still working on the organization
- It seems to be a trend to make all skills applicable to technology, business, and STEM. These are all great, but other ideas need to also be taught, and skills related to these fields can be taught in other ways. I would much rather see a focus on developing strength in our girls to achieve whatever they want to be in this world.
- Love being a alumne for girl scouts and helping out at the girl scout camp
- I feel that the council as a whole is concerned only with how much money can be put into Camp Ken-Jockety and Camp Molly Lauman. The smaller units are being overlooked.
- I was very involved in Girl Scouts for 21 years. Camping and outdoor adventure was what we found attracted older girls and kept them returning year after year. It was the one thing they didn't get anywhere else. When our council made the announcement to sell 5 of our remaining 7 camps ( we started with 13 camps after the merger!!) and cited to the media it would cost $32 Million to fix up all 7 camps, and only 5% of girls camped, there was a HUGE protest from the membership( as there has been at many councils across the country) The board of directors had no intention of listening to membership!! Then we find out that councils all across the US are being hit with huge payments into the pension plan for all the employees that retired when the merger took place. That's a lot of people retiring in a very short time frame!! Did no one see this coming!!! Now camps have been sold , some are pending, all but the remaining three are closed. That takes camping almost out of the equation for whole areas of our council in that the travel distance to the remaining camps is beyond what some troops are willing to drive. Our council has reneged on it's promise of more camps and more programs available to more girls. For many of the girls who lost all their home camps, Girl Scouts has gone back on it's word. That is unacceptable.
- No origination at all. Girls hate the journeys.
- I am tired of the program changing. Why do we have to change everything? I want the old program, the old handbooks, the patches, and uniform. Why do we keep changing the awards? The gold award is always changing. The highest award should not change.
- they are not doing what girl scouts were intended to do. its should be just like boy scouts and keep everything for the outdoors
- Wish there was more help from council to show newer leaders the ropes and more classes offered or group activities for girls to network through different troops
- Taking too many traditions out of scouting. The big one is camping. Girls do not want mega camps. Why are we selling off our land? Program too much like school. Sit and discuss. Having girls do action projects that most people in business wouldn't attempt. This also goes for the Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards. Too complicated for girls too complete.
- First Lady Obama? Really? Not a good choice when our country and economy is in such disarray.
- The combining of Councils has had an adverse affect on the Girls Scouts by distancing themselves from the girls they serve. Selling of camps, fewer staff members to serve volunteers and girls in the enlarged area means fewer services and activities for the scouts.
- I think we need the older badges brought back, we need less frilly and more practical. The color schemes are horrible, not every girl likes purple. The staff is rude and unknowledgeable.
- Not enough outdoor skills being learned. Took much book stuff like school.
- The journeys take too long to complete for just a simple badge. My girls miss the patches earned for trying new things.
- Change to huge councils is very alienating. Seems more like a giant corporation than a group of committed people.
- I think that new approach to strictly focusing on leadership and leaving behind the life skills that were once taught in Girl Scouts (camping, sewing, etc) is a disservice to the girls.
- The concept is, as always, very good. The execution and presentation needs to be consistent. Don't change the Promise. Don't change the Laws. You can add or remove badges, but don't change the overall picture.
- Too much focus on money/cookies at the council level, not enough girl/troop programming...hate SU communications - waste of time, 95% of the time it's top down edicts that could (and should!) be communicated via email - poor leader input and support.
- After being a Senior Leader 9-12 grade since 1976 I have helped girls in all the Gold Award programs. This Journey program is a disgrace to the girls that have to go to a possible employer and tell them how they earned their Gold Award. Especially when they are going for a job against an Eagle Scout. I use to be proud to go to business conventions and explain to people what girls had to do to earn the award. All the areas the process had them explore. Now I do not even mention it because I don't want to know.
- Too many changes. Older adults can not mentor newer leaders because of all the changes. Outdoor skills are now a very small part of scouting. Girls learned leadership under the older programs, I don't feel it needs to be such a strong focus now.
- I think we've lost the SCOUT part of our organisation. It would be more accurate to call us Girl Leaders based on the current programme. Unfortunately the girls still want outdoor skills and experiences - they aren't interested (for the most part) in learning to lead. In the past, they learnt leadership through the skills and experiences they had - outdoors, through the patrol system, through community service, through DOING. Now their programme revolves around leadership skills and they're bored and uninterested - and ultimately not gaining the leadership and life skills Girl Scouts used to teach.
- Far too many changes to quickly. Losing members fast. I am afraid Girl Scouts may no longer exist in a decade. Journeys should have been optional - or probably not even developed. Taking away the badges was a big mistake.
- I feel that the push for cookies and other product sales have trumped the original spirit of the program. We have gotten away from the self-reliance aspect of teaching girls to making them cookie minions. Not to mention, I am paperworked to death and can't do anything with the girls unless I pay to attend a training to qualify to do it.
- just getting back active. Haven't been involved enough to answer.
- I feel everything is going pretty good. I haven't been to any Service Unit meetings in over a year. I was a leader and had my own troop but since I had a stroke I step down to be a Co-Leader of my daughter's Junior troop. Plus my girls graduated from high school.
- There are too many rules that interfere with the girl experience and make it difficult on the leaders. Too much volunteer time is wasted trying to figure out how do something within the rules but still make it beneficial for the girls. Hypocrisy is rampant in Councils, for instance Money Earning Projects are denied because a raffle is considered a game of chance and then Council has a high dollar fundraiser that includes a raffle. Our troop doesn't earn much during cookie sales and even less for Fall Products so MEPs are necessary to troop financial sustainability. There is too much emphasis on Cookies and too much of the proceeds go to Councils and not the girls doing the work who sell them!!! Journeys are boring and there is less focus on outdoor experiences than in the past.
- I find that GSUSA is far too profit oriented. GSUSA wants every girl to have their own Journey book - which, as my experience as a leader has shown, THEY HATE. "It's too much like school" they say. 2) I work very hard to retain my scouts into Cadettes and further. They want more hands on - more badge earning opportunities. They want to CAMP. They don't want to do worksheets and repeat badges at each level. 3) I am greatly dismayed at the closing of camps across our country. I understand that cost cutting is necessary, but these camps are being closed so that "supercamps" can be made. They are giving away valuable assets so that we can upgrade current camps to allow the girls to zone out on their electronics. 4) Girl Scouts is going to fail, and Juliette Low's mission will be destroyed if the GS Organization doesn't start recognizing the error of its ways. STEM is important, but its not the only direction to go in. Girls need valuable leadership and independent skills, including "back to basics" that teach independence and real leadership. Learning to count on yourself is what is important, not being a "savvy shopper", or three badges on cookie businesses. GS is too much about rules and regulations, and not enough about figuring out what's important to you.
- While I think that encouraging girls to pursue careers in management and executive positions, I do NOT think that other avocations are less important. I also think general education and life skill opportunities should be continued within the Girl Scout program. The Journeys program does not include the variety of learning opportunities that the badges offered to the girls. Juliette Low created a program to expose girls to opportunities and subjects that were not traditionally for girls. Specifically the multitude of subjects offered through the many badges where girls could explore very nearly any subject. If she chose a management/executive pathway, she had a good basis on which to make that choice.
- we need better communication between Council and the leaders
- As a former member, leader, and parent of former Girl Scouts, I am dismayed that GS camps are being sold all over the country, and that camping/outdoor education no longer seems to be a focus for girls. Boy Scouts have a new high-adventure facility in West Virginia for jamborees and other events, while GS are running away from one-of-a-kind properties like Camp Eagle Island in Saranac Lake, NY, an Adirondack Great Camp.
- Need to go back to old badges, get rid of Journeys
- When I came to my current area 12 years ago we had 50+ troops...now we are down to less than 20. I believe the decline is due to many things. As a volunteer there is way too much paperwork and forms. As busy moms and working professionals, we don't have the time nor desire to jump thru all the hoops to provide a good program. It almost feels like council does not want us to do fun and challenging activities. I feel like the low fundraising proceeds and then all the rules covering additional fundraising is too restrictive. How are we supposed to raise any large sum of money for a more expensive trip. Then there is all the changes....no wonder anyone knows what's going on. I'm afraid we will change ourselves right out of existence. Why not just update the badges? Studio 2 Be was junk and the Journeys are too much like school work. I could write a whole essay on how disappointed I am in the loss of our GS camps and the loss of a lot of our people at council who supported cling. Due to all the mentioned reasons I have considered taking my girls to Venturing when they are eligible. As a matter of fact, the BSA is recruit g me all the time. I feel more valued and appreciated by them.
- Too much emphasis on getting new members and not enough on supporting current members. They could take better advantage of current technology to get information out and leave face to face meetings for topics that really benefit from discussion.
- Girl Scouts is no longer about the girls. It has become big business instead.
- GSUSA is trying to re-invent the wheel with all the changes they made. GS needed to be "tweaked" and brought more up to date, not completely overahauled. The roll-out was awful and with the emphasis on Journeys vs. choosing badges that fit the girl, your troop, your interests or area is not right. In order to earn any of the metals, you need to do at least 1 journey or the process is extremely time consuming and very demoralizing to the girls. GS is not a "one size fits all program" and Journeys is trying to make it one size fits all. There is entirely too much responsibility placed on the leader/volunteer and in this age of single parent homes, or both parents working makes recruiting leaders difficult. There is a lack of leadership all they way down from the CEO to Councils to Membership specialists/coordinators.
- You have degraded the wonderful, diverse programs that I enjoyed and are turning it all into homework...I took pride in earning EVERYTHING I received from the merit badges to the FIRST CLASS to the Gold Leadership to the interest projects to challenges & the GOLD AWARD. There are girls out there still interested in those things! And you are NOT using the resource of former award winners at all...I had to initiate a search to learn anything about the GS program…
- If I'm confused in the direction we are moving how can I lead my girls?
- Volunteers simply are NOT appreciated! We're just a problem to be managed. They KNOW what girls want - it is assumed that we DON'T. Adult Learning Opportunities are a joke - nobody would ever attempt to do anything outdoors based on what they learn from our council.
- I am very disappointed that so many of the badges were discontinued. Thank goodness both of my troops bridged to adults prior to the elimination of those badges. Both troops loved looking through the badge book and deciding on what interested them. They didn't want something that took a long time or was lots of journaling or paperwork. They wanted hands on, preferably outdoor, learning opportunities. They took turns leading the parts of some of the badges. The girls always planned what they wanted to do. That is why I graduated 16 girls with my first troop and 12 with my second troop. Most of the girls went kdg through 12th grade, some joined us along the way.
- I strongly feel the current direction has removed too much of the foundations of Girl Scouting. The outdoors is BARELY represented, while our founder was ADAMANT that getting girls into the great outdoors was ESSENTIAL to developing women who had the strength, fortitude and knowledge needed to lead in future endeavors. Removing the "old" badges/IP's/try its and leaving only a max of 27 per level eliminated the opportunities to learn a WIDE range of skills. Now we have very limited choices and most of them are more like school work than badge work which used to be mostly learning by doing! The Journeys are just as bad unless you work very hard to customize them. Especially at the older levels! This is why most would rather avoid them, or choose "Journey in a Day" programs to "Get it over with"
- I do not like the current age levels. It gives girls too many opportunities to quit (such as bridging to Cadettes as they enter middle school, or to Seniors as they enter hs) There is too much emphasis on core curriculum and it is too much like school.
- It seems like the high up are worried more about the politics then the actual girls. Girls are supposed to be learning and having fun
- My girls miss the variety of things they could do with the badges that were available and think the journeys are exactly what they do in school. Not all of them care about becoming a leader!
- I feel many of the science, outdoor, and hands-on badges have been retired. I do not like the look of the new badges; they are too babyish-looking for older girls. And the requirements are not as in-depth. The journeys are like school work, and I do not like that they are tied to EVERY major award.
- I was in scouting as a girl and young adult (20 years). I worked as a camp counselor but not a troop leader yet (next my daughter is old enough for Daisys so I will be volunteering then). My mother and many of my long time friends have stayed in scouting as adults. I like some of the new changes and have mixed feelings about others. I like that the program is embracing STEM activities and has a range of activities available to girls. But I also feel that camping, outdoor activities and badges are core parts of scouting and I am concerned that they are being diminished too much.
- Disappointed in local resources and staff
- The shutdown of local camps is unacceptable!
- Overall I am very satisfied with girl scouts and the direction that the organization is going. There are a few things that need fixing and tweeking to make it an even better place for girls. The badges we have now are great, however, we should honestly with more badges about helping a girl be active and thing that they are interested in as well as things associated with their growth and development. Girl scouts is some girls only way of being away from their parents and some parents are ashamed of speaking to their child about the different changes that they will go through as they grow. I feel that badges should reflect that and help the girls to understand themselves and those around them, as well as embrace the awesomeness that is becoming a Woman.
- I feel current leadership, for the most part, at all levels have no idea about the principles, ideals and goals and of Girl Scouting as it was established. Rather, a phony ideal that girls do not need hands on skills and all girls will be CEOs in ivory towers who will order all under them is the attitude being promulgated. There is a lack of organizational image and the standards have been relaxed to an embarrassing extent
- Sole direction seems to be in getting girls registered and NOT on the experiences of the girls once they are members.
- People generally volunteer for their daughter. They then continue their involvement because of their daughter, the mission and the people they meet. The personal touch has been lost in the mega councils. In addition many areas, children and adults have been lost due to time and money constraints.
- I don't like the lack of choices in the badge programs. The journey concept is ok but the material is too much like school work. Bullying, and the environment are covered in detail in school and girls don't want to repeat schoolwork at scouts. Too many requirement require "homework" which is very difficult for busy girls.
- Girl Scouts used to be unique in that it provided outdoor education for girls, enabling girls to gain confidence in themselves and new skills in the protected environment of the Girl Scout camps. Now Girl Scouts seem to be trending toward repeating what is being learned in schools, in the same format of books and lessons by the leader. I see more girls wanting to quit because the meetings are an extension of school.
- Not enough hands-on and too much book work. Girls complain of badges/journeys being too much like school.
- I like the council's STEM opportunities I wish there were more. Council is so big it's hard to get to events. They're far away or book up so quickly.
- Journey's just haven't worked in my troop.
- My girls don't like the trend of Girl Scouts becoming more "like school". They liked the "old" badges and are not interested in the Journeys. Luckily they earned their Program Aide status before it was fully attached to Journey work. The badges don't offer them the variety they were used to. The adventure & outdoor badges are all gone and those were the most interesting to them. They also were interested in council-own patches, all gone. At this point, they are just staying together to have fun together and to service projects in a group. All interest in the Girl Scout program has vanished with all the changes. Those who experienced GS through their older sisters, signed up to go the same pathways.
- Poor direction, same as school. Kids hate it, adults hate it. Quit our troop because of it.
- There are some things that GSUSA does very well, inclusivity for one. I'm proud of how we've stood up to pressure from people outside the organization who push us to shut people out of Scouting. I do feel like the organization is floundering on the subject of programming. The new material seems more watered down, and I can say from my experience as a leader that the Journeys are difficult to administer and are not well-liked. All programming can benefit from a tweak here and there; to make it more reflective of a given group's skills and interests, to take advantage of unique local opportunities, to go deeper than is required in response to girls' enthusiasm. The Journeys, though, seem to require much more than tweaks. They seem to be such a loose framework that they require wholesale redesign to make them something cohesive and relevant for the girls and leaders. This seems like a bad approach for something that is supposed to be the core of the program. I want to offer my troop a pathway to the higher awards and a full experience of what Girl Scouts has to offer, but have really struggled to make Journeys relevant and engaging. As a volunteer, I don't feel like they are an effective use of my time.
- Our council is not on the ball on anything. never get things right. Reg it's now Dec and I am still trying to get girls Reg. Its a nightmare dealing with them.
- I can't stand the journeys. It ropes you in to a 4 to 8 week program, and if there are girls not interested in the topic, it DRAGS on and on. I much preferred the former system with try-its and badges. Each could be completed in a much shorter period of time and if a girl missed a meeting then she just missed the badge. The topics were constantly changing, so if a girl was not enjoying that particular badge, at least she knew we would move on. My girls can't stand the journeys either.
- I've been a troop leader for 3 years. Communication is TERRIBLE! Almost non-existent!
- I hate the new direction that GSUSA is taking the organization....it is no wonder that members, girls and adults are dissatisfied. It has gone from being a place where girls could learn something different and get outside and camp and hike etc....to one of sitting around and contemplating things. It is so not the Girl Scouts that either of my daughters or I wanted.
- I think some of the Journeys are too vague. I currently am advisor to many levels and I was trying to encourage the girls to earn some badges....however, I feel like the badges are too specific for age level. For example, to offer Insects to only Brownies... or camping to only Juniors and then a progression to other topics...I think it still could be a camping badge for older girls or a Tree badge for younger girls.
- Membership has dropped dramatically since realignment and the Journeys came out and has not recovered. Staff are ineffective
- The move away from camping and outdoor activities does not seem to serve the girls, and is against what the Girl Scouts have stood for. It is a way of empowering girls, and should be continued. The Council mergers have hurt services to girls, and the shedding of camp properties hurts services to girls.
- Girl Scouts could have positioned themselves as the place to go for girls who are interested in the environment and outdoors, but instead has totally de-emphasized those kinds of skills. There is no other organization doing this for kids, except maybe boy scouts.
- Poor communication and a disconnect between council staff and volunteers makes effective programming very challenging. Our council is ran from the top down by adults with no actual GS experience.
- I think rearranging the program to try and entice new girl members has created a large loss in membership. The old girls preferred the old program. Many of the old girls have quit over this. The new girls coming in only last a year because the program is not what they expected. They are finding it boring and lame. In any marketing, you need to remember it takes less effort to keep the people you already have (customer loyalty) than it does to entice new people to your product. Unfortunately it looks like GSUSA focused way too much on getting new girls and left the old girls out in the cold.
- it's discouraging that the variety of badges have gone and the opportunity to learn about other regions through their 'Councils Own' is almost non-existent as well. The variety of badges lent itself to wide number of aspects of a girls' life.
- I primarily work with older girls now. With all the changes in the last few years it has been very confusing (I started with Cadettes right when Studio 2B started up). My girls find the current program boring and hate the Journeys. For the first time I am actually having girls drop out of Scouting due to the program. When my Juniors where bridging last year and making plans for this year the first question out of every mouth was do we have to do a Journey? For my Ambassadors the badges are so easy they can complete them in a day and that is doing more than the listed requirements-and with only 5 badges that doesn't last long.
- The new Girl Scout program is not working. I have older girls and they do not like anything about it and especially the Journey's. It is a struggle just to get through the Journey's as a pre-requisite for the Silver and Gold Awards. Bring back the old badges with lots of selection and choices for the girls. 2)I also do not like the consolidation of Service Units that has been happening. We have lost many good leaders and troops because of this. It is not working and council just keeps on pushing. We will lose many more girls and adults if this continues.
- Girl Scouts are adaptable and we have rolled with the changes over the years, but the National Organization and Councils seem to be more and more prone to forgetting the basics of Juliette Low's ideals. I was thinking of getting my grandchildren involved now that i am closer to them, but i really don't care for the Journeys program at any level. Girls get enough of that at school. GS should be a place to explore and discover not rehash stuff you've been stuffed with at school!
- The new badges have fewer subjects and are not as interesting to the girls. The new Journeys are too much like school. The girls get enough of that. Girl Scouts should be something different and fun.
- Satisfied because my girls are happy. Unsatisfied that our Council decided to change cookie bakers this year. Girls had NO input. They are the ones out there representing and selling, and had no input whatsoever about what they are selling.
- Constantly changing program and staff. It takes forever to have questions answered. Little support at council level. National program appears to be run by a marketing team with little knowledge of the original Girl Scouting mission.
- I don't think the Journeys are "all that". They aren't easy to pick up and execute. I don't find that doing their activities really help build leadership, which is why they were invented.
- The rules for insurance make it very difficult for taking trips, gathering at a house, or other events that should be easier for Troops. I do like the increased flexibility to try to keep older girls involved in scouting. But I think taking money from girls to register them without guaranteeing them a Troop is morally wrong.
- The girl scouts organization (or at least the council in northern NJ) have been getting away from all that encompasses girl scouting. Camping is all but gone from the group. Camp Eagle Island is my favorite childhood memory of the summer and the friendships I made 25+ years ago are still with me today. You should bring these camps back for girls to experience and not throw them away because they are not seen as a way to make money.
- I believe we have gotten away from our core values and helping the girls learn basic and important skills such as cooking, sewing, outdoor skills. The limited options have limited our girls choices and only allows them to be pointed in a few directions.
- The limited badge choices now available is AWFUL, and my girls HATE the journeys. I do like that the journeys encourage additional community service activities at the end, but getting through the journeys is difficult because the girls say it's too much like school work.
- I think that the support that is being given to leaders is almost non-existent. Leaders are given the answer "Just go online" and overwhelmed new leaders find that very un-useful. I know your answer will be that I should help them out but I have been doing that for 30 years and have been told it is time to step back, so I am trying to do that, but it is happening at the expense of what I spent so many years to build up!
- I feel unsupported by my council and Girl Scouts USA.
- While it's good that Girl Scouts is adapting to the changes in our time, and the demands on the girls' schedules~it should not make scouting as we know it, a watered-down version of the way it was in the past. The requirements to earn badges/pins/recognition, should be just as meaningful, and require the time & energy that it always has. Some of these have become much easier, yet it demands more hours to achieve a silver and/or gold award status. I was a co-leader and a leader for 10 years, and as I left 4 years ago, this is the way things seemed to be going. Girl Scouts were undergoing major changes in its' administration, and even changed what it was to be called-GSNENY. Hopefully, things have smoothed out after a rough start. I am happy to see scouting active in my community, at all age levels, so things must be headed in the right direction ! Please stay true to the values that make girl scouting, what it is and what it was !!
- I like the idea of encouraging leadership, but that's been a part of scouting for years, and we've produce pretty phenomenal women. Both the STEM push, and the journeys are simply too much like school. The girls get bored with 'stories' no matter how fun I tried to make them. I've lost girls because its boring. This year, I'm going back to the outdoor programs, archery, canoeing, hiking, firebuilding, knots...and other things they don't learn in school like sewing, cooking, and how to change a tire or where to check the oil in their cars. They are loving it! These are things the girls need whether they are a cashier or astronaut! Science and math is available to them in school. I think we need to get back to teaching them how to be scouts, know nature, and learn outside of school.
- Changes seem to come without consultation with a wide range of members. Once changes are made (e.g. Journeys) there is not enough support in implementing this program. We could use a lot more support from GSUSA in preparing online training modules such as the Boy Scouts use. Each council should not have to struggle to get online trainings.
- The moral compass broke several years ago and I resigned. Money became the prime motivator. Closing/selling Eagle Island is the last straw!
- There seems to be so much communication lacking- and lack of respect for seasoned staff and leaders that Girl Scouts in the not too distant future will barely resemble Girl Scouts at all. There are so many traditions that have gone away. girls will not be learning what I wanted my daughter to gain from Girl Scouts.
- (1) Not enough badge variety, badges are too much like school and not enough hands-on. This is at every level. (2) Tying everything to leadership is exhausting; as my 21-year-old daughter commented, sometimes it's good to be introduced to interesting new activities and not feel pressured to lead them. (3) Journeys are very difficult to implement. Our troops meet twice monthly with additional special events. There is not enough time to devote 10 sessions to a journey, with all the other activities the girls want to do. So the adults need to spend way too much time figuring out how to condense. Also how can they be girl-led when the scripts and some of the best ideas are in the adult guide? (4) Eliminating the term "troop leader" is a mistake. The public uses it anyway. And if every adult is called simply "adult volunteer", then the one-time carpool driver and the week-in, week-out "troop leader" both have the same title, and that is disheartening to the adult who is doing most of the work.
- I waver between satisfied and unsatisfied. Current programming is hard to implement for multi-level troops. They are also time consuming for leaders as I need to be creative to coming up with ways to make the requirements feel less like school work.
- I think that we are so focused on leadership and STEM that we have lost some of the fun and outdoor recreation we used to do. I also think we need to again teach more basic life skills like sewing on buttons and cooking a meal.
- There is less and less focus on doing, and more focus on talking/discussing. Girls love hands on activities for earning badges. My experience is daisy through cadette. The girls love to camp and be outdoors, yet there is no outdoor journey and barely any badges related to that. It seems like the history of scouting is being abandoned. The brownie Gs ways badge doesn't even include making a sit upon. The girls find the journeys tedious. They are not interested in reading the book. Girls want to earn skills badges.
- GSUSA needs to be competitive with other youth organizations
- hate the journeys, miss the large badge assortment
- there has been to much change I think the girls could do without the Journeys they were doing just fine before but now........
- I'd like to see more emphasis on traditional Girl Scout programs. It's great to add new and change with the times when change is necessary. Change for changes sake is not good. Concentrate on keeping the girls you have and more girls will join because girls are staying in the program. Strategized with the SU teams on how to retain girls they already have and come up with programs to recruit girls and adult volunteers.
- There should be a neutral answer which is where I feel the overall organization and the council is going. There are things they are doing well and others where they are struggling.
- The whole focus of Girl Scouting has changed in the last 40 years as far as I can tell. The only thing that has any connection is the selling of Girl Scout cookies. The upper leadership seems to have lost all connection with what made Girl Scouts. Obviously, not everyone likes the outdoor, camping, bugs and dirt, but just because a few do not, does not mean that it is something that no girls should be exposed to.
- I think we are a work in progress. We've made some good changes, but we're not "there" yet. A few more key changes would make a major difference.
- I feel that the organization is "dumbing down" the movement, in order to seek more members. It seems that membership is more the focus than developing strong young women.
- It has become all about recruiting, marketing, profit, and doing things in a Big way. No longer are the girls and troops important, close, supported or cared for. Since the merges ( I was a part of LA. Now NORCAL I have seen in both areas a lack of local activities, increase in cost for ALL EVENTS, and the new programming is not girl friendly. Everything is about talking, rather than hands on like it was in earning badges for decades. Also everything has a big service project attached and makes it hard to motivate girls. It seems like intentions were good but some reconsideration should be made for the variety of personalities and interests and time investments should be made.
- I think that Girl Scouting is leading more and more into trying to make more money. The Journeys to me are just a way for the program to get even more money out of the girls.
- I think our council is fantastic in so many ways. However, I am not happy with the National program.
- Feels like moving in many directions. Badgework options feel so "preprofessional" especially for older kids. I understand that you are helping kids who don't have basic financial literacy etc, but it really doesn't appeal to our older girls (who are highly academic and bound for elite colleges in a few years). i think they'd prefer more creative and exploratory opportunities.
- It is a little difficult to answer this because the direction seems to change frequently. I am delighted by the emphasis on girl-led and girl-centered planning. I am also pleased to see an emphasis on skills that will help girls survive and thrive in the world we now live in. I am not sure about the Journeys, and at this point I still prefer the badge system with awards that required a synthesis of several badges, activities, and outcomes, such as the Sign of the Arrow or the Cadette challenges. I would like to see optional badges/awards for Girl Scout legacy and heritage, and outdoor skills.
- I like the "old" Girl Scouts better--troops had the flexibility to pursue their own interests and were not bound to Journeys requirements which has become something to "get through." Journeys should be optional.
- Girls Scouts is no longer Scouts in my opinion. What happened to camping and being outside? What about other skills such as sewing a button on? My girls are all being taught about bullying in school and at home - and now GS feels it needs to continue it? Please get back to the basics of Scouts! My daughter is also a Venture Scout so that she can get the outside experience she craves. She would much rather go to a BS Venture meeting that a GS meeting - and we founded this troop!
- Girl Scouts is not a corporation. We should not have Core Business Strategies. Listen to your members, please. Keep the outing in Scouting!
- I was a Girl Scout all the way through 12th grade and have been a leader for 12 years. I see no semblance of what Girl Scouting was when I was a scout or even when my troop was Daisies. When my troop did their Silver Award on the US Flag code we struggled to find one little portion of one Junior badge that even mentioned the flag. No other levels had anything. My girls are just hanging on because of their Gold Awards but they regularly comment on how it isn't Girl Scouts anymore, just weird liberal junk. The books can't be followed, they are too obviously liberal (and I'm not a conservative), and they have nothing to do with what our founder wanted from scouting. I have a Girl Scout manual from the 40s and it has more practical, real life knowledge in it than the junk our "Journeys" have. You have killed our organization by taking away the core concepts. Try looking in some of the old manuals and you will see how far removed you are from what it should be. If you can't see how unhappy girls, leaders and parents are with your changes then you head is in the sand.
- Our council is so disorganized. The staff act like they are the ones who matter, not the girls. They ask the volunteers to do more and more, all the while they seem to be doing less and less. Most girls and adults in our area do NOT like the journeys - it is too much like school. These materials are difficult to follow and to assist girls in implementing. the leader books are of little help!! We want more traditional girl scouting. And it seems like our council is always changing things - too much change - makes things confusing. I wish Girl Scouting had a standard program, more online training from national, would make it easier when one changes from one council to another. our CEO is a "yes man" and doesn't seem to know what is good for girl scouting. She is not very outgoing, seems shy and ignores the volunteers when at functions. Not good characteristics for a CEO! I do not like the direction that our council seems to be going. They put more and more onto the volunteer. We get reprimanded if we call to talk to anyone other than our community support person (formerly known as community Development manager). They have a model for volunteer structure that doesn't make sense - it cuts out the Service Unit manager for the chain of command and then she doesn't know what is going on when people asks her stuff. Also don't like that they changed SU to Community - makes it confusing - we live in our community and then calling our SU a community makes it very confusing when you start talking about communities!!
- Although the program is supposed to be for every girl, everywhere, I think GSUSA needs to realize that not every girl actually wants to be in Girl Scouts. The program has become too much like school & the girls prefer to do the camps, crafts, and learn other skills. My troop has decreased quite a bit. While some is due to the girls getting older & having other interests, some dropped out because they felt the program was boring. Since then, I have learned to adapt the journey program to more of what they want.
- Too much change especially in paid staff
- Disappointed that there are less badges, especially outdoor skills. Girls need to be outdoors more frequently and the loss of those badges means they lose the introduction to those skills. Generic "Hiking" or "Camping" badges doesn't cut it. Or "domestic" skills such as sewing. Nowadays, there really isn't another place to learn these skills. Also, not everybody likes journeys and I feel they should not be a requirement to earning the bronze, silver or gold. They mimic school too much.
- I do not feel like GSUSA or my local council leadership is tuned in to what girls and volunteers need and want from Girl Scouts. My local council has experienced so much turnover since the merger that much of its institutional knowledge is no longer in the headquarters building, it's held by volunteers who are never asked for their help or opinions or if they are asked, it's only for show.
- I despise the larger council area. I felt that it was oversized to begin with. It seemed far removed from Huntington to begin with now it seems too corporate.
- I am thrilled with our local leadership - but VERY concerned about the national associations and affiliations. NOT in favor of ANY link to planned parenthood. VERY disgusted with the political nature of the national organization. So much good happens at the local level and that is the only reason I am able to participate.
- I am satisfied in some ways and in some ways i'm not. Some of the new program stuff is horrible and some is great. Will elaborate more shortly.
- I don't feel the main interest is in the girls but more on the GSUSA level to raise money. Very disheartening.
- 1. Don't like how the councils were re-organized without consideration to local units. There are multi-town school districts which are split between 2 councils. this is wrong and it creates a nightmare for the MC's. 2. The re-do of the badges could have been better. Too many "skill" badges have been removed. Badges themselves look to cartoony. 3. Dump the journeys. They teach neither leadership nor skills. The girls hate them, as do the leaders.
- Brand new to scouting. I do know what the prior state was.
- Need to get away from journeys! My girls do not enjoy them at all.
- This is not the same organization that I once loved. The focus has been shifted from the GIRLS and to making money. There also seems to be a lack of interest at the National level on keeping girls in scouting all the way through high school.
- the membership fees are ridiculously high and the fees for activities are also very high. The new direction of scouting is forgetting what scouting is really about. No clear answers from council. The people that review the projects for the silver award were continuously delaying their responses and misplacing information for the projects. I find it completely unfair to let girls join girl scouts in their senior year just to complete the gold award for college application and have no idea what scouting is all about. The boy scouts cannot get their eagle scout award without completing many requirements and leadership skills.
- I hate the current direction of our program. I hate the realignment and what it's done to my Council. Heart of the Hudson Council combined seven or nine counties In New York state into one council - Geographically the area is huge and now handles 33,000 Girl Scouts. The area where I live is more urban the upper areas are definitely more rural and the girls interests, lifestyles and school situations are completely different throughout the council. My old council Westchester-Putnam was flourishing. We were profitable and had tons of extra programming and training - Both for leaders and for girls. After realignment our council was completely watered-down. Our profits went to bail out former counties that were no longer profitable. We were told that we could no longer run our extra programs or training in Westchester-Putnam because it was unfair that the same programs were not offered council wide. So rather than try to introduce these types of programs and training to the other areas we were simply told to eliminate them from ours - Things like the honor troop program and the extra leader training were simply eliminated. When we protested the removal of the honor troop program after year or so they reintroduced a council wide program called Stars of the Hudson. But the new name and program with different requirements, along with the year or so without a program, completely diluted its effectiveness so the girls and the leaders no longer cared about it. My girls used to take pride in saying we were an honor troop but no one knows what Stars of the Hudson means and so many troops didn't even bother to participate that the award no longer means anything to my girls. I personally found all the extra leader training really effective. We had programming like how to start a troop website or how to plan troop trips or how to organize troop paperwork Or how to keep older girls engaged. These were offered both at the Council headquarters in Pleasantville and in different communities throughout Westchester Council. As part of our honor troop program both leaders and troops were encouraged to hold programming events open to the community and/or Council at-large as part of the honor troop requirements. But the honor troop program was eliminated And now all programs must be offered to the gigantic heart of the Hudson Council and must be held in the "central locations" So all the extra programming is basically eliminated. Now we simply have roundtable meetings where leaders are welcome to discuss questions at a Council meeting. Sometimes they're broken down by scout level- Daisy brownie etc. But often they are simply older scout roundtable meeting or younger scout roundtable meeting so the groups are varied and I find them very ineffective. Maybe I have don't have a specific question but I just want ideas of what else I could do with my girls or some training so I would feel more secure in my role but the roundtables definitely do not provide this the way the extra training used to. In fact we no longer have level specific training. It used to be that when girls bridged over to a new level we would have a training event where the girls would stay upstairs with Girl Scouts in older levels to learn what it's like to be a Girl Scout at the new level and what those scouts do while the leaders went downstairs to be trained on how to specifically run meetings, programs and award programs for girls in the new level of scouting. In fact it was mandatory that every leader went to Girl Scout level specific training as their troops advanced levels. Now we have one generic leader training and those lovely roundtable meetings. And the leaders really feel a lack of support and a lack of security in what they're doing. This really is evident in the lack of understanding of the award programs in the upper levels among leaders. And I believe that the level specific training has been eliminated mostly because they don't have enough people available to teach it throughout the gigantic counsel. I think they may be adding some online training but that is never the same as the give-and-take of a real meeting with a qualified leader teaching other newer leaders. I also heard that immediately after realignment the paid Girl Scout employees were told they could no longer both work for Council and be troop leaders. These were the women who were basically doing all the work and providing so much of the extra programming and training that I enjoyed. Many of these women stopped working for Council and stuck with their own troops. This really hurt the council. We have had so much turnover and so many people constantly switching positions in Council that we never know who to talk to when we need help. Most of the knowledgeable and qualified people are gone and the few that are left are in constantly changing positions. It makes everything very confusing and makes the people who work at council less effective because they're always "new in their position". I understand that it's difficult to manage a council with 35,000 girls but I'm also a Boy Scout leader and our Boy Scout Council Westchester Putnam has as many Boy Scouts in it. They've broken the council down into districts and each district is allowed to have its own unique programming. The Boy Scout districts have their own individual events and they open them up to the other districts in the council who are welcome to travel there if they want to but there is no pressure that all programming must be offered in all areas just to be fair. Immediately after realignment I mentioned this to people working in Council. But I was specifically told that they do not want to create districts because they felt it would create separateness in the now gigantic heart of the Hudson Council. They told me that if Westchester Putnam was now a district within the council and kept its old programming and events it would lead to alienation and separatism within the Council and that the purpose of realignment was to create one gigantic unified council not seven separate districts all doing different events. I said I thought as long as everyone was invited to our programming that it wouldn't cause separateness but they said no. So now we end up with much less programming, training and events because they all have to be duplicated throughout the council or offered in "central locations" just to be fair. These "central locations" are at least an hour away from where I live. In Westchester County people are not used to traveling more than 20 minutes to half an hour to go to an event or for programming - it's just not the way we live. However in the upper more rural parts of my now gigantic council they are used to driving 45 minutes to an hour for everything because things are more spread out. So the "central locations" an hour and 15 minutes away from them do not hinder them from attending events But the same amount of travel time is a huge deterrent to my girls and their parents in the urban parts of the council where I live. So even when we manage to have some good programming in a "central location" my troops usually don't attend because the parents just don't want to drive that far. To those of us in the southernmost part of the heart of the Hudson Council it seems like all the emphasis is on the people who live in the upper northern parts and what really angers us is those were the former councils that were falling apart and less productive and we were the council that was profitable and doing well. I resent the fact that they took the best parts of my council and eliminated them in order to be fair to girls who live nowhere near me simply because someone believes that a bigger Council will be more effective when trying to sell Girl Scouting in order to gain grants or for marketing purposes. From my 15 years as a Girl Scout leader I have seen that a bigger council simply means less programming, less training, less effective management and a weaker organization overall. I view the realignment as the worst thing to happen to Scouting and something that has been detrimental to the experience of all my Girl Scouts.
- I feel like GSUSA has watered down the scouting program by restricting badges to just the few new ones and by introducing Journeys, which feel like a dumbed down version of school work. I feel like the whole point of scouting is to introduce girls to things they might not otherwise have an opportunity to experience, while building leadership skills.
- I feel GSUSA and our local council has abandoned the core values of scouting and has initiated a watered down program developed based on research conducted with non members. In other words, the program and initiatives are more geared toward what girls want, rather than what current girl scouts want. I feel the needs and wants of members that are already invested in the organization are being largely ignored. With that said, I realize that it is incredibly challenging to be all things to all people.
- The only big issue I've been having is, a lot of the new Badges do not encourage the kids to get outdoors. That has always been a mainstay in my troop dynamic. Now none of it works towards a Badge of any kind.
- I sent in my Life Membership after 51 years due to my disgust with the current attitude toward camps in general, and in particular, Eagle Island Camp in Upper Saranac Lake, NY. Camping is what made Girl Scouts different from every other organization for girls. It taught us independence and skills that were not available elsewhere. Our alumnae group made an offer to buy the camp which was completely ignored by GS Heart of NJ.
- Not thrilled with fall product sales. Especially HATE the spicy cajun mix - tastes awful and have heard others complain about it. I don't push magazines and would prefer some calendar sales (can teach planning and time management) in conjunction with fall products. I think cookie sales need more emphasis on the Girl Scout value of "honesty" because it looks bad to my child when others are selling before the start date and when girls have booths before the booth date! We don't need to teach our girls (the future CEOs of our world) to pattern themselves with dishonesty in business! Our society has endured that not too long ago and we don't need to encourage that with our girls!
- I love the Girl Scout program. My daughter loves doing the activities and has a blast meeting new girls that join her troop.
- I don't care for the Journeys. I have a Brownie troop, and they want to DO things- not read about fictional girls doing things. I can take the objectives of the Journeys books and help my Brownies learn and achieve those objectives without the books. I really like the Girls' Guides (in contrast to the Journeys) because the girls can pick out what they want to do, focus on that, complete the tasks- and they can do that own their own outside of a meeting as well!
- With the onset of the "Journeys" Program Girl Scouts went from being a "hard skills" based program that encouraged girls to learn about new careers and find their personal strengths to a program that trains girls to be lobbyists for a very restricted set of preselected causes. 2) The new program gives developing self-esteem a lot of lip service, but at no point did the creators of the program take into account that the way to develop lasting self-esteem and confidence in any child is to give them hard skills which they can rely on to get through real life situations. 3) We moved just last year, and my old service unit lost literally dozens of girls in the last 6 years. When I started there as registrar we had 700 girls and moms registered in the town, and when I left we had dropped to less than 500. When we polled former members we found many left due to total lack of interest in the Journey program and the rather half-hearted attempts of badges that go with them.4) From a content point of view, we heard from many girls that the topics chosen for the Journeys, (bullying, friendship, self-esteem, the environment, recycling, local foods, etc) are done multiple times in school, and so they aren't learning anything new, just covering the same topics over and over. ey have to do in school. 5) From a design point of view, the Journey books and the leaders guides do not match up page for page ( like a teacher's manual might) making planning needlessly difficult for leaders. And once again the leader's guides hold no answers, or instructions as to what the "right way" to do something might be. Leaders are left searching the internet for additional information which may or not be "correct" or the GS approved way. 6) My troop of HIgh School age scouts has earned their silver and the done the required Journey to earn their Gold, but wants nothing to do with the new program at all, and has decided to earn all of their badges out of the old book. In order to keep them as GS ( it would be a shame to lose girls who have been in scouts for 11 years) I let them.
- The program for the older girls is not as hands on as it should be. Seems like there is less emphasis on experiential learning and more on discussion, introspection, and reading.
- Concerned about the sale of camps and lack of commitment to outdoor education
- Focus is on school work type of journeys, outdoors is out. Cassettes are treated like servants to run programs, but not like girls who want to have fun and need time to play, too. Very limited programming for cassettes. Too much focus on selling products.
- I am concerned that the program has been too watered down. Badges and awards are too easy and encourage computer use rather than interacting with friends or going outside. Basic life skills, like swimming and sewing, have been replaced by trendy topics (bullying) that already get heavy treatment at school.
- There are many wonderful things done, but I think we could fit the needs of girls better. I do not see girls in the forefront of activities and meeting the needs of rural girls as well as they do those of urban girls.
- It seems as though all camps are being sold off although the business of camp outside of girl scouting is going strong. I think that there is a branching away from the role of camp in a girls life through girl scouting. I believe that GSUSA can accomplish keeping up with current trends, advocating STEM for girls AND keeping camping as a central mission. Camp can even enhance STEM and help keep girls centered and strong through the labyrinth that is pre teen and teenage society.
- We seem to have issues with our core structures and our core systems. This affects member satisfaction
- The "Western Washington" realignment has left southwest Washington in the dust. Everything has moved north of the Pierce/Thurston line, mostly to the Seattle area. And it's all about Seattle. As an example, there was a recent meeting to discuss programs at the most southerly camp which has been mostly neglected since the council realignment, and the meeting was held in Pierce County -- nearly 100 miles away. Do you think they really wanted input from the people most likely to care about and use that camp? Nope.
- Little communication, slow decision making
- This organization is poorly run with a lot of overhead which is paid for through extorting little girls. Camps are closing. There is less emphasis on scouting and more emphasis on school work. Girls hate the journeys and most of the take home badge work. Badges should be able to be earned as a troop and they should be for learning new things or important skills. Please review the boy scout program. It is great! The leadership system is wonderful. Quit worrying about liability and get the girls outdoors. Go back to the old badges or do merit badges like the boy scouts do- girls can do this stuff!
- I'd like to see some outdoor badges which the girls are asking for, especially camping related.
- Would like to see MORE emphasis on OUTDOOR skills and Camping. Girls need to get out of the home, unplug and see what nature has to offer and to spend some time out in Nature.
- Bring back more proficiency badges! Get rid of Journeys!
- Our council has turned Girl Scouting into a business. It's all about the money. Very upset!
- The badges are too limited. It was better when there was something for every type of interest. Journey's are like doing homework, they take up too much troop time and the girls hate them.
- I think we have made some great strides with communication. Unfortunately, for girls from lower income families it is still difficult to navigate the financial aid, get the communications and participate.
- I think the organization is making some HARD choices in a very competitive environment. The magical thinking of the past needs to stay in the past. Today's volunteers are different from those of the past. Girl Scouts doesn't exist for older people to remember their good times, but it is a living breathing organization that needs to make painful choices to stay relevant to today's girls and today's volunteers.
- Where is the tradition of Girl Scouts? That's the entire reason I have put my daughter into Girl Scouts and why I continue to move forward. My mother was a Girl Scout, Girl Scout Leader and Registrar for many many years continuing after her daughters were grown and out of girl scouts. 2)The entire badge program needs to be scraped and we need the traditional badges back. 3) Why do we have Ambassadors? That is not what the girls were asking for when they asked for additional program at the Senior Level. They were not asking for an Additional Level but more fun things to do. Instead, you all have given the girls more work and guess what, they don't want it!
- I say that only because at present our council is trying to listen more to its members - I was very unsatisfied with the direction it took in selling our camps.
- Fun and learning. Both. Camping should be open to the parents.
- There is insufficient emphasis on structure and leadership for the girls, little to no programming by the council, and an outdated award-structure. The "update" merely watered everything down into too many different directions with far too numerous insurmountable tasks for girls to see a clear path for leadership and success.
- I have seen a lot of changes and they seem to have diminished the girls abilities to do projects that interest them. They are also more like school now and my troop hates that. They want to get their hands dirty and be out and about.
- We need more camps so girls can learn and experience nature.
- I see more focus on business and money rather than real leadership and self improvement.
- Difficult question to answer. There are a few things that concern me - but I am not dissatisfied with the continued focus on developing girls who are leaders.
- I look at our program and it barely resembles the Girl Scout program that served me so well. So many of the people in our office were never Girl Scouts but shape the organization nonetheless.
- Journeys and other things that try to make it "easy" end up being homework and not things that you can do AT troop meetings.
- It seems to be they they are getting away from basic values and skills. I also feel that our service unit (community -- that was a BAD change with the restructuring in our area). I feel it needs to go back to the GS Law and manners. Learning skills like cooking, sewing, knot tying are all still valuable skills.
- I like the idea of teaching the girls leadership but we were already doing that with the old program if leaders followed the model of adults leading when the girls were young and the girls gradually gaining more responsibility until they were doing everything and the adults were there for guidance. I also miss the old badges. So do the girls. They are only interested in a few of the current badges but loved the subjects of the former badges. The old badges exposed them to subjects that they might not be exposed to at home and could foster a new interest, hobby or even career.
- Partly satisfied wasn't an answer option.
- It seems that scouting is moving away from outdoor skills. Would like to see more of this in the Journey books.
- I feel like they have stepped too far away from the traditional path. I am a Girl Scout leader and we are trying to work our way through a Journey. My girls are bored and lose interest quickly. I don't feel they are getting out of it what Council thinks they should. There are only a handful of good badges left. The rest are even more boring than the Journey.
- It's been bumpy, but I can see the way ahead.
- Programs developed for older scouts are lacking in quantity. Traditions, badges, uniforms change too often.
- My girls and I love our troop!
- you have forgotten the values of what Girl Scouting was founded on. Closure of so many camps and NOT listening to the members is disappointing and heartbreaking.
- I find Council employees difficult to reach and often unresponsive for days.
- Our council has become very corporate - it's all about the bottom line. There is no support for the volunteers anymore
- Too much emphasis on the journeys, new fluff type badges, and frou frou. My older girls see the Journeys as similar to schoolwork that they are forced to do in order to work on the Silver/Gold. They'd rather earn a bunch of badges and learn interesting/useful skills while doing so then read the journey book or have to spend weeks of meeting time working through the Journey programs. Ditto for most of the badges. The badges used to be part of the pathway. You had to earn a certain number/type of badges in order to advance along the path to the Silver or Gold. Not today. The badges are optional and most choose not to bother. Girls in my older girl troop used to work hard to earn as many badges as possible. Now most only earn those we do as a troop. The badges are so watered down from the older badge programs. Science of happiness? Eating for Beauty? Important things to learn about, sure, but not for a badge. My troop saw the names of some badges and said "no way". 2) What happened to all the outdoor badges, the swimming, boating, lifesaving, knife or rope or survival skills, career exploration? GS should be challenging girls to develop important skills that they can draw on for the rest of their lives. Kids these days spend so much of their time on technology - cell phones, video games, tv, skype... What they aren't doing is interacting, spending time outdoors and learning to trust themselves and each other in the outdoor environment without technology. Outdoor programs and outdoor places (e.g., camps) should be held sacred and all troops and girls encouraged to spend time camping and participating in other outdoor activities. Our council is in the process of closing camps and intends to start up "world class" STEM programs at the remaining locales. The girls don't need that and most of my troop wouldn't be able to afford these programs. They get an awful lot of STEM programming at school. What they want is the opportunity to camp, to hang out with other girls who accept them as they are, to learn that they can take care of themselves, stay overnight without a parent or technology, cook their own food and be accepted w/o having to worry about having the perfect wardrobe or looks. As it is, today it is very difficult for a troop to find available campsites at our council's camps; our service unit has had to schedule camporees outside the council or at private camps for 3 of the past 5 years. The Girl Scouts should be doing everything possible to hang on to GS Camps. It's the experiences at GS Camps that help build strong, independent women and memories the girls will remember well into the future. I fear if we stick to the current program the girls find uninteresting, we'll see declines in the number of older girl scouts.
- It seems that not all girls are included; instead location is the driving factor for inclusion and programs. Unfortunately, the concern to increase our minority numbers has lead to those in rural areas needs to no longer be met.
- Council is not representing troop leaders that need assistance in a timely matter. In fact it seems they are impartial to "the squeaky wheel" and the parties that sit back get no support.
- I think that the new programs are going away from what the old program was. The girls seem to enjoy the old ways better than the new Journey programs.
- Our local council is horribly run. Staff for the most part do not seem to care about helping the volunteers. We joke that it is called the "black hole" because they lose so many papers that are submitted. The web site is horrible. They do not do a good job at providing information. The calendar is awkward. We are told documents are "on the web site" when in fact they have been removed. The only redeeming quality is the quality of the actual volunteers.
- I like the programming. I do not like the regular, complete change of programming. I do not like the cost of materials. I can't build on my own experience, nor my experience with my daughter's troop, because the program was completely different for my daughter than for me, and is now completely different for the troop I am leading. NO materials in common - NONE. Cost is a major problem, too - 4 of my troop are on grants, and the cost of outfitting them is $50/year.
- I think that the new girl scout leaders should visit an existing troop at least 3 or 4 meetings before they start their own troops. This way they have a better understanding of how a girl scout troop should be run. Even though they go through Volunteer Essentials they still need to visit an active troop.
- I am sad they got rid of so many varied badges to replace them with so few. The girls find the Journeys BORING and only do them because it is required for bronze, silver or gold award. The current program also makes it difficult to run a multilevel troop, with no badges crossing over multiple levels.
- Do not like the direction the organization is going. The girls are not happy with the badge selections, Council outing selection etc. Also did not like that in one section of the booklet it was suggested that the girls go to moveonup.org (I believe this is correct)...Also I have an issue with the global warming issue badge....new information proves otherwise…
- Mixed feelings. It depends on which aspect and age group of Girl Scouting we are speaking about.
- I think modern society has caused a lot of challenges for Girl Scouts; but also I feel that the issues of modern society make Girl Scouts even more important than ever before.
- Having just gone through the training I am disappointed that there really isn't any training. I can read through a book on my own I really do not need someone walking me through a book page for page and just telling me what is on that page. Teach me the important stuff like how to do the nuts about reading paperwork the cookie paperwork etc. Really disappointed with the lack of help I have received with starting a new troop.
- I like it!!
- Girl Scouts is a volunteer educational organization for girls, not the marketing arm of a cookie company.
- Need to get back to the basics and traditions of Girl Scouts
- I think our Council has some of the hardest working staff members who really try to provide events that are worthwhile and interesting for girls! My daughter loves resident camp and asks to attend multiple camps each year, often in 100 degree heat! The Council staff has always been responsive and helpful, sometimes going way beyond to help me as a troop leader. I also love the increased visibility of GSUSA and Maria Chavez in talk shows etc. I think we need a greater media program promoting all the benefits of girl scouting. The recent photography and materials are a great step.
- I feel like, at some point, GS lost their way - it's not about the girls, it's about being a corporation
- Girl Scouts used to be about providing many options, to meet the many interests of each unique girl, now we only have about 25 badges for each 2 years. This is leading girls and leaders to go outside the organization for program that interests them, so it's no longer even Girl Scout program. You gained leadership through challenging outdoor activities, not by sitting around and talking about it. The new program is more focused on talking about what needs to be changed in the world then getting girls out there experiencing things. Girls were once proud to be recognized as Girl Scouts because they got to do fun things that others girls might not have an opportunity to experience. Now there is so little about it that is exciting to older girls, and the public sees it only as arts and crafts and cookies, for little girls. No teenager wants to be seen as participating in something that is for little girls, that's why they quit playing with dolls before they reach middle school.
- I have been involved with Girl Scouts for the last 13 years. THe first 10 very involved and the last 3 not so much as we have lost members due to girls not being interested in the change in so many Girl Scout areas. With being a long term member it makes me very sad!!!
- I feel our council is trying to do the best to serve the GS population, however I also believe the GS experience is what you make of it.
- I still don't love the journeys. But I have seen some good things come from them. I do believe that we lose girls because they are not fun and exciting even when the girls pick which activities to do. I have taken training twice for the journeys, once when they first came out and the GSLE training just last week. The facility from each (a different person) did not feel comfortable with the journeys, therefore, didn't do a very good job in training. Take action projects are overwhelming to leaders. There are no good resources in the journeys for developing ideas for Take Action Projects with your girls. 2) Council seems money hungry. Their council-sponsored programs are too expensive for my low income inner city girls. And most of the programs are on a totally different part of the state. With weekday programs starting at 4:30, 5 or 6pm, there is no way that working parents could drive their girl to these programs that are, at some places, 2 hours away. 3) All trainings need to be developed as virtual. Boy Scouts does an amazing job at that. It is late at night, kids are in bed, I can take my training now. That is how it needs to be. 4) Girls still want to be out of doors. Council needs to help volunteers to lead girls to love the out of doors. Volunteer day camp directors are treated with no respect. We offer to help clean and organize the day camp trailer and we are turned down. Then find a totally filthy trailer on the Monday of day camp. We are never asked our opinion in day camp shirts, but have to purchase them from council.
- However I had to transfer troops to get better leadership.
- Girl Scouts is still an important organization for the well being of the girls we serve. I am dissatisfied with some things like the lack of money for staff and programs and camp, but I love Girl Scouts and still believe that it is the best place to assist a girl in her quest of being a strong woman and to follow her ideas and ideals to that end.
- Don't like all of the bookwork & everyone needing their own. Apparently the people in charge do not have low income girls in their troops or actually had to use the stuff. I started a troop with a budget of ZERO and had to buy pens, paper, scissors, etc. for many years until I had a supply.
- There is too much of a disconnect between GSUSA-local councils-local membership. The "us vs them" has grown to a point that there is distrust and animosity.The ability of staff/council to provide service to girls has decreased drastically! Girls are being forced to travel greater distances to participate in certain GS activities. Transportation and finances impact their ability to experience GS as fully as in the past. By-laws are. not being followed, including the reporting of financial and other required information which should be public as a 501(c)(3). These are only a few issues which have changed in a negative manner since the realignment. It is truly a disservice to our girl and adult membership.
- program could be improved. Outdoor program should be increased. Creation of bigger units would help to increase diversity in the program. There is no a real advancement in skills
- My girls do NOT like the Journeys or the "take action projects" (TAPs) associated with them. We have been working on the Amaze Journey. We started last year. It made meetings boring for us. Because of that, my troop of 12 girls diminished to a troop of 5. We have finally finished the Interact and Peacemaker parts of this award. ALL of the topics have already been discussed in school. My girls are in Girl Scouts to experience NEW things, not something they've already done in school. We are now working on the Diplomat part of the award (the TAP). The requirements for the TAP mirror those of the Silver Award in that it should be original and sustainable. The only difference I can see is that there is no hour requirement like the Silver has. To me, GSUSA is asking girls to be like adults in coming up with a project that no one has ever done before, and implementing it so it will last forever. While this is clearly appropriate for the Gold Award that the girls will try to earn in high school, this is totally inappropriate for any type of Journey Award, and in my opinion, cheapens the prestige of both the Silver Award and the Gold Award.
- I think that GS has lost it's focus. The focus is supposed to be the girls - with the advent of Journeys and revamping the badge programs, the girls are missing out on a lot. The do not want to do Journeys and are not interested in the majority of badges that are left.
- Girl Scouts is too quick to follow the current "trends" in an attempt to appeal. Trends fade away & then the programming isn't relevant. Consistency is important. Boy Scouts have not strayed from their origins. People know & respect them, know the Eagle award. Mention Girl Scouts & the first thing that pops in mind is COOKIES (oh, what's a Gold award?) Now we have candy bars, ice cream & coffee creamer. We've become commercialized & a joke! My girls actually like the types of activities that Boy Scouts offers (rifles, archery, carving, knife safety, etc.) The only current GS badge they really liked was cooking.
- The requirements for training make it nearly impossible for a small troop with few leaders to take part in most activities. Requiring a lifeguard to fish from the bank while in life vests means fishing won't happen for many troops. The Journeys are so time consuming that few other badges can be worked on and the girls do not enjoy the Journey information or activities. There seems to be less fun in scouting than I remember.
- Stop closing our camps!
- Girl Scouts has pushed outdoors and STEM for years and now with the new Journeys there is less emphasis on outdoors and less on STEM. The Journeys are like school work, the old badges gave the girls choices on what they wanted to work on, the Journey paths fail if you ask me and my girls - I have been a leader for over 20 years and when they started to leave the traditional path behind first time around (Studio U) my older girls vetoed working on that and said it was dumbing down girl scouts
- While I am pleased with Girl Scouting, realignment has destroyed Girl Scouting in our state. The new leadership has ignored the cultural differences and pushed their agenda based on experience in their state. It doesn't work here, and market share is down nearly 50% in the last four years. :(((((
- The girl scouting program is becoming more and more like a business than an organization of values. Requiring that Girl Scout products are sold in order to receive financial incentives or to be able to participate in troop-organized fundraisers...where is the encouragement for entrepreneurship and creativity???
- Everything was finally moving forward for our service unit. A big part of that was our assigned MDS. We built our SU from 3 troops to over 25 in 6 months. Now (location removed) has restructured yet again. The 3rd time in the 7 years I've been a troop leader. Our MDS has left due to the restructuring and the new team specialist or whatever the position is being called is clueless. Everyone at (location removed) has been very rude and I'm burnt out. I am probably not even registered according to council even though I did emembershiped in August. They are that disorganized and they keep wanting more and more out of the VOLUNTEERS. Why should we do more for THEM when they can't do anything for us. I'm in this for the girls, not the council. Even though they make it hard to want to stay.
- The current program is too much like homework. My girls do not like having to read the journeys to work on other components of badge work. They find them dry and too much school like. They like the old themes of the programing. They do not find interest in most of the new badges.
- This is not the program that my girls joined and enjoyed. Feel distant from our new council. I think the Journeys, lack of badges, closing of our local camp & lack of a local presence of council is driving people from GS not to GS.
- The organization seemingly cares more about building numbers than about SERVING girls. The programming (Journeys, new badges, etc.) has girls sitting and reading stuff, then "journaling" their thoughts on things rather than LEARNING and DOING. Outdoor skills and camping seem to have fallen by the wayside unless you're an old-timer like me who has always taken my girls outdoors. And GSUSA (and my Council, to some extent) seems to have stopped listening to members and adult volunteers altogether!
- I think child labor laws should be looked into with regard on your forcing girls to sell cookies (they are not allowed to fund their troop without it) and giving them back so little.
- Very dismayed that the councils across the country closing the G.S. camps where a girl can live the credo 24/7. The values become organic and it shapes her life forever. if you want the Girls Scouts to flourish, this is most important. I cannot stress this enough. I have 2 boys, but still work with troops and have volunteered at my G.S. headquarters when my boys were small. I cannot tell you how the CAMPS shapes girls and young women. Strengthens confidence, binds friendships and enables a 60 year old (me) to travel to Kenya: no electricity and no running or potable water , and help the Women's Rights in a Maasai Community. All because of G.S. I want to comment about the situation about the cookies….the troops need to get more money for all the work the girls do to sell the products. It is shameful, quite frankly. I almost feel as though you want to "stamp out" this marvelous program of scouting.
- We are selling our assets for current operating expenses. We cannot continue to fund current high paid staff by sending little girls out in February to sell cookies in front of stores. We need a new source of income, staff who stay long enough to learn their jobs, less top heavy staff positions. More exciting program at lower costs, less like school work. More outdoor offerings by volunteers who are willing and capable but ignored. Less consultants at high fees suggesting things that require expensive buildings and infrastructure.
- It is run too much like a corporation that has to answer to shareholders, even though it is a non profit, money talks!
- HATE THE JOURNEYS AND LOSS OF THE OLD PROGRAM!! I have worked with three troops as a leader. With my first troop, I have lost girls every year since the journey program started when they were Brownies because the girls don't like the program now. Had attrition from 20 brownies to 14 juniors to 5 cadets and now troop has disbanded. I can not adequately express how disappointed I am I the whole Girl Scout program. Girls want experiences, learning new things, earning badges, etc. journeys = books + boring + repetition of school work. I am a leader still ONLY because my daughters are committed to GS and want me to be their leader. Otherwise, I would quit. Also, journeys have made it IMPOSSIBLE to have a multi-level troop. Leadership is now IMPOSSIBLE for the girls because they aren't with girls of all ages, they are pigeon-holed into a group in their grade/age. And changing every two years to a new level? Whose idea was that? HUGE mistake!
- I believe the organization is moving away from Juliette Low's vision.
- Too much emphasis on money and business-oriented programming. Would prefer a much wider range of interest based programming.
- I think we need to be challenging our girls to get out of their comfort zone and try new exciting things. I think we also need to return to skills based badge work that will prepare them for their adult lives. Learning to cook, manage budgets, plan trips, set fitness goals all are worth skills that we are no longer focusing on. Every girl needs these skills. They also need team work. Playing games, camping, cooking as a group all work on team building. Then providing opportunities to push the limits on computer skills, physical activities, and artistic expressions are all needed qualities in the workplace and a successful adult life. We need to be sure our girls are ready to be at the head of the pack when they enter their adult lives.
- Since the organization from Service Units to Communities has occurred we have seen very little of our Membership Person and I have never met our Recruitment Person. Both are on their 2nd year with our Community. These jobs were both held by a single individual and we saw her on a monthly basis. The one plus has been more local training opportunities instead of traveling to a camp that is more than an hour away.
- It has become increasingly difficult to volunteer to serve the girls. Countless certifications needed, with few opportunities to get certified. Certifications are expensive and very time consuming.
- I feel the organization has lost sign of Juliette Gordon Low's original intent. While unlike other organizations, ours has grown with society's advancements. There are still several areas that need improvement in this. Like many organizations, Girl Scouts has become money driven for the higher ups. This creates harsh feelings among the volunteers. I know of several AWESOME staff and volunteers that have been lost due to Girl Scouts current direction. I find this to be a shame. Especially since I have an older girls whom is very impressionable. The older girls give hope to the younger ones and that is how the organization lives on.
- The organization is in transition, and I agree with the changes in focusing on girls' changing needs. I am disappointed with how heavy-handed process has been. They need to keep GS principles in mind.
- I really dislike the Journey component and the higher award requirements devised around the Journey. I felt the last set of higher award requirements were good for the girls who felt with more leadership requirements. I think the Journeys are also too expensive for troops.
- The girls think the program is horrible. The only reason they are remaining in scouts is for an upcoming trip. We do a lot of community service instead of Journey's the girls get more out of scouting by helping people.
- Things can always be improved, I can't say that I am unsatisfied.
- We feel like we are very lost...there is not the cohesiveness that I perceived when I was a scout in the 70's and 80's…
- I'm sad that so many traditions have been changed. Change is important but not to the extent of the last several years. I have seen the colors change drastically and the badge seems to be changing again. The program itself is almost unrecognizable and seems lacking. While we shouldn't copy boy scouts, there are some things we could learn from their program instead of having the discouragement that has been caused by the girl scout program changes.
- currently there is no respect for the opinions or experience of both volunteers and staff. Decisions are made without the benefit of the knowledge of the staff and volunteers that have worked in the organization. I know the the goal was to breathe new life into the girl scout organization but at what cost to the history of both GSUSA and the past councils.
- Staff can disregard the by-laws, lie, discriminate and nothing is done. Let a volunteer call them on anything, and the volunteer is released.
- I am disappointed in the programming that Girl Scouts offers. Especially for older girls. Girl Scouts should make more of an effort to survey the girls and find out what they want to get out of scouting. There are never any follow up surveys inquiring as to whether or not the girls liked the program.
- been around over 35 yrs as a volunteer, seen lots of changes, but journeys may not be the answer to our direction, one book per age level, not so many age levels maybe, there are older girls, there are younger girls
- I'm not entirely pleased with the Journeys--I wish we could make our own Journey like we could for the badges. We should get back to basics with skills and camping. The badges are too young for our girls and we are constantly changing every one of them to suit our troops needs.
- I don't care for the direction in which Girl Scouts is turning. God and Country, right? Look at the old handbooks. What was the premise? Now it is geared for whom? Journeys about self-esteem and bullying? First of all, the journeys totally eclipse any freedom that the leaders have and they are rather boring for both the girls and the leaders. Most girls want to camp, rock climb, raft, etc. Yes, there should be civics-minded badges that must be earned (as in Boy Scouts), but come on.....you all have completely changed everything. And the crap about girls having to have finished 9th grade to begin their Gold project???? Obviously, you have no one in a leadership position that has ever taught middle or high school. This should be left to the leaders to decide. They know their girls better than anyone.
- I think they are doing the best they can given the economy and constraints put on them after the merge. the going green has not worked on the setting things up all the time we was going to do a workshop and had all taken care of and then was told that we could not do it because too many girls in the class
- Lose school-work Journeys - girls hate 'em. Give them dozens of badge opportunities: choices, not homework!
- far too much paperwork and little/limited useful assistance from some council staff. Rule continue to change- mid year- limited cookie profits and unwise business practice being taught in order for the service team to "get credit' for cookies that the troop paid for- but council will not pay for any "not moved into a girl spot and also show they have all been paid for- even if they were not
- No one is listening, even current leaders say "It's good enough" and put their heads in the sand. Until "their way" of doing things for years is overthrown and then they complain, but not until it's too late. (Camps cancelled, outings cancelled, etc.)
- Lots of young & new ideas, but from 'kids' who are finding it difficult to communicate in a language meaningful to 'older' members. Do words and actions mean the same thing to all members? How can Girl Scouts remain meaningful and valid to changing demographics and technology? Members (girls and their families) need to feel ownership, to have some 'skin in the game.' Things, programs, beliefs, and good and charitable intentions have no value when just handed out, given away, in a perhaps short-sighted attempt to grow membership. Numbers aware? yes. Numbers driven? a sad (maybe) reality.
- It is no longer about bettering the girls experiences but all about corporate agenda.
- Girls do not seem to enjoy the updated program....
- The Council is too big. There is much turnover of staff. Our opinions are not wanted or herded
- Girls complain about too much like school. Fun educational things and outdoors is what they and I are looking for.
- Where is the outdoor program connection - camping, outdoor skills, hiking, etc?
- Local council does not adequately listen to the volunteer. We continually object to the directions they are taking with selling our camps and consolidating toward the City of Phila. Our outlying areas are being forgotten and service to outlying areas is very lacking.
- I was a Girl Scout as a child from 1968-74 and my daughter started scouts in 1992. I still have a troop with one senior in HS left. Over the years I have been a leader to around 60-70 girls total and I do not see the current program as much fun for the girls. The prerequisites for the Silver and Gold Awards have been so watered down and the actual project requirements have become so demanding that very few girls want to attempt to earn these higher awards. There is nothing fun to do anymore at the higher levels and so if a girl isn't working toward these awards she will drop out for lack of anything to do.
- I've been through changes in Girl Scouts since 1950. We have always come out giving girls what they need. It takes years for any organization to adopt to changes. Right now it is not effecting troops that have new leadership only troops with long term leadership.
- It is in chaos. New badge books expected to be bought during hard economic times, camps closing, little communication, confusion, girls did not complete awards because they did not want to do the Journey's, too much pressure for STEM activities. These girls go to school! They joined G.S. to relax with friends and have fun! I'm glad our girls are older because the organization is falling apart.
- I think Girl Scouts as an organization is doing many amazing things and some changes in recent years have been positive, so I would say that on the whole I am satisfied. However, I'm concerned at the lack of support I see in some councils for outdoor programming, with properties being sold, programs and staff cutback, and facilities not updated when needed. Although the issues are often complex, the life-changing experiences girls gain from camp needed to be invested in, rather than simply in short-term opportunities that may draw higher numbers but do not have the same impact on their lives.
- Lets get Girl Scouting back to the out of doors! Stop the touchy feely Journeys! If we have to have Journeys what about an out of doors one?
- Would like to see a girl scout journey geared more to the outdoors and old school methods or ideology, Daisies through Seniors. Also, we appreciate the standards of uniforms seen in boy scouts of america and the various girl guides throughout the world so adopting slightly more rigorous uniform policies such as theirs (or even a few more pieces of uniform apparel like twisted scarves, collared shirts and hats) would better show recognition and pride in belonging than today's uniforms, which seem to have less and less pieces than ever (sash or vest is requested but additional pieces could be available too including but not limited to one piece dresses or pants and shorts).
- I was a leader, service unit manager, trainer for many years (after being a girl member, camp counselor) I moved on to committee involvement after my troop graduated from high school. I'm only involved in journeys, etc as girls come to the Gold Committee with proposals for projects. i see the good parts of journeys, pathways as Dedicated volunteers present all to their troop. Still like the traditional troop. Worried about the camps and camping experience
- The programming seems to be getting more corporate and less girl-driven. Camps are closing, and we have very little council support.
- I would like to see girls have a bigger part in deciding where GS heads. Our council unfortunately focuses events and trng on the bigger city locations and not on the smaller suburban areas. We do not have even half of what they have available, our girls lose out.
- Girls are uninspired by the current badge offerings; there just aren't enough choices and NOTHING is hands-on (sewing, outdoors, etc.). My troop doesn't want to sit and listen to professionals and experts or talk about feelings and anti-bullying efforts; they do enough of that in school. They want to have fun!
- I wish the organization would have kept more of the older general learning experiences (badges) for the girls to learn. My Junior troop girls have been asking to learn about sewing, canning, and they wish their were a badge for horsemanship. And more nature learning badges.
- Badge work and projects have been "dumbed down" from previous editions, and the scope of interests covered by badge work has been drastically narrowed. There is quite a bit less emphasis on outdoor/survival skills, worldly skills and community service in badge work, projects, what is or is not "allowed" by council since the mergers. PLEASE revisit the original GS manuals from the early 1900s - you will see a vast difference in the quality and quantity of practical skills taught and the diversity that was offered in the badge work and manuals through the 1990s. We no longer expect the same level of sophistication, maturity or effort of the girls who long to be challenged.
- I think GSUSA and individual councils need to highlight outdoor programming (via badges and journeys) but other than that I am satisfied
- The girls feel like the programing is getting to be too much like school work. As a leader and a parent, I would like to know why we have to follow the common core standards? They get enough schooling in school and would like to come to scouts to have fun. They can learn so much just by having fun and hanging out without doing more "school work". I have even let teachers see the materials and they feel that the "Common Core Standards" do not need to be a part of our programming. As a leader, I prefer the old badges compared to the new badges. There were more to choose from and the girls enjoyed them better.
- looking at pie in the sky sparkly buildings instead of hands on programming that is new to each girls experience...develop from the ground up not sky down
- I don't see the same amount of girl activities as I use to. The only time I see girls doing anything in my community is when they are selling cookies.
- The girls do NOT enjoy the Journey that we are required to complete
- The selling of GS Camps across the USA is very upsetting. My daughter is 34 and hikes the Appalachian trail and very adept at primitive camping as a result of 12 years of camping at GS facilities. She also worked as a counselor for 2 years during college. You must stop this raping of our heritage.
- always room for improvement - especially with procedures for funded troops. Leading these troops takes a little too much interpretation of procedures if different from regular troops.
- takes out too much of outdoor leadership lessons. Focuses too much on things girls learn at school.
- I understand the need for changes. I would like more opportunities for girls to be heard. I also believe more meaningful Two-way communication is necessary on all levels
- Everything is about money, not progressing the girls. Even the higher awards are now tied to cookie sales. It seems that the only true focus is how to earn money for GSUSA. The badges have nothing to do with the journeys. The journeys are so "homework" oriented that the girls hate them.
- Merging Councils has had some advantages and disadvantages. New camps are great as we have more choices to select from depending upon your level. I usually receive answers in a timely manner when I contact someone from Council. Selling cookies is a more cumbersome process with much responsibility for collecting money placed upon the troop leader which had not been done in the past. The new registration system was a nightmare for the nut sale. If changes are to be made possibly doing this several months ahead of time to work out the bugs. Also new activity registration requires the leader to use her charge card to pay for girls admission to events. It would be very helpful if Council related the changes in GSUSA to our Council so our service unit would inform the leaders of changes. There definitely is a communication disconnect.
- I feel things are in bad shape. I worry about the future and doing an effective job in the near future.
- as a leader, I don't necessarily like the journeys, but I am adapting them so the girls can earn their badges. we have a troop of 3rd grade brownies. I feel they get enough school work at school, and girl scouts should help them through more hands on experience, not through a workbook.
- Camping was always the most important part of Girl Scouting for me. I see camps being sold and people being told that "Girls don't care about camping any more." Of course they don't if they never have a chance to experience it. And adults who have never been camping have no way of knowing all that camp can do for girls. I am afraid Girl Scouting will cease to be what it has been, will lose its character and eventually the girls.
- I am mostly unsatisfied with the change the GSNETX cookie program took. Parents in our troop liked preorders. We preferred to know that the cookies we ordered were sold. Now, parents have to take more of a financial risk and if the parents are wrong, the kids will be the ones to suffer. It is very discouraging and I am really questioning our participation for future years.
- It has appeared that every group of new college graduates hired by the council become the driving force for changes -- even if they have no experience being a Girl Scout as a girl or a leader. The frequent changes to the program delivery system are frustrating and not very well accepted by existing Girl Scouts (altho newly joining girls may like them). There's little recognition/awareness or respect for traditions. When "the numbers" (whether it's number of girls, numbers of racial/ethnic members, numbers of cookies sold) become more important than the delivery of quality program to girls (of ALL races/ethnicities), everything suffers.
- Our girls want to receive the highest level of accomplishment for their respective age level. I find it a very grueling task to help find activities to allow the girls to not only learn from the experience but to have FUN!! I was not impressed with the Brownie Wonders of Water journey option. Studying rainbows - reflection/refraction of light is more about physics!! We decided to stay local and learn more about the Native American usage of water (the earliest environmentalists) and as a service project helped clean the local rivers. The girls also did some FUN, HANDS ON (missing in the girl scout program) science projects to learn about the properties of water and we had a father after a demonstration about erosion teach the girls a song about the water cycle that he himself wrote that the girls got to learn to sing (they had fun with it). As a reward the girls got to canoe the same trails that the native Americans we discussed traveled. Now as Juniors we are working on the Amuse Journey. I have been trying to find a local theatre group that would allow the girls a backstage tour to get an idea of how a play is performed. Never heard back from anyone, but after my countless requests, I found on the girl scout activity website amazingly a program that fit my request to a tee. It was placed on the website after my email barrage and too late for me to take part in. I have asked countless times why a database isn't available with a list of organizations that would work with the scouts. I find that I spend countless hours of my own (volunteer) time for something that should be common knowledge. In my opinion, the journeys are too much work for troops that only meet twice a month. There are too many options to work with. When seeing that some troops can complete a journey in a day workshop I doubt the girls are really learning anything.
- I really do not feel that the interest of the Girl Scout Organization is on the girls. I feel that the Council could do more for each troop and they do not. I feel that the resources along with finances are never spent on the girls but the girls are the one raising the money for the organization. I went to a gathering to acknowledge those that have given to the organization. Well the wine and food was following but what goes to the troops from the Council. The council that I belong to received capital 0 for cookies sales and the reading program. What is up with that!!!!! This makes the troop leaders not want to sell anything. I think that there was only one troop to sell for the reading program
- I think the Journey program is not as well-rounded as the traditional badge/skill oriented program. I think that the Journey materials are not as interesting as the materials in the former handbooks and badge books, and I feel that the current materials present many one-sided views of complex issues.
- Poor financial leadership. Not enough money to fund pensions. Not being forward thinking enough to take more money going in at lower years worked to pay off the higher years worked retires. Organization TOO big at the top too many with huge salaries. Even locally too many chiefs with big salaries. Money from cookies NOT trickling down. Selling camp after camp to compensate?? Why?? We need to make cuts in personnel and get back to the local grass roots idea of scouting. Cut the global idea of everything. Also the way "badges" some now seems like boring boring curriculum like school is. What happened to the fun!
- Sometimes council employees are very clueless. They have no experience with hosting events, understanding Girl Scout year, and sometimes even lack the ability to speak kindly to volunteers
- I'm between satisfied and unsatisfied. I have to be very creative now that they've gotten rid of so many badges...... To keep my girls interested. I feel like most:(
- Getting away from most of the traditions...redundancy in paperwork…
- I'd like Girl Scouts to include more outdoor based programing and traditional scouting skills.
- We really need to reevaluate some of the changes they have implemented in the past say 10 years. While we need to continue to stay current and fresh- sometimes the basics are better than complicated new ideas…
- Girls are not learning and doing the basics. Most is too much like school work. Too involved.
- I enjoy working with my troop, but wish there was more collaboration between the different levels.
- Too many changes with the way things are done. Don't know if any input from other council were taken to see what or if changes would be accepted. Miss the old way of doing badges and miss not being able get them for things we would like the girls learn about.
- We have to come into the 21st century. Juliette was forward thinking and we need to be as well.
- I am the leader of a high school troop, not as involved in the day to day business of younger leaders. but it seems that it is getting harder & harder to be a leader. Rules, paperwork, red tape though intended to keep scouting safe ultimately frustrate and turn away prospective volunteers.
- Get rid of the journeys they are hard to complete lack instruction and take Girl Scouts away from what it used to be. Stop making changes and making it harder to get your gold award I have lots of friends that are in Boy Scouts and all of them have their Eagle Scout it's easy for them to do but it's to hard for us to complete in the amount of time that we have since we only have until graduation.
- I am not happy with the new Journey Program. My girls loved camping & the outdoors I was very saddened to see much of that program go away as were my girls.The Gold Award requirements also need to be revised in my opinion, I have had several girls in both of my Troops earn their Gold Awards and been a member on the Gold Award Committee for a few years now I also teach the Gold Award workshops. I think there are some changes that GSUSA could make. The girls put time into researching their project, putting together a team, getting prices on items for their budget etc...and are not given any credit for those hours, I believe the girls should be allowed at least a maximum of 5 hours for their work prior to their proposal. I have found that a lot of girls have trouble with "sustainability" and sadly do not do a project, because they cannot figure out a way to make something sustainable. I understand & agree that this an award that should go beyond your typical service project, but there are so many projects that are not even attempted or organizations that could have been helped because of "sustainability". Why is a 80 hour service project not enough? Councils' should make more of an effort to communicate with Juliette's and alumni, Juliette's seriously these are girls who made a commitment to GS by continuing to belong without a leader & without a troop and sadly it seems like GS is not committed to them. As the mother of a Juliette not once did I ever receive an e-mail, a mailing nor was I ever informed regarding any events for my daughter, I only knew of any activities because I was a involved with my SU. Alumni are GS greatest hope for the future and no effort is made to keep them involved communicate with them! In an effort to "make things easier" by going on-line for many of us it has had the opposite results I have experienced this at every level as a member, as a member, as a parent, as a leader, as a member of the SU and as a Gold Award committee member.
- I do not feel like there is enough real life training. I want to have sessions where you talk to other leaders who have camped and find out what works along with the basic training. Why do I have to test it myself and add to frustration. I also would like consideration i volunteer my time so i need notice and options for things. I work full time and can't do things at a drop of a hat. Why can't you take that into consideration?
- I am not satisfied at how different the program went when it was changed. I am all for change, updating, and adding new material, but I still am not impressed with the program.
- Very difficult to find troop for girls. We recruit girls but not enough is done to recruit adults.
- Very 19th century approach to cookies, give us a code and let our friends/ family order online and mail the cookies to them! We do school gift wrap and other school fundraisers that way, cookies should be done that way, door to door is ridiculous in 2013! The badges are antiquated too....should be horses, healthy eating, yoga, engineering, science, math.
- Deeply concerned; newly returned - feel that the importance of being prepared and well-rounded is being neglected, not to speak of the abandonment of camping and a focus on nature and the out-of doors
- Disheartened by budget cuts, our council is considering selling properties
- Bring back greater variety for badges. Girls do not like the journeys. They are too much like school. Bring back more life skills and outdoor events. Leadership skills are great, but this should not be everything. Some girls do not want to be pushed into leadership.
- There has been a marked move of resources away from the girls and toward advocacy and marketing. This is a betrayal of our mission.
- We have just bridged up to junior, and it is very burdensome how most badges have a research component. Research does not make for a dynamic meeting activity, and scout 'homework' generally does not get done. I also think the 5 steps/3 choices in each are quite arbitrary, as sometimes the three choices w/in one category don't really complement each other. It would be easier to just have girls choose any 5 steps of the 15 offered, rather than have to break it down arbitrarily. We've started doing this anyway, but this upsets some of the more rule-conscious girls.
- My troop was at a struggling point--6th grade going to 7th and Middle school when the Journeys program came to be. It never happened for us. The girls burned out 2 of my other adult leaders.
- We need more outdoor official badges for all age levels. My girls express deep interest in things like archery, horseback riding, knot tying, and outdoor skills. I have a brownie troop and several even want an official pocket knife like the cub scouts have! 2) If we want to raise girls to break that glass ceiling, we need to offer them the same experiences the boys have. We could learn a lot from the BSA curriculum.
- our troops used journeys to tie the program 3-20 years ago together and help them see relationships in all activities as well as learning opportunities. The current program tends to be more bookwork. Has anyone done a VARK analysis with their girls? My guess there may be more multi-modal learners then you realize.
- Too many good people have lost their jobs from our council and no one is left that really cares about the volunteers or girls
- Not every girl or woman WANTS to be a CEO, Congresswoman, etc. We NEED artists, clergy, doctors, teachers, park rangers, etc. in our world. Yes, let's teach leadership and networking. Yes, let's show our girls how to make our service go even further. Let's NOT forget to teach life skills in ALL areas, give the girls tools with which to explore things they might never otherwise touch (our girls' definition of what the "old" badges did, and what they want back. Let's encourage the girls to define their values, and let's decide if we have any ourselves. Let's encourage the girls to have enough pride and courage to wear a full uniform at times, even if it isn't considered cool by all of their friends. And let's stop trying to make Girl Scouts appeal to EVERY girl. NOTHING worth anything fits every person. If we have to make Girl Scouts not look, feel, or sound like Girl Scouts in order to have girls join, then perhaps they shouldn't be Girl Scouts. Every year at Cookie Booths we have people come up to us and say they won't buy from girls who are afraid to wear a full uniform, that being a Girl Scout doesn't mean anything any more, that a former Girl Scout has chosen not to enroll her daughter because she has lost respect for the program. Above all, let's give the girls choices (as Juliette Low said). We talk about multiple pathways, but shove Journeys down the girls' throats, whether they want them or not - and our girls have said they will quit if they can't scrap the Journeys and work on badges. At their request, we are now structuring our program around the old badges, available or not - and the girls are happy again.
- I'm a "Green Blooded Girl Scout," am a Lifetime Member, grew up in the program and earned my Silver and Gold Awards, served as camp staff and council staff, and currently volunteer for the Program & Learning Services departments. That said, I feel the "Core Business Strategy" has watered down Girl Scouting. We are so much more than first aid and cookies. Eliminating numerous interesting badges has removed a girl's ability to delve into topics that interest HER (as an individual). The current focus on group work on the Journeys alienates girls who "don't go with the crowd," who may be more inclined to pursue her own unique interests, even if she is a member of a troop/group. It's effectively REMOVING her individual "girl lead program," and forcing her to do Journeys just to get it done. What's REALLY happening is Leaders, Service Units, and Council program staff are creating "Journey in a day/weekend" programs. Thereby defeating the entire point of Journeys. Bring back, or create new Badges. Girls should be able to pursue their own unique interests. Juliette Gordon Low was all about girls exploring their world, as individuals. Our current emphasis on Troops only hurts the organization. Troops are ancient history. Girls, parents, and those of us who used to be called Mentors, simply do not have the time or interest in managing troops.
- There is not any outdoor journeys. We complain our girls are gaining weight and are unhealthy. They need to get out doors. Girls love to earn badges and what better way to earn a badge and get fit is to have an outdoor journey. I just did a program about survival, most girls were so skimmish about bugs, because they don't know anything about the outdoors and bugs/snakes, etc. They need to get outdoors and learn about nature. Many of our camps are being sold, why, because girls are not camping, why because they need to experience it, and the only way they will experience it is to have several outdoor journeys. I love the outdoors and I would love to assist with helping develop several outdoor journeys.
- Seems to be a lot of theory/research and not enough hands on. Girls complain it it like school work
- Frequent program changes and direction focus has fragmented rather than strengthening the draw.
- Lack of follow thru, lack of communications to Alumnae. We are the gray-headed step-children in our council. Change in positions it seems every year. No clear path for the future. It seems more staff oriented and not volunteer oriented, and yet there is a high turn-over with little or no training. Dislike call-in and getting a recording.
- We are selling property to pay for today's budget. What will happen tomorrow? We have increased the number of levels, so now to get from beginning to end, we have to have 2 Daisy leaders, 2 Brownie leaders, 2 Junior leaders, 2 Senior leaders, and 2 Ambassador leaders. It was hard enough finding 8 leaders at a time - 10 is next to impossible! My daughter is in 12th grade and has been a Girl Scout since K4 (the only year Daisies could be in K4) and she isn't sure she wants a lifetime membership because she doesn't think it will be around (poor adult leadership at National and council name removed) and she isn't sure she wants to be affiliated with a group that doesn't care about the girls, but only about huge salaries and re-decorating the CEO's office.
- The journeys are too restrictive and too much like school work. My girls like to get out and DO and there are not enough badges that reflect that. We have taken to doing the old badges, so that the girls have more choices on what they can do.
- I think the transition to Journeys has been a tough one. The first Journey set was not the best and that definitely influenced a lot of people on their opinion. And I don't believe there was enough education on how to use the Journeys (and still isn't). 2) I do like the obvious increased communication with volunteers that I've seen from GSUSA over the last couple of years. For the first time in the 20 years as an adult GS member, I feel like GSUSA has been seeking more input from members than anytime in the past.
- So much emphasis on cookies, money management, limited outdoor opportunities/awards/emphasis has taken the FUN out of the program for the girls. Making all upper awards based on take action has brought a sharp decrease in the girls achieving these and I see less basic community service than before.
- I feel that more and more cost and responsibility is being forced down to the volunteer level. We already have a dearth of volunteers, and the increasing workload makes that even more difficult. Although the Journeys in theory are good, it is difficult to provide an experience for girls that doesn't "feel like school" with the materials as provided by GSUSA. A leader pretty much has to start from scratch and try to fit.
- Dislike move away from service to Girl Scouts for the Silver Award - this is a great opportunity for girls to step up and do something for camps or create/run a Camporee - both have great leadership skills. Dislike move away from outdoor skills for the girls - the result is a move toward social clubs and not team building, leadership skills, and service. Dislike redtape on side of Council - like sending info about relocating a meeting or doing a local activity 2 weeks in advance of the event - we're a bit more spontaneous when we're girl led.
- I LOVE GS and have been a member for 26 years. However, a lot of the recent changes are really going against what Juliette Lowe created when she started this organization. I agree that girls need leadership skills. I do not agree that leadership skills and selling cookies is the only thing they should learn. Refocus on outdoor skills is greatly needed for girls who choose to learn those skills. Also, there is a problem with keeping adult leaders because Service Unit managers are allowed to "play God" and run SU's for 25+ years. These managers are "old school" and do NOT want to listen to new ideas on recruitment, new ideas on maintaining Troops or new ideas on keeping Leaders happy. In fact, our SU manager seems to just run great Leaders off all the time. Look at the stats on how many Leaders we have lost. Contact those people and find out why they left. GSUSA needs to institute a time limit of 3-5 years for SU managers!!!!!!! If you can't keep Leaders then you have girls on waiting lists who cannot be involved in GS, purchase patches, pins, etc. Not only are girls losing the experience, but GSUSA is losing out financially because of small issues that can easily be taken care of. Also, bring back the old badge books! The girls do not like the big fancy expensive portfolios. GSUSA would make more money selling a badge book (updated of course), than selling the bog binders. What Troop can afford to buy all of their girls one? None! Most Troops in our area buy 1 per Troop = GSUSA missing out financially again. I love GS and will be a lifetime member, but you are losing a lot of adults and girls because of current issues. Change is great as long as it is for the better of the organization. The changes in the past few years have NOT been for the better of this organization.
- Too much emphasis on journeys less emphasis on badge work. Must get creative to find fun and engaging activities for my cadettes
- There are not enough badges that meet the interest of my troop. There are few outdoor badges or science badges. The swimming, astronomy, outdoor cooking, outdoors in the city, and pottery are gone. Why do many of the badges require some sort of sharing with other troops. This is very difficult to do. The badges of very "fluffy" and not rigorous enough. All the cookie badges are boring, Juniors don't care about financial literacy. The lean about finances better by helping with troop finances. Make the old badges available on the internet. We could download the requirements and buy the badges on the internet. That way you could meet the varied interest of the Scouts without stocking each council. Could you do the "design your own " badge so that a troop could do it
- Girl scouting has lost it's compass and the connection between the CEO, Board and staff at all levels. They seem to have decided that the membership works for THEM, not the other way around, and waste time, money and effort chasing "marketing tie-ins" with questionable backgrounds, like Nestle and Mattel. They have made a concerted effort to destroy the Outdoor programs which make Girl Scouts unique and offer today's girls activities that are not tied to school
- Girl Scouts has been leading edge since its beginning, and I am happy it continues to be so. This benefits all girls!
- GSUSA has discontinued being a membership driven organization. It is a corporate driven program for girls.
- There seems to be a high level of only focusing on young girls and making money from sales.
- Ever since the new council took over, the number of campers registering for Camp Nawakwa has hit a cliff, and dropped. They seemed to have done nothing proactive to keep our camp open, despite what we have tried to do over here. Every donation goes to the population center of the council and is not spread evenly throughout, which means that we are last to get anything, especially since we are on the other side of the state from the headquarters.Even a Thin Mint Sprint race that we did in July did not show any funding to our area, it went all to the Green Bay/Appleton area. It feels like we are being sabotaged by our own organization and it's DISGUSTING.
- not much organization or help. I'm a new leader and all the training is an hour or more away and I don't have money for gas to travel for it and theres not much offered online. So I have been pretty much thrown in with no help or training. I don't know how to proceed with the journeys and also I have no money for my troop at all. I have actually been thinking about not being a leader any more.
- Not enough badge variety, outdoor skills
- Journeys are a disaster. The girls hate them and they are too much like schoolwork.
- Too much esoteric pedagogy involved. It's almost like drill-and-kill. How about a Leader Guide that doesn't read like a Developmental textbook and one filled with ideas and inspirations on leading.
- Right now so much of the content of the materials is seen as "more school" by the girls. They "have" to do a Journey to earn a higher award and the Journeys are looked at as studying and work. Many of the badges have moved away from hands-on activities and are more focused on research and info.
- I feel they have dumbed down the badges and awards. The designs of the badges are also not very descriptive for what they represent. GS is all about progression but there is no longer badges that encourage this. I feel too much emphasis is put on leadership and not expanding their world with new experiences. The new badges are to much like school work.
- Currently, Girl Scouts is a joke. How about the head of a council that was NEVER a Girl Scout? Not qualified--should be the number one requirement. Camps being raped for profit at the expense of all Girl Scouts. Inconsistent, constantly changing programs that are costly and extremely frustrating for continual progression. JL's vision was not one of disgrace and selling out girls due to horrible adult mismanagement. My children are third generation Scouts, my mother helped start a council and was the first leader in her town. I have been involved in Scouts since the Sixties and I have witnessed a sad downward spiral. Stop! Prioritize! Get back to basics. Stop selling the present and future for past and current mistakes.
- The Daisy journeys are hard to get through during the school year with all the other events we have going on in our council, neighborhood and community. The girls don't enjoy them as they are written, they have to be customized and recreated by the leader. There is too much reading material. Girls don't want to sit and read, they want to be outside doing things. The flower friends are great! There has to be a better way of introducing them than reading stories about them.
- We have too many upper management whose salary takes away from the girls. Loss of camps and direction on the outdoor program. Numbers are decreasing because of $$$ not allowing programs to be given. Less interesting badges that helped girls know the basics of life.
- Hate the emphasis on looking far outside of the community (for the Silver in particular; even the Gold) while camps get more and more requirements for volunteers or are dropped by their councils (not our council for the latter, thankfully) for lack of funds (real or invented) or a supposed lack of interest. Girls should be able to do projects that benefit the GS community, even if there's an outside-the-GS-community aspect encouraged in addition. Hate the Journeys. My kids also hate the direction National has been taking and the Journeys most of all, to the point that my older daughter has dropped back from being very gung-ho when she finished her Bronze to doing barely more than volunteering at an occasional favorite event two years later. My younger one just shows up because some of her best friends are in her troop (they're also in her class) and they enjoy doing some GS activities together. Ridiculous levels of paperwork for everyone (parents, troop leaders, camp volunteers) for both the Journeys and everything in general (health forms; permission slips for each and every event and outing, including walking down the sidewalk from the meeting place; driver forms; separate permissions for each sales event; separate permissions and health forms for bring-a-friend events and for camps (day and overnight camps have different forms too).
- I would like to see the old badges come back. The newer ones are okay but not as interesting to my troop of Seniors, soon to be Ambassadors. I think the pension funds so be gone. It's a non-profit, there shouldn't be a pension fund. Allow Silver awards to benefit the GS community again allowing troops to do projects that benefit their own council camps and encampments/camporees/encamporees. The overhead of the NYC office needs to be in proportion the rest of the councils. If needs to move out of NYC then so be it.
- Have so many opportunities I wouldn't have any place else!
- Direction has wandered too far from Juliette Low's ideas. Girls don't want more school work, girls want fun. GS has made being a leader much too difficult and time consuming. It was hard enough when women didn't work to keep organized and plan meetings, today's women work, are often single and just don't have the time for all these journey concepts.
- The current incarnation of the Girl Scout program lacks variety and doesn't allow for the flexibility that is needed to provide service to a wide variety of girls from different backgrounds and with different interests.
- When the measure of the success of our program delivery is counted by the number of journey badge sets are sold in a council shop; when council has to meet a quota of said badge sets, to have their charter renewed; when volunteers are asked to do more and more and more, because there are not enough people at the council office to keep up after the realignment, which nearly doubled the size of our council; something isn't right. It feels like GSUSA is more concerned with the corporate bottom line than the volunteer trying to teach Girl Scout Ways to kids from such diverse backgrounds. The new program is pretty, but it feels watered down. The emphasis on STEM, yet without supporting badges, bothers me greatly. The pink and purple junior badges...what's wrong with green??? Girl Scouts and green go together, Green is a color of growth, of renewal, of indomitability, why have they dumbed it down to pink and purple? Yes, I have gone through the badges, it's part of my day camp responsibilities.
- I wish you had neither satisfied or unsatisfied. Depends on the event, activity, or information received.
- The organization is corrupt from head to toe. It's all about making money for adults to sit in offices on the backs of little girls while pushing a progressive liberal political agenda. All talk about inclusion is just that - talk. Girls with special needs are NOT wanted.
- the registration cost is too high. there are not enough events for older girls in our area.
- Satisfied only for the fact that I can direct our troop in the direction that they want to go in. I have purchased a bunch of retired badges that the girls want to earn. The girls that do Girl Scouts want the traditional scouting badges. GS needs to Stop trying to appeal to "every girl" . STUPID pink/purple Junior badges is sending a message to the girls that have been DUMBED down even the requirements. Several Journey's (Amaze & Amuse) both have the subject of why girl stuff is marketed to them Pink And Purple! GS is doing the very thing they are asking us to teach them about.
- Consolidation Has been rocky, primarily due to huge proportion of non[Girl Scout adults hired.
- I am on the fence. I think the try-its were better when my older daughter was going through Brownies. The Journeys have been just plain stupid and we have rewritten the concepts for our troop (as Daisys and now as Brownies.) We were hoping that that content of them would have been great and keep the girls going for many meetings but the content is not there to keep going for too long and the books are dumb. I will say that I did enjoy two of the Cadette Journeys and so did my girls. I do like the elimination of a service project with every badge as they hit the Cadette level. For my older troop, changes have not been too bad...for the younger troop they have been just plain awful.
- Cancel the Pension Plan! We're a Non - Profit people. The new badges suck too sexist girly. What happened to my old school girl badges? We are being made fun of by Boy Scouts because we have stopped being viable. Low focus on girl accountability, outdoors, responsibility for Leave no trace. Parents are allowed too much power to hover and bully girl led events. Council let's Leaders Bully Leaders and girls by making programs too easy for the "bored girl". Sad really.
- The larger, merged councils make it harder to stay in touch.
- I am disappointed that GSUSA partners with Planned Parenthood. They are not truly pro-girl/woman. Their main business is abortion. That is not who GSUSA should be standing with. I have HONESTLY lost cookie sales because of this relationship. 2) I have many friends who have left GSUSA for American Heritage Girls because of this. I would, except for the scholarships (see my later answers). 3) I do not think that we need to be teaching our young girls about birth control. We need to be teaching SELF-control.
- Need to focus more on the Girls and less on the corporation.
- I think some of the direction, including encouraging the girls to take more positive action in the world is good. However, the skill building (which leads to confidence and leadership) has been substantially hurt. The badge work which GSUSA seems to hate is weak and repetitive. I wish we had a program similar to Boy Scouts which I love. They are truly focused in the right direction from their skill building to their leadership projects. Many third party organizations today that I call offer badge work for Boy Scouts, but not Girl Scouts. Why, because there are no real badges today for learning about the outdoors in DEPTH, like the boy scouts have. GS needs a more robust plan for learning about the natural world, such a birds, survival skills, etc. They are labelled "Legacy" as though they are going away. We cannot solely be focused on political action. All the journeys are about changing the world. We have to know something first in order to be able to make positive changes in the world. Every journey, every award, every activity is about changing the world around us. A good message but again there is no foundation anymore for helping to develop the girls self confidence and knowledge about topics. Skill building is virtually gone. You cannot just read the girls stories about other girls and women doing great things and then tell them to go do great things themselves. There is more to developing leaders than that. That is all the journeys do.
- There is a lot of emphasis on leadership. Leadership means different things to different people. When I think of STEM activities I don't necessarily think of a leader as leading people as much as planning the technical direction for the group. make sure your high awards are interpreted to leave room for different leadership styles. The "people oriented" girls will lead people. The "non-people oriented" girls will do well leading projects.
- STEM and leadership is the right direction.
- Too many changes too quickly. Studio 2B to Journeys and dropping all the badges! The girls loved earning badges. Staff turnover at Council left calls unanswered and paperwork not done. Got rid of receptionist so you never got to speak to a "human"
- I am very disappointed in what has happened to the resident camp situations here in Wisconsin. After the realignment several changes were made that impacted my home at Camp Nawakwa. I went to camp for 9 years and only stopped because after being a CIT2 I became a CNA and I could no longer have summers off. Camp Nawakwa was and still is where I identify as my home. That is where I grew up, that is where I felt safe (peronsal info removed). That is the only place where I never hurt myself physically or tried to kill myself at. Camp Nawakwa shaped me into who I am today. And although I haven't had many changes to go back after completing CIT 2, I have gone back a couple of times and can say what the council has done to camp has ruined campers of the experiences I was so lucky to have. I hated hearing that camp was going to only be a day camp and with the camp brochures that just came out for this summer, they aren't even offering that. I believe that not offering resident programs at Camp Nawakwa is a huge disservice and disappointment to the former, current, and future campers of Camp Nawakwa. I have always looked forward to sending my future children and grandchildren to Nawakwa and now, unless something changes, I won't be able to and that breaks my heart more then you could ever know. And it is not just Camp Nawakwa that has been affected in these past years. Words cannot express how greatly disappointed I am with GSUSA and my own council for what they have done to Camp Nawakwa and other camps. Life will not be the same. But I know one thing will remain true: "...we will return here one lucky day, our hearts will guide us they've learned the way, people in the cities don't understand falling in love with the land" - "for once you have become a camper, something has come to stay deep within your heart forever, which nothing can take away, and heaven can only be heaven in a camp in which to play". I can only hope that something can change and many more hundreds and thousands of girls can experience what I have. Camp Nawakwa is my home and always will be and I hope many more girls can say the same in the future.
- The Girl members, leaders, and parents are disappointed with the Journeys program. They do somewhat like the Proficiency badges, and would prefer them to be a basis of prerequisites for the Gold and Silver Awards instead of the Journeys (Interest Project Patches were the prerequisites earlier - there were probably a selection of 100 badges to work on and that gave the girls more choices. The drama girls could find several badges; so could the sports minded girls; the girls interested in history - could find those patches, or women's issues - lots of choices) Girls and Adults don't like the Ambassador level designation as there are not many girls at that level - they would prefer a Cadette level for the middle School girls and Senior level for High School. They are very disappointed with the move away from camping,fire building, outdoor cooking, canoeing, kayaking, etc. It is true troops can still do those activities, but since they are not tied to advancement (as they were with Interest Project Patches, the council does not offer as much support or council sponsored programs in the outdoors. Previously our council offered, Oceanography Programs at a Coast Guard Station, Skiing Weekends, Canoe Weekends, Outdoor Program Aide training where girls learned to make and cook on Scotch Boxes, Dutch Oven cooking, campfire cooking, fire-building, tent pitching, campfire songs, outdoor games. Yes we do these activities as a troop, but support at the council level is crucial. We have far fewer hands-on council activities. We also have far fewer Program Aides as it is only offered at summer camp. Our council used to offer several weekends of training throughout the year and we signed up as a troop.
- Girls like badges the journeys are boring to them.
- The rules about family camping and outdoors certification are very limiting. I would rather see badges than journeys. Market the Gold award better, it is so much more than the Eagle.
- Uncertain is a better word than satisfied. I don't think we are gaining the membership or really offering "something" special in this new world to gain their commitment and time.
- The girls are unhappy with the Journeys- they are too much like schoolwork! They want to try different things and have more FUN. The IP's gave girls more options (I work with an older girl troop) and they could just dabble at an IP to try it, not necessarily finishing it. It gave them a direction. I think the decreased number of Gold awardees should tell you what is happening. We have "outcomes" simply by finishing badge work- show our sponsors that if needed. The girls like more outdoor programs, and selling camps will lose precious resources in the future- we need to make more judicial use of the camps to be fiscally responsible. We need to keep the girls that are IN G.S. happy- do not always direct new programs at the girls that are NOT in G.S....we may never attract them and we lose the girls that are interested in Scouting.
- They are trying to run too much like a for-profit business instead of a non-profit. They need to get back to smaller councils which allowed more interaction with the local people. I feel that a majority of emphasis is placed where there are cities with larger populations and our rural areas are neglected. Everytime I saw an event that was celebrating for a major milestone, it was always being held four hours away. Who has time/money for that? Our local offices used to do such a great job helping to make sure that our local girls were involved. Now they have to spend all of their time on the road driving from one part of the state to another!!! How expensive and wasteful of both time, and mental energy!
- Life changes and we must go along with it.
- The GSUSA has made numerous changes and not all of them are keeping to the core values of Girl Scouts.
- No one knows what's going on - You've changed the programming so much it's not Girl Scouts anymore. I can appreciate the keeping up with technology and adding new badges, but why does it have to be at the expense of the tried and true? Except for their ridiculous homophobic policy, the Boy Scouts have managed to adapt to current technology without obliterating their past.
- You have upper staff that lie, cheat, don't follow the GS laws-- is that any way to show girls what GS is about.
- I'm having difficulty understanding reasoning for the combining of councils and the eliminating certain camps. I've seen an increase in membership yet these practices continue???? I currently live out of the area of my registered council but keep abreast of activities there.
- I am very satisfied with the organization. There is a lot of paper work, but I do understand why we have so much.I believe in GS and the programs it offers. I do wish there was more training available in my area and not 3 to 4 hours away.
- It seems to be all about a ""business model"", and that's the wrong point of view to take. This is a human services type organization, not a for profit business. It's not about making money. It's about using the money we have to the benefit of the girls. 2) We don't need more members at any cost. We need to offer fabulous programming to the members we have, and the girls loving the experience will attract new members. Volunteers tend to be far more competent, organized, and reliable than the paid staff we encounter. Membership fees should never be collected for girls who can't be placed in a troop immediately. Councils should be offering hands on activities for girls in every level every single weekend in the fall and spring. Use the staff you are already paying in useful ways. Sitting in restaurants over the lunch hour hoping volunteers stop by is not a good use of their paid time. Take those hours, and offer a program for girls instead. 3) Stop being hyper-focused on leadership. Girl Scouts should never be all about one thing. It's not just about leadership. That's one nice side benefit. It's really about being well-rounded. It's service, and the outdoors, and learning about a wide variety of topics through badges. 4) The constant food based partnerships with coffee creamer, ice cream, snack bars and more are embarrassing. We are already fighting the battle that we are all about selling cookies. Why in the world would we reinforce that by slapping our logo on one product after another? 5) Stop changing the program every time we turn around. Our Gold Award scouts don't get the recognition they deserve, because no one even knows what it is.
- Recent efforts to "modernize" Girl Scouts are way off base. Girls don't need more technology -- and even if they did, there are a million resources for technology. What makes Girl Scouts special is its nature, outdoors component. THAT is what will make Girl Scouts strong -- the original focus on JGL -- join Girl Scouts and we will get your girl outdoors, using her body, gaining know-how of the natural world and outdoor skills. Really!!!
- Out troop leader is more focused on her personal life than Girl Scouts. She never returns messages, belittle the parents who try to help and is making Girl Scout a miserable place for my daughter. She has withheld important information about a camping trip (sleeping arrangements) then tells me that I'm over-reacting when I learn that our girls will be bunking with strangers. I'm happy this is our last year. It's a waste of time, effort and money. Our girls have not finished a single Journey yet (2nd year Juniors).
- The GS program does not promote outdoor skills as I feel it should.
- I feel a lot of money is wasted sending multiple copies & mailings of things to the same family. There is still a communication problem between volunteers & staff. Program & camps are focusing on the upper portion of the council & leaving Lower Bucks out in the cold.
- I feel that we have lost the emphasis that kept me in GS until my 1st Class Award. My daughter will be working on her Gold this year, which is the only reason we are still in at this time. The program is really geared toward the younger girls and the older have to find their own way, which is what my Troop tends to do.
- The girls and leaders are frustrated with changing so often. The older girls want their traditions back as have many girls over the years including my two daughters (Law Changes twice, handbook changes at least twice). The program meets goals from some of the girls but leaders are having to put in a lot more work even with girl planning. The girls are taking their journey projects to such high levels that it makes the awards too daunting. A girl who did her Bronze and Silver, bagged her Gold as a result. The girls that remain in scouting don't feel they're being listened too but stick it out in many cases for us the volunteers. We've been with them and so they trudge on in spite of National changes. Yes it does build character, but we'd like it to be more positive character not in spite of.
- Badgeworks has been completely "dumbed" down-journeys are like homework and my troop has no interest. Miss the IP's for Cadettes-I feel more life skills were taught as honestly, not every girl will be the next CEO but every girl needs basic life skills and emergency prep to be a strong independent woman. 2) My kids want to camp, no matter how many cliques affect girls and how they separate at school, the re-bond and work together at camp. Kids need to be outside-they have plenty of time to be inside, behind a desk or computer, as adults.
- I prefer the previous program with badges vs, the journeys, but that may be because I was so used to working with them over the years and I haven't quite gotten used to the journeys yet. The girls do not appear to enjoy the journeys more than the badges, so it is not clearly a better program from their perspective either.
- I am disturbed by commercialization and the forming of our girls into consumers. I am disturbed by the decreased role of the outdoors in the program. I find that the new council structure is more remote, less human, less responsive, and less effective in communication. Girl Scouts seems to have written off the areas outside of the metros.
- We no longer have a strong girl-led program in our area, or much "program" at all. We went from dozens of day camps available to our girls per year to 3. They have closed our local camps, so some girls need to drive 7 hours to attend. In addition, those camps that were $260 per week have risen to $700. Horse, canoeing, archery, and outdoor programs are gone.
- I believe combining Councils was a move that was not popular but overall good business sense. My complaint is that the basic principles of Scouting are not being practiced. Corporations can still be profitable and still maintain their principles. National scouting has made the upper management more important than the girls. Selling properties that were donated for personal gain (retirements) is just wrong. Move with the new tech stuff, new programing. Keep camping and the environment important. All the tech stuff in the world can't replace the value found in appreciation of nature, friendships and the ability to work together. Working together.... that is the strength of Scouting, something the National has forgotten or has elected to ignore.
- The girls think the Journey's are too much like school. Leaders are afraid to work with them. Afraid to make a mistake.
- I think there is more that could be done to outreach. Plus there is a HUGE problem with a wait list for girls and not enough troops to meet the need. Last I heard from a leader meeting, there's a backlog of 1000 Daisy and Brownie age girls looking for troops.
- Seems as if Girl Scouting is trying to follow the path of the Boy Scouts to Eagle. We should not be competing. Eagle Scouting is long established. The Girls need to find a different route. As a Scout, I was not especially motivated with badges & "rank" etc. I just wanted to be with my troop. Learn " stuff" & camp.
- I feel the lack of camps and use of outdoors activities is a major weak point in the current program.
- Badges are too involved and boring
- Not feeling much support right now - the Journey's are awful - too young for the girls - I'm sure GSUSA didn't put them together with the intent that they be done in a weekend or even in a one day event ... but that's what's being done - what happened to outdoors?, can't believe we don't have a Journey about the outdoors -
- Coordination is lax. Volunteers do not receive information until it is late and often times especially with membership we need to call repeatedly. Some of the training is redundant. It would be helpful if you can do all basic training on line after the initial training. If a person has already done the training the previous year it would be helpful if just eh changes were sent separately. I realize that all council paid employees are stretched but most of your volunteers have full time jobs and do not receive the praise that would benefit all volunteers.
- Need to promote outdoor adventures more so that girls experience wonder.
- they don't have anything for the girls to do in our area we have to take the girls too far to do things also it cost is too high
- Girl Scouts has moved away from using the out-of-doors as a method of building confidence in girls and young women. As an Intermediate Girl Scout in the late 1950s, I met a woman whose Girl Scout leader was Juliette Low. I remember her telling my troop, Juliette Low believed that being away from the conveniences of "modern life" and being able to develop one's self-sufficiency and being self-reliance was the best way for girls and young women to build leadership skills and to be a positive role model in the world. National has swept Juliette Low and her vision under the carpet.
- Very unsatisfied. Staff is unreliable, can not answer my questions, and are a most are not friendly. Will not be registering my daughter or myself next year.
- We say we are offering the girls a program which develops leadership but what we are really offering is more school work. The patrol system is dead----- they were the core structure for leadership and responsibility. The girls chose their leaders and learned very quickly what happens if you elect a friend instead of a leader. As the program stands now the traditional troop is run by a majority rule with no one small group of girls (patrol leaders) encouraging the troop as a whole to work together. Too many chiefs and no indians!
- I'm finding that a lot of long time volunteers who speak their mind (also known as: your first amendment right-freedom of speech) are being put on a leave or asked to rethink their views when expressed and not in accordance to what the council(s) say we should be thinking or saying....hence there goes our freedom of speech.
- Too much book work. It took a lot of the fun out of GS.
- I think there is too much emphasis on sales. I think the individual badges have been watered down and narrowed. Basic skills are lost. Camping, knife skills, fire building, constellations, compass... etc.
- GSUSA seems to be throwing out the baby with the bathwater! Instead of updating and bringing in new program as needed, they have overhauled the whole program and have left huge gaps!!! And the girls complain that it feels like school work. We now have a huge council (having joined with smaller councils that were not as well developed as Circle T) and since have been continually giving up positive aspects of our previous council. We have lost a number of our campsites, our training department has been all but obliterated, when it comes to council decisions the circle T area gets an equal amount of votes even though it has more than twice the amount of girls of the other areas combined. (that just doesn't seem fair - each girl should get an equal vote no matter where she is from, but apparently not here. We are penalized because we are the "bigger" area.
- This organization is starting to feel more like a political action organization than one that helps girls learn and grow. Too much focus has been placed on money and not enough on getting girls experiences they are NOT getting in school. By the time they work on many of the new badges or journeys, they have already learned it all in school. It would be great to be teaching them something school is not.
- I would like to see more summer camps and more outdoor opportunities. Also more opportunities for older scouts. The things offered to older scouts are often too much like school. The thing my scouts like best about scouting is having fun with other girls. They also like to learn new things,but the choices of badges are too limited. Cadets are three years and after the first two years they have already earned a Journey and all of the badges that sound fun to them. Lastly, I think that the trips they offer for older scouts are too expensive. Too bad you can't offer a camping trip that would be affordable for more scouts.
- I would like to see a stronger push for girl awards! My council does not push these, I have tried and failed in offering help with this. These awards especially the Gold offers a lifetime of pride, accomplishment and honor. But few from my council reach this.
- I wish the council realignment hadn't happened. I would've rather seen lesser performing councils absorbed into more financially stable councils without needing to realign everything. I believe the realignment is directly responsible for the closure of camp properties in what was a financially stable council.
- So far, I and my co-leaders are able to pretty much do what we need to do with our troop--in other words, we are able to do what the girls want--badges, camping, service projects, trips, skills.
- This council is top heavy! Too much staff making waaaay too much money. That's why they push the cookie program so heavily! To pay their salaries!
- I feel very supported by my council with the current situation with my troop of 1st-4th graders. We are a large troop with 23 girls & more trying continually trying to join. One family was not only inappropriately aggressive but outright lying, bullying & hostile at trying to force us to use of 1:1 time with a daughter.. My 3 active volunteers & I could not reasonably do it. Yes the parents do help but, BUT, her parents would dump & leave!!!!! Not even leaving us with a spare change & this poor child had to wear it even at an event. Poor parenting & claimed abuse of the ADA & HIPPA. Thank goodness for the (council name removed) staff! Volunteers should never have to fear for safety, but we did & we have been very supported & that is because we have a great leadership team at the top.
- With the implementation of the journeys program I see a trend toward less girl lead program.
- I see a need for a higher level of expectation and talent from the Council staff.
- I have tried hard with the Journeys, but for high school and middle school girls they are just not enough. They take entirely too much time, the girls are frequently repeating things they are learning in school, the activities are trivial, and they simply do not help us expose the girls to enough variety in the program for them to make decisions about what they want to pursue more. And what has happened is that girls and leaders are doing the least they can just to move on with the Silver or Gold. Finally, the costs of programs are too high for most families.
- My mother was a Life Member of scouting. All of her daughters were in Girl Scouts. I was a Brownie, Cadet, and Senior Scout. I attended Camp Na Wa Kwa, (Covered Bridge Council) , group camping, summer sessions, primitive camping, Session 1 of Camp Counselor Training, and Session 2 of Camp Counselor Training, and worked on staff at camp during College. I was an assistant Troop leader in High School and I was a Troop Leader after College. I love the Scouting I grew up with. The Camp experience is so valuable.
- I think Girl Scouts is going a long way from where it started.
- We need more outdoor badges and even an outdoor journey.
- I really DO NOT like the amount of work being dumped back on volunteers. More paperwork than ever, troops are stuck with cookies, less time to sell cookies, last year council told us we could not sell cookies if we did not do the Nuts and Candy fundraiser, the prizes for all fundraisers have gotten harder to attain and one needs to remember that theses girls are involved in more than just Girl Scouts so any good faith effort should at least get a patch! Council and GSUSA need to remember that your volunteers are not employees. Many of us have jobs, families, and other volunteering. Please stop approaching GScouting as something that can be fixed by a business model. Business models assume dictation and added responsibility to employees to sell a product, but we are not employees and we are not selling a product. We are trying to encourage girls to be the best that they can be, explore the world around them, and be good citizens. It is Council and GSUSA's responsibility to encourage more girls to join, give the girls more opportunities to explore what they want to do, provide more programming, camping, and flexibility to achieve goals.
- While I have not had contact with the national level, my local council has been so removed from the membership that law suits are in effect. Even the board of directors is under attack by the leadership through a plan to reduce the number of representatives. It's bad enough there is not equal representation, the organization appears to want to pick and choose who is served and how. What is the message our daughters are receiving from this?
- I used to register every year and indicate areas that I would be willing to volunteer in, for example additional camping leader support, training support, camp volunteer, help with cookie sorting, additional chaperone for troop outings anywhere in the area, etc. I would hear nothing each year, except a request for money. If my time is not valuable to you, don't ask for money
- Girl Scouts not only has gotten very complicated (I have a difficult time understanding how journeys/badges work anymore, and I have a PhD in English), but the focus has shifted to business/STEM fields in a way that echoes No Child Left Behind, which is failing our students. Girl Scouts for me opened my eyes beyond what was taught in the classroom. I became a leader through camp and the independence I needed to practice there, and I believe being faced with new challenges (like riding horses and rappelling) gave me the self-esteem to be fearless in my business endeavors.
- Vermont has seen a tremendous amount of changes. The council office was sold and everything was moved to Bedford, New Hampshire. A new area was rented but it wasn't big enough to be a community building for training or troop use. The resident camp in Hardwick was closed and is being sold. The connections to Vermont were lost. Vermont was a very strong and active council and since the merge numbers are down as there are not strong supports or connections here. Everything is pretty much held in New Hampshire.
- What started out as a great organization seems to be heading in the wrong direction.
- I would have preferred a neutral response. I'm not satisfied, but I'd rather not consider myself unsatisfied yet.
- Closing camps nationwide and mega councils are not the best way to serve the girls. Membership continues to decline and I believe that these two things are largely responsible for that decline.
- Decision to merge councils was a mistake.....and in some areas has been a detriment to growing the organization
- Program changes happen so often the general population can't keep up. Pension problems are causing financial issues, causing councils to sell off camps and other properties. Staff turnover is too high. The new large councils are very far from many of their constituents and too impersonal.
- It is heartbreaking so many camps are being sold or not being used. There should be more of an outdoors focus again.
- All references and support for adventure and outdoor programs appear to have disappeared. The program now is just another boring choice that looks like the others.
- Too much like school. Girls HATE the journeys. They miss the variety of badges that were available before. Nothing they don't already have experience with to do as badges.
- Too much Internet in badges and Journeys. Journeys don't work- need too many meetings to finish them, girls don't enjoy 'workbooks'. Not enough camping, life skills. Also no good training in our area... One weekend a year is it! Nothing for Service Units and no connection between troops.
- Although I like the way the new badges are set up, I am unhappy with the limited choices of the badges as well as the seemingly politically-inspired direction of the journey topics and activities. Girl Scouts should be educational, but it should also be fun and a way for girls to discover activities they may not have been exposed to otherwise. I would have liked to see the awards set up more like what I understand Boy Scouts to be like, with a set or certain number of badges that are earned in order to get an award. Some can be specified by Girl Scouts and others can be "electives" that are chosen by the girl.
- I can't tell if it's local or national, but most decisions seem designed to exclude rather than include girls, adults and volunteers.
- I have two daughters that have been in GS since Daisy's. They are now in 7th and 10th grade. GS is losing leaders as much as it is losing girls. The structure for troops as single entities without greater support burns the leaders out. When I led in a multi-level troop with a troop committee I found that I didn't have to do it all. But, the new programming makes it difficult to do multi-level programming. There are also too many levels for teens. My favorite thing about the new programming is the binder (it still needs a pocket to hold the journey or the journey needs to fit into the rings). I don't like the flashiness of the materials. It's distracting and teens don't need a magazine layout to stay interested. The journey/pathways programming has turned off a lot of the membership because it resembles school work to the girls rather than action-based, practical skills and service work. The journeys are cumbersome for leaders (supporting materials should be simple). In the end we're told to that we have the flexibility to do any way we want. That surely isn't creating a similar Girl Scout experience across the nation. The girls need to see that they are achieving something and not just reflecting on the state of the world.
- I like the idea of the Journeys, just not the delivery method. I think it could be more successful if were re-released with a better "path" of completing the Journey. If this is a possibility, PLEASE have surveys, focus groups where experienced leaders can provide input and feedback on what has worked and ideas on what could work better. Also, Please bring back the try-its and badges. The girls feel limited on what the offers are and there is not enough to choose from. Just because we started down this Journey path does not mean other interests are not important.
- seems to be a huge emphasis on ... GIRLY stuff and change for change's sake. also seeing dramatic price increases, and our local council has no one with any leadership skills - or at least none that deal with our service unit!
- I was a girl scout in the late 60s to mid 70s. We had a lot more fun back then, with more badges to earn. I don't like these new journeys and how "everything" seems to be community service related. I feel there is too much emphasis on the leadership skills. I used to be a Leader, but stepped down to co-leader
- Could use more support with getting troops and bank accounts set up! It seemed to me they were in a hurry to sign you up to be a leader, but then left you hanging.
- Closure of camps
- It seems that the world of girl scouting revolves around journeys and money, the girls really are not allowed to be who they are the have to follow the cookie cutter recipe. The girls in my troop used to pick badges and projects that appealed to them, and there were many many options, now small choices....largely around cookie sales...and cookie cutter boxed girls, they aren't able to grow. In our council they just closed Camp Chenoa, and lost so many girls as a result including a young lady in the middle of her Gold award. Who now wants nothing to do with Girl Scouting ever again, she was in 10 years.
- We have a great Council. I feel supported, sometimes have to be persistent to get answers. Very happy with the addition of (name removed) program director. Wonderful program book this year.
- While I appreciate the emphasis on financial literacy & leadership skills, some of our girls find the journeys extremely boring. I am also disheartened to hear about some of the mismanagement of the organization. Don't just do something to do something, do something well.
- A major area to improve in public relations as well as sales/service to Girl Scouts is to SUPPORT your contracted vendors. Within the last ten years there have been many wonderful program items developed by vendors that have not been carried in our G.S. stores!!! WAY too often when I locate a store with GS items, purchase, go back again and they tell me the vendor's license wasn't renewed by GSUSA!!! Example, K&C apparently isn't producing those wonderful Daisy thru Ambassador photo/scrapbooking albums. Yet in the stores I consistently find Boy Scout Eagle albums as well as Boy Scout and B.S. Webelo albums. Hope consistency improves (name removed)
- As with all volunteer organizations, there are some natural problems. For the most part, the Girl Scouts has been very well organized. If I weren't happy with something, I tend to mention it. I love being a scout leader and LOVE my girls.
- The outdoor program is losing its importance to the organization; camps are being sold off. Too much emphasis is being placed on GSUSA's concept of 'leadership', and the value of everything the girls do is to be measured by 'outcomes.' The concept of 'fun' has gone out the door; GS is becoming another version of school.
- Back before studio2B was introduced, the program was great. There was a huge variety of badges for every interest. Now there are Journeys and very few interesting badges. So many outdoor badges gone. The girls as well as the leaders hate the Journeys. Too much like homework. They are boring. Let the girls decide what to do from each activity? Sure, they say let's do none and call it done.
- I don't appreciate that quite a bit of the funds earned by the girls doesn't stay at the troop level. Stop paying for the high wages of so many office workers, high rents, and horrible advertising. I really don't care about Maria Chavez or Michelle Obama. They are just talking heads. Lets get back to basics. Teach the girls REAL core lessons. Things they won't learn in school.
- I feel like girl scouting has taken steps towards stereotypical female role activities and away from the idea that girls can do anything including typically male activities. (i.e. camping, engineering, athletics, etc.)
- There never seems to be enough money which results in discontinuation of more items each year including positions which keeps things in a state if chaotic change.
- The leaders and our girls do not like having to do a Journey. The girls feel like it is school work and it is hard to come up with a TAP project for each Journey. If the girls want their Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards, they have to do a project before they even start a bigger project for the award. We are losing girls because of the Journey curriculum - they like learning something new and getting a badge for it even when they are 13 years old. I also think it puts more time commitments on the leaders.
- the council reorganization has been blamed by those who have been in this longer than me for the poor response to troop and service unit needs, it is next to impossible to get questions answered and now having been a leader for 3 years feel I'm finding my way but it NO way because of council support, too big to know each other and offer real support
- I feel that the true values I learned as a Girl Scout are getting lost in all the new journeys and focus on leadership. We learned leadership lessons by doing not reading and writing. My girls have not found much value in the journeys themselves. I also feel that the Girl Scouts are not emphasizing outdoor skills and camping as they did when I was a scout. I learned valuable lessons that I carry with me today.
- Very unhappy with movement away from camp & outdoor skills
- Girl Scouting should be more of what the girls need to experience, travel, camping, outdoor adventure, exploration, team building, STEM and less about books and patches. I have been in Girl Scouting for over 30 years. Within the last 7/8 years GS is becoming more corporate driven. . The training for leader programs is becoming very time consuming, the amount of time GS is requiring of volunteers to be troop leaders has become a burden on the working mothers/parents today. This is creating a shortfall of volunteers, which in turn is taking away from GS enrollment. Quotes from parent “too much time required of the parent for training and girls, leaving us to have to give up something”
- Our services, properties are far inferior to what they were.
- I love the direction of the organization nationally. I feel that my particular area is lacking.
- (Expletive removed) The Girl Scout Cookies nobody likes the cookies
- Council leadership is absolutely unacceptable. I would NEVER rejoin in this Council. I will not consider rejoining GSUSA so long as their values lie with cosmetic and toy companies and the financial backbone of the organization resting on the labor of children. There is NO PROGRAM for girls older than fifth-grade. They are babysitters.
- We have lost our way! Many of the programs and activities which made GS unique and a relevant part of our lives have been dropped/changed, and emphasis is on things which make us no different from other youth organizations.
- It seems like GSUSA has lost the original goals/focus that scouting was started with. It should be about the girls - the new badgework/journeys aren't liked as well by the girls as the old badge books were.
- Camps are no longer camping. Girls need to learn about the out-of-doors. Spend time getting to know nature. Learn about how this world was made, not how man (society) wants things to be.
- I am extremely concerned with the current direction of Girl Scouting. Too much emphasis is placed on education and journeys, with not enough badges to give the girls lots of options for diverse activities. I'm specifically concerned with the reduction in outdoor programming and badges. Exploring nature is a natural way to introduce independence as well as teamwork and leadership, as well as instilling an interest in science, nature and an inquisitive spirit. Outdoor programming also encourages healthy living and exercise, which is critical for girls as the health and obesity rates in the US have been climbing.
- GS is being run, in a large part, by people who were never Girl Scouts or who were young members for a short time, resulting in the loss of the real meaning and love of Girl Scouting. It was a sisterhood on all levels, girl and adult, volunteer and paid. The face-to-face camaraderie of adult volunteers has been determined as unnecessary, replaced by corporate standards. Girls generally perceive the Journey work as "more schoolwork." My girls always wanted to try more new things--at all ages, Daisy through Ambassador-- not spend extended amounts of time on one topic and always be expected to create a service oriented project for every award. The older girls still wanted badges for new skills, not fewer badges and the assumption that they had learned all the basics at younger ages.
- The management of the GSUSA does not understand that one size does not fit all. When they ask for surveys they do not reveal that the answers to the surveys are being used to make huge decisions. The same with council management. More people would participate in the surveys if they knew that important issue. GSUSA is totally out of touch with their girls and the reason why Juliette Low began the group in the first place.
- I am enthusiastic about the program overhaul and the streamlined Girl Guides that are consistent from level to level. I miss the wider range of badge options (such as the former Junior program had) but I feel it was a better choice to simplify the program and then have the space to branch out from this point forward. I like the Journeys and use them successfully with my girls but I find, as a Trainer, that many troop leaders are too intimidated or lacking in their own facilitation skills confidence to work with them.
- Rules vary council. Very confusing. Many councils not supportive of volunteers. The girls often do not come first when political and financial decisions are made.
- I wish we could go back to more traditional stuff. The girls do the journeys but don't really enjoy it. They would rather do badges & not just to earn badges.
- Older girl retention is directly related to their dissatisfaction. They want more than leadership. They want more than to be junior leaders.
- I think troop level and service unit level is fine, but overall council and other seems to be highly disorganized and poorly executed. My girls won't go anymore.
- I have switched councils recently and have found that each council operates under different rules. Doesn't make it easy to transfer and support my love of Girl Scouting. My current council seems to have people that get a little power and let it take over.
- Has changed for the worse since my daughter started
- They need to re-instate having paid (location removed) staff as the SU managers. It would solve a lot of bickering between troops. It's also been hard this year with there not being a lot of council sponsored activities for the girls to do. There's even less options for summer camps in our areas but at least they've managed not to sell too many off yet.
- Our girls have had the best time so far this year. Our council had a Zombie run at camp- the girls were all involved in planning and running with the zombie crew.
- Door to door sales are 19th century! Let folks order online and get delivery via mail. Grandparents and friends live all over, not in same town anymore. Make them without palm oil too. My council is all about sales, i'm a new leader with zero support from council. Very disappointing council but i love the girls and they are enjoying brownies
- There needs to be less book work and we need to get back to more survival skills and skills they can use in the future! We need more hand on and less reading and writing in books. Also, we need it to be cheaper for leaders! Books, leaflets and all the other stuff that goes with the program is so expensive for us leaders!
- Lack of training and lack of knowledge the "trainers" have makes it difficult to lead a troop. You don't know what's expected or how to reach certain journey goals.
- I am between Satisfied & Unsatisfied. The Journey Books are Awful and what has happened to our Outdoors focus? I often feel like GSUSA just wants us registered so we can sell and buy their products (and that is from someone who enjoys cookie sales!).
- I feel it should be more STEM activities available for girls.
- My answer should be that I am relatively satisfied. Relative to the changes that have been made.
- Almost everyone I talk to including myself and my daughters hate the journeys. They are too much like school work. Also I now feel there are less resources for us as leaders to learn how to run effective meetings at the different levels. Also, I am bothered by the GSUSA involvement with Planned Parenthood. Many of my friends will not let their daughters join because of that association.
- Wonderful leaders very involved and great group of girls staying together as a troop from when they were 5 years old to now 15 years old!!great group of parents too!
- Lack of council presence in our county
- We need to continue to keep in mind the unique needs and culture of all girls
- As a First Class Scout who graduated from scouting and was a CIT, LIT and Counselor and Leader, I left scouting for many years and returned just as the journey's began. I was a leader for four years but with a mixed troop and had a LIA so in four years it felt like 7 as I also facilitated our Neighborhood 100th celebration. I burned myself out as I wasn't able to obtain the support of my coleaders as they were too busy and so were the parents taxing their other children. I took my role and responsibilities to heart hoping to have all the girls attain Gold. In reality the younger girls just want to play and do crafts which somehow I couldn't meld into the journeys as well as badges. They enjoyed most all the fun patches which to me didn't represent success. We did manage a journey each year of which only one girl (a different girl each year) might be awarded all pieces. We became stewards of the local national park, attended earth day's, marched in the memorial day parades, walked in the woods, had our first cookout, participated in Thinking Day, learned of Juliette Gordon Low, Celebrated Girl Scout's Birthday,sold cookies and earned the cookie pin, all in all somehow we did allot based on my "Girl Scout" experiences. But it felt like trying to accomplish (cramming stuff in) so much as Journeys were separate from the old Girl Scouting experience. I would say we were an active, well rounded and somewhat girl led troop. As we did some crafts, cooking, outdoor activities, games, had farther's share as the girls earned petals (all girl suggestions) learned of in the Brownie Story and Juliet gordon Low used kaper charts, and gave back to the community. I executed the program to the best of my ability but don't feel successful as a leader of a girl led program as we muddled our way through a journey. I just wasn't able to understand the concepts and or metaphor of the journeys as they were too much like school which is why I liked Scouting as it was an escape from school (reading and worksheets). In fact the WOW much was done at school already so it was a repeat. Therefore I would say I was unsuccessful as a leader as I couldn't transition to the new ways of scouting. I guess I make a better scout than a leader.
- Since our merger with another Service Unit it has been so disorganized. There are questions that haven't been answered since they were asked during the merger meetings. There is no communication in the community. There isn't much support from the staff assigned to the community. The staff is primarily concerned about getting members registered and not the current members. All in all I feel like it was a bad idea.
- I think councils/national are trying very hard to keep up with the times and keep the organization relevant. It's a hard job to satisfy everyone so sometimes they might make a mistake or two. Any decision will never satisfy everyone but I think in general this is still the organization I love.
- Yes to Girl leadership and goal setting skills. GSUSA seems to spend too much time on initiatives that do not translate to girls/troops ... lie ToGETher there .. what was that? Did we get there? Or the Year of the Girl ... again, I see a lot of clearance items with these logos at the council shop ... it seemed like more of a photo op than an actual good use of time and resources
- I get most of my information from the (name removed) Yahoo group.
- We need to listen more to the girls and not just the girls in big cities, but the gals out in the rural areas.
- Girls are not thrilled with the classroom direction the program has taken. Girl Scouts used to be the place where girls could do things and try things that were not available anyplace else. Now that has gone, why bother?
- The Journeys try to have volunteers copy teacher's lesson plans, leading to redundancy and school work-like activities. And we can't lead the schoolwork as well as the teachers can! I think we should use Girl Scouts to fill in the gaps - life skills, outdoor skills, leadership, arts, projects, etc. that the school leave out. Properly promoted, I think a lot of parents would want to have their girls experience that.
- The handling of the "closing camps" and remodeling one was terrible. It was like the decision was made before input was received from council membership.
- The leadership in our Council has caused many volunteers and staff to leave. The CEO in particular does not promote the a Girl Scout Law or Promise in her words, Actions, or business strategy. Leadership style filters down from the top, and she is a poor example and creates an environment of mistrust, fear, and dishonesty.
- We've gone too far to the left. The badges no longer teach skills. While I agree that Leadership is important it's also important to learn skills that the badges use to teach.
- Initially I was hesitant, but after reading Tough Cookies and a lot of the GSRI information, I'm actually very impressed with the changes made so far and the direction the organization is heading. I wish there was a little more uniformity in councils, as far as jobs titles, how jobs are related to one another, how camps and programs are run, etc. but I'm not bothered enough because I don't think it will be a problem in the next 5-10 years.
- There is a HIGH need for girls to get back outdoors. If you think back to why the Girl Scouts existed and what activities they took part in when they first started, we need to get back to that. Children today need to be outside more than ever and they need the disconnect from their electronic devices and to reconnect with nature. You want to know how to get girls involved in scouting again? Go back to the basics and put more money in our camps.
- We do need to bring back some emphasis on life skills and outdoor education however. STEM is important to some girls, but others feel it makes GS too "school - like".
- Leader/refresher courses need to be offered online. Many parents can't attend the classes during the assigned time due to work, busy schedules and other children. Still too much paperwork. We're killing trees and not getting it done right. If events were registered online, a system could guide us through the registration making sure we have the proper form(s) they are filled out correctly and done in a timely manner.
- I love the organization, its message, and its goals. I appreciate the push towards modern or career-oriented learning, but I think too much is being compromised in terms of the outdoors and camp-oriented opportunities.
- I am a STEM educator and am disappointed in the STEM curriculum, lack of STEM mentors, but mostly horrified by the Barbie doll images you use in marketing. Seriously? Girl Scouts admin. could use their own media literacy training.
- My daughter's troop does not participate in activities that are productive to her future. Although they regularly have cupcakes, story-time, free-play, and arts-and-crafts, I do not see the real-world benefit of membership. Despite me offering to lead math and science activities and reminding the troop leader about the STEM conference at the (location removed), there has been NO science, technology, engineering, or mathematics incorporated in her troop meetings.
- Our troop does not interact with other troops very much. But what I see coming from the National level, there are some good programs going on.
- The new charms were just coming in when our troop was entering high school. The girls saw it as a reductionist trivialization of the program. We used strategic planning methods to engage girls in creating their calendars/plans, describing the GS program as based on a three-legged stool: Get Outdoors, Community Service, and "Do the Program" (i.e., badgework), and camped 5-7 times/year 1st through 11th grades. As a result, these girls grew to become women who know how to get from setting a goal to making it happen.
- The girls in our Senior troop do not like the Journey Curriculum. They preferred earning a variety of badges to suit their interests. I am also very upset with the "divesting" of council camp properties that belong to our girls.
- Anna Maria Chavez is incredibly strategic. I appreciate her bold presence, smart business decisions, and I admire her passion for ensuring our nation is building the most courageous, happy and successful girls. Girl Scouts of the USA is listening to and taking direction from councils across the nation on everything from girl recruitment and volunteer recognition, and everything in between - fund development, program curriculum, and even research-based information from the Girl Scout Research Institute. I'm proud to call myself a Girl Scout today and forever.
- Very concerned with the current leadership. In my opinion the leadership does not take the members wants and concerns into consideration when making decisions that directly affects members.
- I use to LOVE Girl Scouting. I would defend it to the end when anyone would ever call it a silly girls club that only sold cookies and crafts. I would tell them about all my experiences as a girl. Now all those opportunities are gone. Now I'm embarrassed to say I'm a Girl Scout. So embarrassed by the lack of care for the environment and the push for the professional business appearance at the expense of the organization that I have quit after 25 years of membership.
- Too much red tape. And always changing things. Journeys are not easily followed. Cookie prices are ridiculous. Then theres selling those cookies in the middle of winter when the girls can't get out and go door to door. Thats stupidity. Then you have people who shouldn't be allowed to lead a troop especially when their daughter is up running around all over the place not listening. etc.. My daughter has expressed to me that she doesn't want to be a part any more and she isn't. We are calling it quits. After this year.
- I don't like how the program has been watered down to get/keep more girls in. Small Troop/Cliques are forming which never seem to have space for 'new girls'. It seems like lots of Mommies and her daughters six best friends are happening. The loss of a wide arrange of badge choices and focusing only on Journeys (which are good ) and then now limiting the selection of council patches and badges. Girl Scouts needs to stop providing everything for free for everyone - because there is a low cost associated to Scouting and its a "Charity" they under value its program. People are happy to take from Scouts, but not giving back. And because so many of the Troops are "cliques" they do Girl Scout Cookie Buy Outs, and the money is only ever at the Troop level, it does not go up the ladder to council and national.
- I don't like the Journeys, especially for the older girls. Not only are they very limited, but they are boring....too much like school work. Girl Scouting is supposed to be about the girls, what they want to do. By requiring these unimaginative, boring and limited journeys for the Gold Award, GSUSA is going against the very foundation of what Juliette Low was trying to do: When asked what the girls should do, Juliette responded, "What do the girls WANT to do?"-- Juliette Gordon Low I'm on the Gold Award Advisory Committee for(council removed). The current prerequisites/requirements definitely water down the award; the prior requirements were much more in keeping with developing leadership, responsibility and thoughtfulness in our Girl Scouts. I used to be proud to say that the Gold Award was the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle Rank. I can't and won't say that now. GSUSA has definitely dropped the ball on this one.
- Not enough outdoor programming, too many rules, increase in administration
- I am seeing a decrease in program for teen girls as well as the open opportunities to use our older girls to run programs in a more hands on way. We give our girls the tools to be leaders but do not afford them the opportunity to use those skills while in scouting.
- Money does not help girls. Camps are closing. We are moving away from our roots of outdoors and girl groups.
- The movement is losing girls from 5th grade onward due to so many choice available to young folks today. At this age many families that had one parent remain home while the family was young reenter the work force. Many volunteers that worked with younger Girl Scouts are burnt out the advisors that continue do not allow the girls to have a say in what they would like to do. An example of this is the troop my daughter was in the girls wanted to go camping and the leader was not willing to take the girls. There were 3 assistant leaders that were willing, but the leader would not allow it to happen. As a result some of these girls did not return to Girl Scouts during the next enrollment period.
- I am on the verge of quitting.
- I feel we have lost the connection to the outdoors that is such an important part of GS. If you don't have a connection to the natural world you lose interest in caring for it. I took a group of girls to a park. A number of them had never walked in the woods, cooked over a campfire or slept in a tent. Yes we are a leadership organization. But so many leadership skills are gained by exploration and doing and the girls just don't seem to be getting this with our current focus. It seems like all we hear about is we need more girls registered. Camps are being sold left and right. What are we doing to reconnect the girls with nature and the outdoors, helping them to learn to care for and treasure our planet.
- Lacking involvement and input from the volunteers. You no longer fill part of the council. The council before they combined encouraged volunteers to be on committees and to help make decisions. Also, we have cut key funding for training new volunteers if we do any at all. I also feel that the Journey's has taken away the girls involvement in deciding what badges to work on.
- There is so much bad press about girl scouting I am very tempted to quit leading my two large and very active troops. This liberal agenda is going too far. You are not speaking for me or my troop. You are not promoting a neutral political playing field. I do not see how anything pro-abortion belongs in scouting. The majority of women you are celebrating are against my values. The Journeys are loathed by all the leaders and scouts and riddled our contra-ideology.
- I feel that girls are losing too much of what was a great Girl Scout program. I am a former leader and took 2 troops from Daisies to Seniors. The girls loved the program - I had several who earned Bronze, Silver and Gold - they grew in confidence as they worked through the program. I don't see enough emphasis on the outdoor experiences, which was the component my girls liked the best! The girls in my troops took the lead, planned and ran meetings and chose what activities the troop did.
- This is due to the national level management
- Very "Corporation " oriented. NOT Very GIrl Oriented. It is TOO MUCH LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL instead of an additional way to learn non-traditional skills, you offer WAY TOO MUCH STEM oriented activities. Every girl I have come across wants to DO or have hands on activities, NOT LEARN ABOUT something. Many Paid Staff members are rude, and discourage people from volunteering if you do not fit certain criteria (like age) Fortunately I have not been subject to this as I have skills that are currently popular. I stick it out because I believe if you complain about the problem, you should be willing to stick around and affect change to solve the problem.
- The only girls I have left are my own daughters. The girls are overall not happy with the Journeys or the GSLE. My daughters now only participate in events and travel. They have no desire to "earn" anything because it is too much like homework and boring (their words).
- I think the programming is good at taking into account current technology, but the computer options are not feasible for badge work at our meetings, where we do not have internet and families that carpool with girls of other levels. I also find some of the Journey aspects confusing after taking the training, and I worry that I am not creative enough to engage the girls should I tweak it. the girls tell me they are bored with it, and I worry about retention, especially since they must complete one in order to begin their Silver. I do not think a simple TAP and completing a Journey should be required to begin the Silver Award, especially since some girls only have one year of being a Cadette.
- I am not happy with the example a lot of our service unit and leaders set for the girls. They are very selfish, controlling and backstabbing. It's definitely something my co-leader and I are shielding from our troop. I also don't believe certain things such as abortion or sex should be taught by girl scout leaders.
- In trying to prevent gang related activities and teen pregnancy, you have moved away from the true meaning of scouting: self-reliance and resourcefulness. You have moved away from citizenship, outdoor stewardship and camping. You have given us bling, fluff, MANDATORY Gold Award meetings which tell us how to fill out a form "Now, don't leave anything blank, girls." HOW INSULTING to these young women who have striven to jump through your hoops! You have taken away badges. You have shown the girls not to try something new. The minimal STEM projects allow a few girls a slim opportunity to learn and advance - yet you proudly proclaim "We have STEM!" You have left the Ambassadors with next to nothing to interest them. You have shown the Juniors that the journeys are "same old things". These youth members have figured out that "once you get to Juniors, you do not learn anything new." The journeys are recycled for each level. "Boring & insulting.." per Cadettes. The 100 year Rock the Mall event was NOT for us to listen to someone else showcase her songs and ask if we were "ready to Rock the Mall", it was for ALL GIRL SCOUTS & GIRL GUIDES to BOND TOGETHER while singing camp songs which would show their unity with each other. We were ready, you did not deliver. You had a chance to do massive service projects. Instead of activities held for all in which to participate, the scouts went to the activities DC has to offer which were NOT Girl Scout related. Every scout from outside of the mid-Atlantic area said that the Rock The Mall was an excuse to travel; however, it was the worst part of the trip. Very sad, indeed. Not everyone has Faceboook - please use your website!
- I was a Girl Scout for 9 years with an amazing leader. The life lesions that (name removed) was able to teach us will never be replaced. I am the woman I am today because of her involvement with Girl Scouts!
- Girl Scouts of the USA had always been a way to get outdoors and experience new things. Publishing "Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting" and using the Leave No Trace principles before other organizations was important to me. After the re-alignment of the Councils, GSNNJ decided NOT to use the program ideas and guidelines from National found in the publication. They took they outdoors from the program. We were working with "Every Girl, Everywhere" and suddenly we were online for all things. In my country, some people can't afford computers and library access is not the answer. So we lost this part of the population!
- While I still support the Girl Scout program because of the good it does at a local level, I have been disappointed with many of the changes made, mostly at the national level. The Journeys turn troop time into classroom time, and the lack of focus on the outdoors is very disheartening!
- There is very little support for volunteers.
- I dislike cookie selling. The percentage of selling cookies for our troop is ridiculous. The council doesn't provide adequate support and there is so much red tape in doing outdoor activities. They are hesitant to let us circulate religious recognition activities. Communication is funneled through 1 council member that seems to be overburdened by too much to do. Why should there is limit set for recruiting Girl Scouts? There are not enough parents stepping up to lead troops.
- I am in between satisfied and unsatisfied at the current direction. There is too much focus on Journeys. They are confusing, and I don't think the girls are getting anything out of them. There is not enough time to do badges, awards, community service, product sales and Journeys. We end up not giving 100% of our time to anything since there is so much to do.
- We are a rural community, once 3 counties, since re-alignment, 9 counties including the city of Philadelphia. We are swallowed by urban staff who seem to have no concept of outdoor program, or the value of volunteers to a non-profit. They try to manage the council as a for-profit corporation, and are driving long-time volunteers away.
- The girls have no interest in the journeys...too much like school work with large amounts of reading and not enough interesting activities. The badges and especially the councils own gave so many options for various interests.
- It appears we have given up on core beliefs and traditions. Juliette Low is rolling in her grave! We spend too much on salaries, pensions(especially adding new employees to the old pension plan), new materials and trying to interest girls in 'dumbed down' programs! the girls complain that there is no longer any challenge! The girls want to camp, yet councils are selling the camps off instead of finding new ways to finance them. Too many employees living in a too expensive city, working in a TOO expensive building! If things are going to change...start at the top!!
- I still think that closing Tweedale is a very bad mistake that will only be realized once it is gone completely. Our girls enjoy this camp immensely. It is the ONLY camp and local to Chester County. It is one of if not the ONLY camp that has water sports. THis is a TREASURE that should not be given away. SAVE TWEEDALE NOW, and for all our future generations.
- Girl Scouts needs to get out of partisan political issues. When GSUSA issues tweets recommending a woman whose only notable accomplishment is trying to block a bill making it more difficult to obtain an abortion for Woman of the Year - it puts all of us in a bad situation. There are millions of women truly helping their communities - working soup kitchen, helping in homeless shelters, working with children - pick one of them. And stop linking GSUSA tweets to liberal places like the Huffington Post. Your staff is in New York but the majority of your members are in middle America and we disagree with these stances as do the people within our communities. Keep your PERSONAL opinions out of the organization. You are alienating many of your leaders, girls, and their families.
- I'm very sad about the decision to sell Camp Chenoa.
- Girls are no longer recognizable as Girl Scouts, much of the time they are at meetings or on outings.
- I had been employed by a council in (location removed) and the way women were treated- as though NO ONE mattered but the highly paid people at the top - was horrible. It was clear that the only reason for the merger was to make fewer councils for the national office to have to deal with- employees were unhappy, volunteers were unhappy, girls were left out because fewer troops could be formed. It was a nightmare! The entire concept of Girl Scouts was ruined. Everything was based on MONEY. CEOs making WAY too much and getting "company cars" and who knows what other perks... girls were forgotten- volunteers ignored. Shame on you!
- I think the program is AWFUL. There is no outdoor program--the girls want to do SCOUTING, not more school work. The Journeys are an unmitigated disaster. The girls hate them & make fun of the characters. We are stumbling through it because they want to earn their bronze award. But the girls want to be outside & learn skills & have FUN! They also need specific goals defined & learning guides. Journeys are so loosey-goosey that even if the are trying to do anything of value, that value is totally lost. I think the organization uses the girls for slave labor. Cookie sales are "financial literacy'?? No. The girls get so little of that money toward their own activities that it's laughable. To show just HOW much this is about money for other than the girls: Councils going to ACH withdrawals. a MAJOR risk to the security of the money the GIRLS have earned. For many reasons. Further, our council has given us 13 business days to collect 1/2 of the money for cookies before our first ACH. This is about 1 day per step. It's unreasonable. It doesn't take into account that we are doing ANYTHING other than selling/distributing/collecting money for GS cookies. To add insult to injury, mystery shoppers were added to booth sales last year, with a 12 point list of requirements! I'm so angry I could spit nails. Cookie sales are no longer a priority for my troop because GSUSA & (council removed) has no respect for MY time or that of our girls. We will NEVER do another booth sale & stand outside in freezing weather for hours to collect $.65/box AT MOST. NEVER.
- We (our community) had a lot more ownership in our local council before it was sucked up into a larger council, with headquarters 850 miles away. Now it's big brother (or would that be big sister) calling the shots from far away. Their changes in policy have been somewhat drastic (summer camps, for example), and not for the better.
- Would like to see more of a connection beyond just out council.
- I do not like the new program adopted -I struggle with my troop of Cadettes and Seniors with the new program - they seem to feel it is more like school and not the fun things they enjoyed learning and doing. It is sad ...I knew it was bad when I heard them talking about how girls needed to be educated not decorated...personally my girls like their badges as they can tell people what they did and what they learned - badges made them go out on a short "limb" and try something new - now they have so much intensive work to get a badge or a journey AND journeys are required for a higher level award and can't be earned as a solo Juliette...ugh it's frustrating... and doesn't seem like it's leaving soon enough.
- Councils are clickish.
- I think the direction shifts quite often but that is a sad sign of the times
- I love the program materials and all the different and new patches for the girls. but I think my service unit (and possibly my council) - Locating IN Georgia, the homeland of Girl Scouts - is incredibly disorganized. No one has done training, has any idea what they are doing and no one seems to care. our troops aren't running how the training says (girl lead) and it's disheartening to see these Girl Scouts NOT learn what they should be learning. I don't know a single troop here that has Court of Awards, knows how to run a Flag Ceremony or has a kaper chart. but I feel helpless as a co-leader who is new to the area and unable to change a whole service unit alone.
- our girls are getting focused and looking forward to all their new journeys to come.
- Girl Scouting has moved away from the core values that used to stand for Girl Scouting.
- The direction sucks cuz its all crafts in this state and no hands on learning like u can with camping life, cooking in n outdoor. I wish my kids were boys so we could do what boy scouts do instead learning sissy girl things like sissy crafts. I think there should be no such thing as its up to the leaders of how many times to meet, it should be once a week to keep the kids learning and interested. The once a month is ridiculous, the prog should be more than just the pedals of doing one thing out of 3 things of course dah everyone is gonna pick the easy one just get done and move on. Leaders are getting lazier due to not wanting to find or not know how to go about doing camps on own. Or if your a new leader not knowing its an option cuz its not in the book.Council should put bug in leaders ears for ideas or help organize it.in my troup we do nothing in summer when thats when camping oppertunities are.
- From what I hear in my SU it is fine, but I feel I am not getting all the information I could or would use.
- I understand why Girl Scouts is selling camps but it does not benefit my current Girl Scout Troop of Juniors as there will be less camps and no renovated camps for them to use. Also the merger of councils has meant less activities in our area and more driving to go to council activities.
- Journeys as the basis for Gold and Silver Awards just are not working for our area. Journeys need a group to work on them properly. However, high school troops often have only 1-3 girls at a level. The old format of having one set of badges (or journeys) for grades 7-12 works best. Then multi-level troops can help all girls advance. Journeys are great for Daisies and Brownies, okay for Juniors, bad idea for older girls. The early 90's format was best for them. It taught leadership in steps much more effectively, and gave them a good foundation for higher awards. The new Girl Guides are excellent!
- They do not utilize volunteers to the best advantage.
- I would like to see more of a focus on outdoor activities. Both troops of girls that I lead really dislike the leadership journeys.
- It wasn't broke. Not sure why there was a need to 'fix' it.
- It seems to be less about the girls learning to do for themselves and earn things than before. sure, we are trying to teach them to think for themselves...but then when they try to make a difference...they are squashed. As adults or girls but the new rules and structure. If it isn't in the books, it isn't allowed.
- The journeys seem a lot like school work and mirrors what the girls are already doing in school, instead of expanding their knowledge in new areas. Badges are also much more limited.
- Trainings are mostly online and the personal connections with volunteers has been lost. Camps are being sold and girls are losing the opportunity to experience the outdoors. The two local councils are being run more like a Fortune 500 company instead of a leadership program for girls. Simple badge programs where girls could have many experiences have been replaced by a program where the girls have said it feels like school.
- Why is GSUSA being so proactive with abortion rights? We should be staying neutral. Regardless of my personal views, GSUSA is alienating girls and their families by taking a position in this.
- I am generally supportive of all the initiatives. However, the program seems to be watering down in a supposed effort to include more girls. It is insulting and disappointing to those who were achieving at the more difficult level.
- Communication from council =zero. Follow through when troop leader= zero Support to remain a leader= zero
- Most girls join Scouts for friendship and outdoor activities. The later is no longer stressed. Leaders are not taking girls outside to explore nature, for hikes, camping or other activities.
- Journeys and the different badges for every level make it almost impossible for leaders to provide cohesive programming in a multi-level troop. Families want more than one of their girls in the same troop, so having a multi-level group of girls has become the only option for many. GSUSA has made life very difficult for leaders.
- It is very difficult as a leader to guide the girls with the materials we have been given. As a leader, we use our prior experience as a Girl Scout to guide our girls. Our prior experiences have no relevance to the journeys and badges. The current systems seems to be created by a group of women who have no prior experience as a Girl Scout. Girls gain self esteem and leadership skills by achieving badges that give them skills they could use in real life. Constantly talking about feelings and ways to handle situations in the journeys is very boring. My girls are starting to hate Girl Scouts. They want to do stuff.
- We have strayed too far from Juliette's vision.
- Some portions seem like a step back and they seem under staffed
- Wish there was a troop in our area.
- Need more focus on GIRL led (the Journeys with a separate book for the adult/facilitator is not GIRL led). Use to be that badges were a way to try new and learn about things out of the girls comfort zone and not part of their daily life. With the focus on aligning with school now girls tell me the badge work is what they already did in school. need more outdoor stuff. As a girl growing up in a city my only outdoors was when my troop went camping. There are still inner city kids in GS who also need to be able to go camping and learn about nature and the outdoors. Finally despite what GS seems to believe STEM can be done at camp and in the outdoors.
- I hate that I have to keep asking parents to donate to (council removed). I was embarrassed and angered that reps from (council removed) came to our meeting and said our community should be donating more money and that it's the leaders faults for not doing it. I think your are teaching the girls the wrong things when they have been committed to Girl Scouts earn an award but can't receive the gold award because they didn't participate in a fundraiser. That is blackmail and your teaching the girls to do it. It's wrong. 4.00 for cookies is crazy. The boxes are smaller and less $$ is going back to troop. Our sales have dropped a lot since the increase. Also due to the economy. Is there a way that my daughter could get more money back to her troop? I d rather see less incentives.. The girls incentives are the patches and $$ for troops.. Save money on incentives would = less cost for cookies more money back to troops.
- As a very active Boy Scout leader, I watch the programs for girls struggle and founder in our area. Girls are bored, in troops that don't provide adventure or skills. Very few can find the kind of programming we grew up with, that makes for strong, self-reliant, adventurous women. Those that do often have to join a BSA Venture crew to find it. I wish for my nieces, and for the sisters of my Scouts, the kind of active programming their mothers had and their brothers have, but most can't find it.
- I feel like there's a huge component to Girl Scouts that is missing. Leadership skills are important, but girls JOIN GIRL SCOUTS to learn OUTDOOR SKILLS. These are not only not stressed; they're not even encouraged by the current GSLE. Add to that the fact that there really is very little practicality to a lot of the badges (jewelry, pottery making?) when GS used to be about practicality (sewing, for one). I also do not think the Journeys are effective teaching tools. The excuse "just use the books as a guide" doesn't cut it - if the books don't get the job done, we shouldn't buy them and use them at all, and then what is the point of the Journeys? I'd rather see us go back to the way things used to be, with more opportunities for the girls to learn and earn normal badges.
- Lots of red tape to do what the girls want such as money earning or volunteering. Not truly girl lead with all the rules such as no $ earning during cookie sales. Journeys are not what intended. More work to make them fun. Girls want more badges, less journey.
- I don't think that leaders get enough help. We have to spend hours and hours finding our own resources, making our own plans, modifying the journeys, trying to figure out what the rules are, etc. There should be a better way or providing info to leaders. There should also be a way to ensure that leaders are doing things the way they are supposed to. For example, one Daisy troop at my daughter's school was allowed to sew on EVERY petal in the beginning of the year, so the girls wouldn't "feel bad" about not getting them, not earning one, etc. And this troop's leader is our school's representative for the whole school, so at least she should know better. It's things like that that make it hard for leaders who DO follow the rules.
- I do not like the almost exclusive focus on STEM. Yes, it is important. It is not the only thing in the world, though. I find it odd that so many of today's women leaders were Girl Scouts who went camping and did the old program. So to promote leadership, the organization has decided to completely change? That makes no sense. The leaders of yesterday and today learned their skills with a program that GSUSA is trying to throw out.
- I think GS has become a business only worried about the bottom line MONEY. They have forgotten the interests of the girls. The journeys have been a disaster. None of the girls like it because they feel like it's work. They get enough work from school they don't need it at GS. They want to come to meetings to have fun not to work.
- I'm satisfied in the quality of materials that are available, as well as training for adult volunteers. We are overseas, so we know that a lot of the program hasn't been created for us, so we are able to be very flexible in the way we run our troops. I don't believe we'd have this flexibility in the US, though.
- They do not offer our area Girl Scouts any Girl Scout activities. They do not offer leaders any support.
- The current program is definitely NOT the one I remember as a girl. I see lots of lost opportunities and skills that are no longer being offered. Also, I often think it would be helpful to have a more direct response from National about certain subjects (troop funds, fundraising, etc) so that Councils are more uniform across the States. There are way too many differences between councils that make it difficult to call ourselves ONE organization. I think the complete focus on Leadership/STEM is overload for girls who get quite a lot of the same information in school. I believe the focus should be on a FAMILY organization with SKILL building opportunities that includes LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES - understanding that not EVERYONE has the desire to be a LEADER.
- Girl Scout councils are closing camps at a time when they should be working to keep them open. Girl Scouts of Louisiana Pines to the Gulf recently closed two camps. In choosing which ones to close, they closed a camp that was being used and kept open a seldom used one that needs more work. They have cut resources in our region and don't listen to the girls or leaders in the northeast region of the state. They take our dues and our cookie money and we get very little assistance from them.
- I feel like there is too much red tape and many just sit around and talk idea, other than going out and getting it done.
- I am all for helping Girls grow stronger and as leaders. I am pretty conservative - so I do not like agendas that are for gay/lesbian/transgender rights. Most of the girls are too young to be exposed to detailed info on sexuality anyway. Let's try and keep that out of Girl Scouts (sexuality).
- I was very satisfied till first I found out that you all secretly support planned parenthood and then encourage the teens to get abortions while kicking the parents out. Also to allow homosexuals to A be leaders and B for them to be part of group or a troop. Second for allowing those who have had sex changes in the group. Very sad.
- Council here doesn't put girls first. My girls refuse to do fund raisers in protest. They have close two beloved camps without hearing our plans to find them staying open. And refused to let girls use their share of cookie money to help the camps
- My girls hate the Journeys. I have 2 troops, Ambassadors and Cadettes (12th and 8th grade). They prefer the badge work. They state Journey is too much like schoolwork. They earn it because it is prerequisite for Silver and Gold.
- The journeys are awful it took the traditional girl scouting away.
- From my point of view it seems to me that the Girl Scout Organization wants the volunteers to do all the planning and work for events, camps, activities etc.. and just let the organization and their staff make the rules and earn the money from the store sales and cookies and fall fundraiser. Our local camps have been closed because they did not want to spend the money to get them updated which makes it very hard for us to have weekend camp outs or just day events at a camp. I also hate that we do not have a store in our area. As a troop leader I do not require my girls to have uniforms or to buy their own guides or journey books as everything has to be ordered online and is too much of a hassle as far as sizing, etc. It is 100 miles to the closest store which I have never been to.
- There are fewer activities coordinated by councils making for overworked leaders and volunteers.
- I was a long time member but as our council has "reorganized" and lost its focus on the girls I have been disillusioned and left the organization. Communication is horrible, the focus has shifted to what is good for adults and feeding the GSA beast and away from the girls. Money is being shifted from hard working families in more affluent areas to other areas in the mega council with little regard for what is good for the girls. This shell game is simply to mask how much money the council and GSA is skimming off to pay for adults that are not doing their jobs. 2) I have been very unhappy with the direction of the new journeys - the changes and level of difficulty have resulted in my oldest losing interest and dropping out of scouting as a 9th grader. All of her friends from our troop started dropping out after they achieved bronze status when the regulations began to change - very sad and very different from my sons who are Eagle Scouts through the boy scouts. 3) Also we are dismayed at the selling and divestment of the camps - especially Camp Tweedale - the only camp serving our area. I camped there, my siblings camped there, my nieces camped there, my daughters camped there. Our original camp Sunset Hill was sold in the 80's and we were assured the money would go into making the other camps stronger -- we have been through this before. My younger daughter and her troop will no longer be camping (summer or troop camping) because of the inconvenience and distance to other camps. My youngest wants to quit scouting altogether. As a scouting family (my husband and sons are Eagles - I was a GS through HS and my sisters have their Gold Awards) we are now looking at other options for our younger 2 girls.
- The sale of the GS Camps was not done according to the will of the voting membership. The data used to support the sales was flawed and the oversight of the camps was neglectful. There is too much money spent on MVP's and not on programs for the GIRLS.
- It has become far too political and commercial. We need to focus on what the girls want. They want to learn a variety of skills, they hate the journeys almost as much as the leaders do. We need to quit worrying about making a fashion statement with our uniforms. They are there to show unity as a movement, not to go parading down a runway. They do not even look like uniform. No wonder no one takes us seriously. Most do not even wear them anymore.
- I would like to see more Direction in the standards of presentations and uniform wearing.I have seen very little uniform wearing by all members. I have seen that the girls have no standards or teachings on the proper techniques of ceremonies. Such as the proper way to carry a flag, etc.
- It's all about the urban troops, and STEM and Journeys and they've forgotten the rural GIRLS and the girls who like the outdoors and community service!
- Girl Scouts have been the pacesetter for developing girl outdoor leadership programs since 1912. Girl Scouts should advocate linking Girls to the land. G.S. leadership in promoting adventure based programming has changed the outdoor industry. There is now women specific clothing, gear and shoes. Because of Girl Scouts lead, adventure based activities have been offered to girls. Maintain the lead. The out-of-doors is the one activity that Girl Scouts does better than anyone else. Girl Scouts should advocate linking girls to the land. Retake the lead. Out of door training is what we do better than anyone another organization. Don't give the lead to someone else.
- We seem to be catering to people who aren't Girl Scouts and have lost our focus on the camping program.
- Feels very unorganized, the new badges are very watered down. Too much focus on STEM and not other things such as leadership skills and outdoors.
- I run a troop that does not want to keep sitting around the table. We enjoy being outdoors and spend all our time doing competition camping. The girls feel we need more outdoor patches.
- Go back to Badges and more emphasis on outdoor experiences.
- Although Maine is one council most of the events happen in Southern Maine and not all leaders get the same information. I wish that all council were more uniform on what the allowed so that I could find ideas for my girls to do from other councils. My Girls would like to do fundraising for various things but because of regulations are unable to.
- Our council has recently stopped providing camp and activities for our girls. Almost the entire Girl Scout experience rests on the shoulders of us volunteer leaders. We very much miss their support.
- As a former Young Woman of Distinction (2007) I believe it is my responsibility to assist future projects as the are created and strive for greatness in the community, if not the world.
- I am disappointed in our leader meetings. Its always the same few leaders that show up and nothing ever seems to get accomplished. They are boring. We need to change how things are done. I have a boy scout. They have a pack meeting where all the dens get together and things get accomplished. I think it would benefit the leaders and the girls of our troops to meet up and exchange ideas and see each other.
- In your quest to become a premier leadership organization I believe that you have put the best interests of the girls to the side.
- Everything is based on money and is no longer "girl centered". I also have issue with the fundraising restrictions. We are not allowed to sell other product to help with something "girl centered", but GSUSA can peddle lip balm, creamer, candy bars etc...essentially making money off of our girls. How are cookies exclusive when the public can get the flavors any time of year. Also, there is hardly any programming in our area and the programming of quality is very expensive-where is the cookie money? Finally, day camp has been deleted and there is almost no council run camping for girls over 5th grade. I am not an outdoors person and I rely on council to help me give the girls that experience. The journeys took the fun out of Girl Scouting. Now to earn anything it's a ton of reading vs experiencing. I don't understand why we are not structured like the Boy Scouts...change is good...improving the badges to meet the girl's interests, but not changing the core ethics of our organization. I think Juliette Gordon Low would be rolling in her grave.
- Journeys program is killing GS. Girls and leaders are dropping out in big numbers. Leaders don't like it. Girls say that it is too much like school. Has no relevance in their lives. It's like reading at school. Teaches no skills. Too expensive for books. Patches are too big and don't mean anything to the girls and leaders. Leaders are using fall troop meetings to get Journey finished so that the troop can do something fun in the winter/spring meetings.
- It often feels that the CEO, top level volunteers and council staff are a bit out of tune with the local volunteers and the girls.
- The Girl Scouts are an amazing organization and I am proud to be a member. However, we need to bring a focus on camp back into the organization. Outdoor Education was so important to Juliette Low that she purchased the first Girl Scout camp. I think she would be appalled at the number of our camps that have been closed and sold.
- Staff communication with volunteers and members on the Council level has greatly improved in recent years, although there is still a way to go. We are still having trouble synthesizing the Journeys into our regular troop activities. We do them, and they are getting better, but the girls still prefer badge activities. They are teens and are very upset that Ambassadors have so few badges. I understand about "girl-led," but the Journeys are too amorphous. Girls need to KNOW about something before they know that they might be interested in it, and even just the listing of the badges helped introduced them to topics they wouldn't know about. I think this is especially true in my economically disadvantaged community. It might not be as true in communities where girls have more outside experiences.
- I live in an isolated area & feel as if we get overlooked. An example is that we might not even have a cookie cupboard this year. I really don't like the new set-up with cookies either. 3 days for the initial order just isn't enough.
- I'm prefer to stay with traditional Girl Scout programs, activities, events. A lot of Girl Scout Traditions are being lost with the newer programs.
- I was a leader but every one made feel useless act like I took their money someone started a troop took all the girls but one maybe next year I don't know
- Not a big fan of Journeys but like the rest of the program.
- I am unhappy with the journeys and the lack of easily useable diverse options that we used to have under the badge programs. I am a firm believer that Girl Scouts needs to be all about the girls choosing from many options the things they want to learn about. I am unhappy with the fact that the current skill badges are now so broad and so few that it is harder for the girls to self lead.
- GSUSA is gearing more towards STEM Programs. Girls learn leadership through outdoor experiences. Kids spend too much time indoors as it is. Not all girls want to go to college and be engineers. Some want to learn what types of jobs there are. Currently in the US, there is a lack of people for trade jobs and more college graduates are finding themselves unemployed due to saturation. Girl Scouts is about building leadership and not creating future saleswomen.
- Too much money spent on 5th Avenue Headquarters and aligning with common core is a disservice to our children.
- If we do not evolve we will be dead as org.
- where are the outdoor programs? Why are councils having to develop their own programs?
- I have been a Girl Scout for 25 years and am appalled at how political it has become. Girls are no longer the priority and it makes me sick and sad. I have been a member since 1987 and came up through all levels, earning a Silver and Gold Award. I know that my leaders had paperwork and hoops to jump through, but I also know that they didn't have the bureaucratic garbage to deal with that is going on now. I can only hope and pray that Girl Scouts is still around for my daughter someday.
- Concerning the program: There are not enough "Journeys" to keep the girls interested and moving forward. The scope of the program is to narrow. Training could be more helpful
- Too political and too liberal and too politically correct in all the books.
- The realignment, unveiling leadership essentials, journeys, etc was handled very poorly. This should have been done in stages so the volunteers could adapt and learn to work within the new parameters. Also, GSUSA should have been sure of the way they were going to address all of these changes before it was rolled out. Who was responsible for the way staff was allowed to retire at the 11th hour and devastate councils of experienced staff? And shall we address the underfunding of the retirement plan? How could that have possibly happened and why are the errors caused by some allowed to effect the financial stability of councils. The motto of GS is pal ahead, the one thing that GSUSA did not do.
- I have always loved that GS's has been cutting edge on issues girls face since 1963 when I first joined as a Cadette GS. I've been a Leader since 1970 so I've dealt with a lot of changes. Each time I wonder WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA???? I feel like you really need to ask membership their opinions. I remember in the 80's you had some Business Consulting Firm evaluate GS's and the guys came to a meeting to address our Council and said "If it weren't for the VOLUNTEERS, you would have been out of business a long time ago!" I think that statement probably still holds true today!
- The new badges and Journeys feel more like "work" or "school" than fun. The old badges were more "fun" and interactive in that different levels could work together on the same or similar badges together and they could more easily be completed during a single meeting. They new badge requirements make that much more difficult and time consuming to accomplish. We get less done during our time together and have fewer opportunities during the year to explore more things together. Multi-level troops are much harder to plan for and manage without more leadership/volunteer support to help during meetings. I've been to multiple trainings for Journeys and have yet to make a connection with them. They are tedious and time consuming. We feel forced to participate in order to be allowed to start our bronze, silver & gold planning. Most troops meet for approximately 1-1/2 to 2 hours twice a month and attend events when possible during the rest of the month so our time together needs to count. In addition, council and/or GSUSA places too many restrictions on troops with regards to fundraising. Trying to raise funds for a troop trip is very difficult since we are so limited in what we are allowed to do. We are competing with so many other groups such as Boy Scouts, relay for life, MS, etc...because we are so limited with the restrictions placed on us. It's very frustrating and needs to be updated to help us.
- I do not like the agenda being pushed for every girl to be a "leader" and think it should be abandoned immediately.
- Why does it take 2 months to get a money earning application approved? If an opportunity arises, that is way too long to get the activity approved. Too much red tape!!!!!! Why does it seem so hard to get things done? I believe that is why a lot of leaders and girls leave the organization.
- The new Journeys program looks too much like school. There is a lack of understanding about the importance of the out of doors in developing leadership and all round character. Changing the program because you can is not a reason to do it. Every person hired by a council should be required to lead a troop for at least one year. Having been part of 7 different councils throughout my life, i find that those who have not worked with a group of girls of any age have NO understanding of what a leader faces.
- I don't like the increasing focus on environmental activism. Environmentalism has it's place, but it should not be the focus of Girl Scouts. I appreciate the focus on leadership skills, but it seems that these skills have been elevated while exploration and discovery have been greatly diminished. I am not happy with the Journeys....these seem to focus on very limited areas and have replaced the former badges that encouraged exploration. Now, exploring topics is limited to what corresponds with the Journeys. Even the girls in my troop are dissatisfied with the Journeys.
- I don't like the way troop leaders are able to pick and choose the girls in their troop.
- I don't like how the badges for all age levels have been narrowed down. The create your own program gets expensive at $3 per badge if a troop goes that route. Outdoor programs and a lot of traditions have gone away in my council. Father/Daughter fall camping weekend for example.
- I would like to see more emphasis put on outdoor activities and skills. I don't like that the journeys are so much like school work. For Daisys the little flower people are appropriate but at Brownie level little character people are perceived as "childlike" by my troop, at that age. I would like to see GS go back to basics.
- At council level I am satisfied. Great people who care about our girls. We love camp and I have volunteered two years, and will again. My problem is at the troop level where our troop has become clickish. Activities are very expense and now only on Saturdays to accommodate another leader who moved out of town. My daughter can't make these meetings because she is with her father on weekends. She is the only child from a broken home in the group and has struggled with self confidence for so long. Now they won't let her fundraise money for camp. The others are planning a trip to 10 day trip to Disney World. It is just not fair.
- It seems to me that new things keep getting thrown at the members without time to get used to the things already in place. This includes uniforms, books, etc.
- true as it is we may need an overhaul and bring girl scouting into the 21 century it is still so important to bring back to basic and nature all the knowledge required to survive with very little at hand and with the way children are reaching for the stars this concept is great but we still have gravity issues and are grounded 2) we also have issue with the staffing I feel when the people who are hired have no girl scout experience and when volunteers as leaders are in need of assistance and we get passed around the table cause no one knows how to handle a situation it is disturbing
- Our council is so expensive. The rate for activities and our membership is higher than other surrounding councils. Also, we sell cookies so late compared to others, even compared to the rest of NJ. Why isn't that rotated?
- Only the third journey for each level seems ok, the others are horrible. My girls have NO interest in them.
- The focus of Girl Scouts has shifted to what is comfortable with adults, not the girls. The Girl Scout has retreated indoors and watches through the window, the Great Outdoors. All the things that a new generation of girls bring to scouting can be adapted with a basic 1920's GS manual! The consistent reorganizing of program is ridiculous! Get back to basics!
- I am not happy with the service unit merger. I was on the Service Team and stepped down my position because of lack of support from council and the lack of communication from the rest of the team. I feel that everyone is doing their own thing and not being a cohesive community. I feel that no one is listening to each other, and that the interest of the girls are not priority. I felt like we were forced into a merger that we did not want to participate in, and it ended up very badly for all. We need to go back to small geographic areas on our communities and stop trying to put a bandaid on something that wasn't broke in the first place.
- I think this organization has lost sight of what really matters, the girls. Self-reevaluation of the management of this organization is what is called for.
- I don't understand why licensed GS items consistently give the public image of young Girl Scouts only. Where are dolls, figurines, ornaments, etc. showing 6th - l2th grade girls and adult Girl Scouts? I have a hard time finding anything for those girls who do stay in Girl Scouting!!! National GSUSA, help, please!
- While I approve of the idea behind updating badges/honors/awards I very much dislike the journey program and lack of emphasis on the outdoors. Journeys are too much like school - not written to be girl led - and focusing on one area of study as the prerequisite to the highest honors fails to support a well rounded young lady. Older pathways to achieving the highest honors required knowledge in many areas and supported the badges. Now badges are ignored by many girls/leaders. Outdoor skills is the foundation of scouting - this area in particular is extremely poorly supported at the National level. We are focusing on leaders being background checked, going through an astonishing number of training, toeing the line with their council, by they time leaders meet these overwhelming requirements and try to sift through the ever changing rules (with poor or no help from staff), they are ready to quit leaving girls without needed adult support. Our council requires cookie training each and every year but has never ever taken the time to point out what's new and required in volunteer essentials. I truly fail to see why GSUSA does not continue to support "once official always official" to allow girls to do current program or delve into the rich past of scouting (support by putting books online & producing awards for purchase). I'm also continually astonished that it's "this council's own" or "that council's". Why not create, post on the national site and allow all leaders/girls the opportunity to know about and choose to earn these honors? And who decided to drop the ball on "scouting records"? I have a record of all my honors/badges/camping experiences from the 1970's and my girls have records I've created - but this should be supported at National on eBiz. Training's need to be streamlined and be easily transferable from council to council - that again is National. Military and transient youth need to be supported and are not. I am one of the few leaders in my area open to military youth who may be moving in a year. And who thought it would be a good idea to create different program for high school girls? All high school girls should have the same program. Two levels does not support these girls. We need camps, we need program centers, we need leaders supported in a sane way so we can do what we are all here to do - SUPPORT THE GIRLS.
- I feel that you need to support the leaders and SU managers more. You have a "BILLION" rules for everything, but when a leader is breaking the rules there are never any consequences and that is really frustrating. In an organization like Girl Scouts the girls should be modeling what the adults are doing, When you have rouge leaders and other volunteers that don't follow our guidelines it sets a very bad example for the girls. Yes, we are volunteers but we can and should dismiss those that are not leading or behaving in the Girl Scout way!!
- I like Girl Scouting overall, but am disappointed that there has been such a thematic move to focus primarily on environmental and generic leadership through the journeys. I really enjoyed the badge work as a girl scout child, and I miss teaching/sharing it with the girls in my troop now that I'm an adult. Many skills are not taught otherwise, and even though they may be 'old fashioned', things like sewing, cooking, etc. are vital life skills for everyone. To do the journey's well - with the desired outcomes for the girls takes almost the whole year, leaving little time to do any other activities/badges.
- Love the empowerment, confidence, skill building associated with GS.
- Losing touch with what works while chasing some magic formula. Wasting money!
- I believe people join scouting looking for alot of the "old ways". Camping is a huge part of that and survival. The fact that girl scouts is downplaying that role is like a death blow for some girls. Boyscouts are also less restricted in fundraisers and trips. GS seems over regulated.
- Change is hard. If we don't evolve, the Movement will perish.
- I like the new Journeys, I don't think the girls should have to buy the binders... Leader yes. I absolutely hate that all the money the GS make is off the backs of our girls.. 50 for a sweatshirt. 22.50 for a vest??? you make it impossible for some girls to have these things. And all of the stress goes on the volunteers to do more and earn the GSusa more money.
- closing camps and making the girls scouts a business rather than a service is the wrong approach - scouting is about learning outdoor skills, building confidence and having new experiences - not just about selling cookies and cookie university.
- Overall, I think it is still a great organization for girls to be involved in. However, I do NOT like the Journeys at all. They are much too long and too much like schoolwork. The individual badges we used to do were so much better. They could be done in 1 or 2 meetings. They girls could directly relate the badge they earned to what they had done and seeing it on their vest brought back memories. They really can't relate what they are doing to the current journey badges. And it just isn't that much fun most of the time - for the leaders or the girls.
- The leader and Service Unit team support is excellent. The staff of GSOC are working to help the volunteers do the best job that they can. They are also selling the Journey programs and how to integrate them into the regular programming. This was very difficult for me to do, although newer leaders have had more success. The greatest difficulty started in the 4th grade, 1st year Junior, year. I am VERY disappointed by the loss of some skills badges, such as sewing needlework, fiber arts, knife skills lashing and home arts. Life in the 21st century is not all thinking skills and technology. The journey programs make a big leap from lots of "talking about" to community service. Girl Scouts have a strong community service core value; however, without learned skills to back that up, the girls don't have what they need to provide the service.
- Wish for a Gluten Free cookie! more support from councils, for Service Units.Journey are to involved and take too long for girls. Need more badge work makes it more fun for girls and easier to plan.
- Too much like school, too money oriented, too expensive, too much focus on building the "brand" - not enough focus on outdoors, not enough focus on encouraging new activities.
- Seems that corporate organization is out of touch with reality of delivering GS to folks of modest or little means. We can't serve every girl everywhere at the prices of today. The GSLE has good outcomes but the tools developed to deliver it are not great. Not even really good.
- Bring back the old badges. The girls want variety, not girly things. The journeys are boring and need to be pulled. We need more money from our cookies 4) We need to have separate girl accounts
- I am a teacher and I see how the new Journeys follow a curriculum thinking like a school would use, and attempt to quantify objectives and outcomes. This can be done in other ways- the Journeys literally suck all the energy and fun from our meetings. There is nothing about them that is "Girl Led." They are not age-appropriate. They are very inappropriate for girls who are second language learners or special education students. The old program lacked unity- but this program lacks buy in from the girls. I had 8 girls complete their entire Bronze award project last year and only 3 got the award because the other 5 flat out refused to complete a journey. Also why the heck are there no journeys for the outdoors? And why are you selling off so much outdoor property? If scouts becomes another boring activity in a living room- then there is no point.
- Camps are being sold and the outdoor programs are being drastically cut and under supported by the council.
- Badges are not fun anymore. Lost a lot of the good badges. We cannot do the current badges easily during meetings. Too much computer research. Badges are too much like school. High awards hour not be Journey driven. Journeys are too long. The girls are losing interest. Also, the quality of the pins is terrible. They fall apart.
- I am disappointed that my daughter didn't get the experience I had growing up. With the program changing drastically while she was cadette senior ambassador the council didn't know what to tell us and she couldn't earn PA or leadership awards because no one could answer questions on how to qualify for the awards. I don't like the move away from badges into the touchy feely stuff. In my area they get that in school. we are forcing all the girls to be project managers. they need the basic skills to do things while learning how to plan and manage. I don't think the program allows for that now. this is my last year for a while.
- I feel we are doing our girls a disservice when we water down activities & make girl scouting feel too much like school. We also are paper working our volunteers to death. I wish there was still an emphasis on the out of doors. I miss the five worlds of Girl Scouting & hate that the first thing people think of with scouting isn't leadership or empowerment, but cookies. It would be great to have forms for all the awards on national's site (fillable PDFs that allow girls working on bronze, silver & gold to include more narrative for all that hard work.) I would also like to see national introduce a polo-style short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirt as an official adult uniform (with the GS emblem on the opposite side of where the tab with pins is worn.) And please stop selling camps all over the nation. One day GSUSA will remember it wants outdoor spaces & it will be too late.
- Everything should be about the girls and I feel that's not always how it is any more. Too much "politicking".
- Kids need to be outdoors. If they don't get to experience that at camp, many will never experience it at all. Closing properties robs girls of this opportunity.
- Don't like how everything is going to internet. Seems very impersonal. Cookie sales and Fall Product has become a hassle with all the different things you have to do for your troop to participate.
- I have only been a leader for just over a year and a half so as of right now I am satisfied. But as I see the older leaders and listen to them I can hear the distention in the conversations. Which makes me wonder what I am missing.
- I have older girls, and they are just not interested in the current programming offered. There are some interesting badges, but they do NOT want to do any more Journeys. I tried selling them on them a few times, it didn't work. There is no program support that interests girls in 8th grade and up in our rural area.
- I feel that the focus of the organization that was created to build girls that were strong in character and skilled in a variety of useful life sustaining skills has become a tool of a watered down, politically correct, liberal agenda to create another drone for the system. It increasingly marginalizes girls and women with conservative values.
- I feel for our Council staff who are trying to do more with less. It seems like they are now lining up more with GSUSA than down to membership, which is a pity. For my part as a troop leader (4th and 8th graders), it feels like the thrust of our mission has moved in a curricular direction and involves a lot more overhead and administration on the part of the volunteer. I prefer to take advantage of the work we can do in a small group setting, learning to work and play with other kinds of personalities, finding out how to contribute to the community in useful and satisfying ways, and getting comfortable and acclimated to the outdoors. Journeys are not doing it for me.
- After I left (camp name removed) I offered many times to volunteer to assist with camp maintenance, even while current ranger was undergoing treatment for cancer. I was told they didn't need the help. Could have fooled me ! I had had problems with the ranger/new council but they were resolved. Now I volunteer at a YMCA camp for 20-30 hours a week. I'm sure (camp name removed) could find something that need done at no cost !
- I see a lot of great programs out of Girl Scouts of Northern California.
- I feel it does not embody the ideas nor ideals of its founder Juliette Gordon Lowe. Today, it is nothing more than an extension of the public school and government agenda. It has removed all the fun things and activities that were embodied in the badges. It is overrun with debt from camps it cannot maintain or support financially and from poorly run councils.
- Very big.
- I found the journeys confusing and difficult to implement.
- I am very saddened that our council properties are beli and I fear that soon we won't have any campgrounds left to be used. Also I hate the Journey's. The girls hate the Journey's. They say it is too much like school. How many times have we got to say we hate the Journey's! Bring back our badges. The change from our old books to these new books with reduced scouting skills is a joke.
- I think we undervalue ourselves. When I look around and see how much other programs are charging and then look at our program it makes me wonder if people take it for granted or think it isn't worth anything because there isn't more of a cost associated with it.
- They have begun selling off properties, but built a huge conference center in the very northern part of the council. They no longer have rangers at camp. They refuse to listen and tell us we are doing them wrong when we tell them our girls don't like the Journeys. They have gotten rid of people who disagreed with the course they are currently following.
- There's far too much emphasis made on recruitment of girls, and not enough on recruitment of adult volunteers and leaders. The girls will come, but we need trained leaders to assist them through the programs. Further, Council is terribly understaffed. Wait times are horrible causing a deterioration in the service/support provided to the community.
- I work for non-profit organizations focusing on science and the environment. We use our knowledge and resources to assist girls with some of the science badges which can be more difficult for a troop to earn. On one property we have a river and a spring so we have worked with some troops on the Water Journey except the activities we did did not meet any specific requirements in the Journey book. We attempted to set up a program where local troops could visit multiple times and earn their entire Journey award but we found the amount of reading that would need to take place at every meeting would limit the creative capacity we have. Girls learn by doing hands-on activities, they read enough in school and GS is supposed to be fun. There are very few badges even relevant to the non-profit I work for (Bugs, Trees, Animal Habitats) but the lack of options within each badge is what I find absolutely astonishing. What happened to choices? For example, Animal Habitats lets you pick one of three regions endangered species live in to learn about. I work with chimpanzees which are endangered in Africa but that is not one of the very specific requirements allowed by GS. The new program is stifling creativity since there are no options to create your own activities. I also do workshops for Boy Scouts and their badges are so in-depth it can take them 3-4 times longer to earn a badge than it does Girl Scouts. Most GS programs only take 2-3 hours to earn a badge start to finish so I feel Boy Scout badges cover the program materials more thoroughly.
- There is too much paperwork on activities.. I have a super troop of 18 and there is always something going.. example:: If I register for a council event thur ebiz.. I don't want to have to also fill out a special activity form.. its just extra paperwork .. you know were going, we should be insured.
- Unfortunately, the focus has become serving the "under-represented" segment of girl population; because they aren't interested in badges, camping, or other traditional scouting activities, they have been scrapped for Journeys. NO ONE likes them! Bring back the original program!
- I believe that my council is doing well, but am concerned about what I have heard about other councils. Between liquidating assets, ending needed programs, understaffing resource personnel and being generally non-responsive to leaders and girls, its very disheartening. Also, I am concerned that GSUSA is focusing too much on leadership ideas, without giving girls the opportunities to explore themselves through skills and camp and outdoor experiences. Yes, leadership is a necessary skill, but if you take away the vehicle for girls to push their limits and try new things, you are stunting their opportunities. A variety of opportunities needs to be available, not just a pipeline and a template to fit into.
- The new Journeys program has essentially decimated the GS program I have known and loved and supported for many years. The depth of each Journey is such that unless girls really like or are committed to a Journey, they do not enjoy the experience and are declining to complete it. This has led to an overall decline in enthusiasm for GS proper. The old program of Try-Its, Badges, etc. allowed girls to complete some one-and-dones at a meeting or event while also having the opportunity to get more involved in a subject area. There was more variety so girls could always find something that fit their interests, needs, desires, etc. ... Our Council has such high turnover and poor response to volunteers that we are often left without leadership or support. And yet we are micromanaged in certain areas. ... The registration process is onerous and has made it difficult to maintain an effective SU Registrar and maintain or even grow our numbers. Parents, leaders and ST members are frustrated by many processes, and it is getting more and more difficult to attract and keep volunteers. ... The system is broken and needs repair immediately.
- I think that the program changes too much. As a leader of 20 years, the Gold Award program has changed more than I can remember. I think this diminishes the award. My girls have done all of the journeys in their level but have not found them as satisfying as the old interest projects.
- Would like to see trainings come a little more south. A 2 hr training would actually be 4 hrs for me.
- While I appreciate the emphasis on math and science skills through programs like robotics, I am very upset by the direction away from camping and out door adventure. Nationally, GSUSA is selling off its land assets. This is so short sighted. While there may be short term financial relief within councils, the ability to regain these properties is nill. Once they are gone, they are gone. Without these properties, troops and councils will not have the resources to highlight outdoor programming. There is a reason Girl Scouts has been successful for over 100 years. Selling these camps will de-rail this success.
- I feel that girls are discouraged from earning badges because of the increase on work at all levels. I believe it's good to update the work and challenge girls but if meeting only twice a month it makes it very difficult to finish anything.
- Overall, I am very happy with Girl Scouts. My daughter and I have made great friends and our troop leader is AMAZING. I also enjoyed the camp certification process and met some amazing GS teachers and parents. That said, there are a few areas of concern. First, there should be more outdoor activities for girls starting at a younger age. Many girls are interested in rock climbing, archery, canoeing, and sailing at an early age, and GS needs to foster these interests. Second, certain troops in (location removed) function more like a sorority and are invitation only. Because the troop meets the minimum number of girls, nothing has been done to correct this practice by the Council. A policy should be put in place that dictates how troops are formed (such as having booths at Back to School Night, including announcements in the PTA newsletter, and sending flyers home with children, etc.). When families make a request to find a troop for their child, troop leaders with 10 or less girls at that child's school should not be able to turn her away. The GS as an inclusive organization and not an exclusive one, but these practices are not. Third, since we are interested in teaching financial literacy, I would suggest that organizers read Juliet Schor's _Plentitude_ and _Overspent American_ and think about ways to teach girls about gender roles and responsible consumerism. Schor's Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mantra would be a great way to bridge arts/crafts with understanding money.
- As my family and I have traveled regionally, we have tried contacting local troops/SU's to find out about their active programs/hikes/trails, only to find sometimes that their responses come back to us past when we would be traveling. A better, more active network would be great, to help encourage communication and connection for our growing girls.
- Girl Scouts has become a business.
- The more "reorganizing" that my Council does .. the more "unorganized" they appear to become. I have called the Council more times in the last 5 months for "issues" with the Council with items are that directed or supervised by the Council than I have in the last 5 years since coming back to being a Girl Scout Leader. The Council appears to be "reactive" to situations versus being prepared and PRO- active to situations. We are told that more time, energy and money will be used to support and HELP the leaders and volunteers within the Council. My perception is that more money is being spent on AV ads and presentations and having current staff in "meetings" to brainstorm how to be more effective to the leaders and girls registered ... But sadly, its worse now than better .... Giving the Council one full year to "Get their act together" - then will most likely seek another Girl organization to be a part of ..... and as we all know .. if the families and girls like the Leader ... they will FOLLOW the Leaders ....
- Regarding the direction of our organization:I don't like the elimination of the low-cost council events we enjoyed (easy for leaders and fun for girls), the closings of our camps, and the switch from badges to journeys (although perhaps that has been successful; I went to leader training, but our troop did not opt to try them).
- My name is (name removed) , I am a Lifetime Member and I have been a Girl Scout since I am seven years old. As a young girl, I attended Girl Scout Day Camp, (name removed) Camp, and I was selected for a Wider Opportunity. As a Senior in High School I sat on the Editorial Advisory Board for American Girl Magazine. Currently, I am SUM for my Community (for roughly 10 years) , a leader to two troops, an Event Fundraiser Chair for my Council and a National Delegate. I tell you all this not to brag, but to put into perspective the vast experience I have had with Girl Scouting. My dedication to the Girl Scouting Movement is proven. I find the BEST Girl Scout volunteers and employee are those who hold a wide and varied Girl Scout history themselves. There are several main points I'd like to make in regard to what has impacted my role as a volunteer: 2) •The merger -- poor decision; poor timing. I have lived through a merger in the eighties. Done without financial regard to individual council. Our council has few staff to meet the needs of an area that has grown exponentially. Staff are unable to get to know communities and thus able to identify volunteers for key roles. Volunteers are depended on to take on even more roles, roles they don't want, don't have time to for and are not prepared for. As a result, things are falling apart. Asking GSUSA to do right by Councils and help them out of financial ruin. 3) •Combining the merger to major program changes was another decision not thought through. 4) •The Journey are as a whole not well received. -- I know of only a handful of leaders who embrace them and most importantly NO girls who like them. Alarms me that GSUSA would promote that the journeys are aligned with common core standards, as those have not been designed by teachers or with child development in mind. Girls don't want more school. What set me apart from the rest of the girls in my community was my Girl Scout experience. Girl Scouting should provide what school does not. As a teacher for over 20 years I always ran my classrooms and troops different than traditional school -- taking on a constructivist approach, helping kids create knowledge for themselves. Empowering girls to make choices and decision for themselves and experiencing real life. With the current system, troop leaders take on a great role, the troop needs to work on the journey together -- a logistical and management nightmare for leaders to keep track of. 5) •There is a resounding feeling that the current badge book does not meet the needs of troops-- There are so few choices; addressing a limited number of interests. In the past even my young girls could work on individual badges based on individual interest, and could take on leadership skills by teaching others about what they learned. In later years the girls could run badges themselves. Over the years my leadership skills became hands off and the troop has become self run by the girls. I am there to guide them, drive them places and make connections for them.6) •In the past, when new leaders came on I could easily mentor and advise them on the Girl Scout Program. I can no longer do this as I do not have Journey experience beyond the few our girls did only because we had to. In the past, not only could I give new leaders lots of ideas, I could have my older girls come and run a few meeting for them to help them out as my girls had more experience than they did. 7)•Recognize that a majority of expertise lies outside GSUSA , perhaps use National Delegates as a Volunteer Advisory Board -- volunteers and girls who are in the trenches and have a vast experience within the organization advising the GSUSA team of what works and does not work. 8) Thank you so much for taking this on and please let us know how else we might help.
- I love Girl Scouting.
- Was a co-leader until '12 and found that other organizations were offering options more interesting and local to my girls, i.e. Girls, Inc. & BS's Venturing. 2) Local leader support was more readily available through the Boy Scouts than the GS Council. In particular, when a very negative situation arose with my younger daughter's troop leader, our community & council advised "ladies, you all have to get along" rather than intervene or mediate. Ultimately the other leader's actions came to light, but too late for my younger daughter who left Girl Scouting for Venture Crew. I was a leader in both organizations.
- National has made a huge amount of changes in a very short time. The new Journey's is forced on girls who never liked it anyway yet they need it to earn their high awards! It's all about making life easier for PAID personnel with GSA and expect the volunteers to do more work, take more training, pressure us to implement all the new programs. This is becoming a business instead of a girl organization! Pathways is stupid beyond all reason and I feel was only created to increase the membership numbers! Girls only sign up so they can do something fun with a friend and then never do anything related to GS again! National has lost sight of what's really fun for both girls AND adults. I am only still a leader for my troop. My daughter is a fourth generation GS so I have seen first hand how things have changed over the years. This is not GS to me anymore. The attitudes are almost cultish!
- I could speak for days at the ineptitude of the council. Considering they fired the CEO, I'm not alone. However, its not just poor leadership. It seems as though there is no one with business experience running the girl scouts.
- The organization is putting far too much emphasis on STEM. The girls view it like an extension of school work. They miss the old badges. There was more variety and such great opportunities to expose them to things that were new and different to them.
- My council is very disorganized
- Don't know
- I hate the constant pressure to fundraise. Also, our council just raised cookie prices from $3.50 to $4.00 per box, but only gave troops five cents of that increase (10%).
- National has lost sight of what this organization is or was. all about. We were the place where girls could do things they couldn't do anywhere else. Now we ate just one of many.
- GSUSA currently does a poor job of both recruiting members and their families and of serving them. For the amount that the program has been "jazzed up" for "contemporary" girls, it fails to accommodate families with diverse work schedules and underprivileged girls. Despite implementing programs to increase service to specific populations (such as Hispanic Initiatives), there is little institutional support for those programs to succeed. Girl Scouts remains a "cookie cutter" organization, best serving girls with a family history of scouting and the time and money to invest in the individual girls' scouting experience. The camping programs, which may be expensive at the council level, were at one time one of the most affordable ways for families to plug into Girl Scouts. Those programs have fallen by the wayside in favor of a new "Junior Business Women" model that is frankly boring and does not actually achieve what it sets out to do, mostly because GSUSA lacks the class analysis to realize that today's girls are not playing on a fair playing field. Rather than emphasize an even more achievement-based program model, perhaps Girl Scouts could focus on developing young who have healthy relationships with themselves, their world, and each other.
- The reason I stayed in Girl Scouts for as long as I did was the summer camp programs offered in our council. Since, I am from Conestoga Council I grew up attending Camp Tahigwa. I would wait all year just to be able to go to camp and make new friends and see old ones to. Camp has a way of growing on you, it becomes your home. As I got older I entered the CIT program so I could work at camp and enjoy the fun for years to come. I realize that Girl Scouts thinks it needs to close and consolidate their camps but, I want to make sure the girls who crave this kind of interaction can get this from our programs still. I am not sure we will be able to serve all the girls in our council with one small location. I have worked at Camp Conestoga and it is a nice facility however, I was highly disappointed that all the trails their were exclusively for horses. Horses are and important program, but I have always loved hiking trails, I was spoiled with Tahigwa's trails. I hope that all the accommodation can be made to not leave future generations out of this timeless tradition.
- There hasn't been anything I'm too upset about but I feel there are something in the future that could possibly be worrying
- I am in complete shock regarding the small amount of money the actual troops receive from the sale of cookies. If your pensions and other financial plans are not playing out, you need to lay people off. It's common sense and ridiculously selfish to carry on this way. Enrollment is down so employees need to be cut. Enrollment was up when traditional badge-work, outdoor living skills, fundraising, and volunteer projects were implemented. These things are the basis of scouting and that's why moms want to send you their daughters! 2) Also, summer camps would make more money just by simple advertising and a return to traditional Girl Scout values. However, in my experience as a counselor, we were more often than not at capacity every week of the summer and I attended that camp as a 2-year CIT and 3-year staff member. We had to deny last minute sign-ups because we ran out of beds! Tell me that isn't producing a profit! 3) Everyone may say how ""different"" young girls may be due to media and technology. It does not mean they are uninterested or incapable of hiking, knot tying, belaying, kayaking, orienteering, making crafts, playing games, or building a foundation of friends and self-esteem. It is an outrage to utilize and deprive these children and teens of indescribable experiences at camp. What the hell would Juliette Low say? Please help me register my future daughter/s in the Girl Scouts and allow her to grow as I did within my troop and my summer camp.
- I have been a Scout for 37 years. I was a 12 year Scout through school. I was a leader to high school girls during law school. I am now the leader of my daughters' troop (we have been Daisies, Brownies and we are now Juniors.) I believe that GS is a leadership organization, but that skills, particularly outdoor skills are vitally important. I think the Journey program is terrible. This is not school. I'm not going to spend meetings reading stories or worse---sending it home as homework. I would rather that program be completely abandoned. More outdoor badges should be offered. What happened to "outdoor cooking", "canoeing," "horse lover" and more? I do like the "letterboxing" and "geocaching." I would rather just tackle the badges, but give us more of them. And please don't tell me that selling cookies enhances their leadership skills and is an opportunity that no GS should miss. Call it what it is: a fundraiser for Scouts. It cannot be a leadership opportunity for Scouts when the parents do all work. They might cutely say, "would you like to buy some cookies?" but I am the one who decides how much to pre-order, who is liable for the cookies, who must pick up the cookies, who must keep track of the cookies, who must accompany the Scouts when they sell cookies, who calculates the cookie money, who keeps track of the cookie money, who arranges the cookie booths, who takes the Scouts to/from the cookie booth, etc. Please go back to the Scouts I love: leadership, new skills, outdoor adventures. And personally, I am horrified and offended that the GS would actively support planned parenthood. Almost enough to make me become a Heritage Scout. I suspect if you continue to support the killing of future GS (as fetuses), you might just end the GS program all together. Juliette Gordon Low would roll over in her grave. I am and always will be a GS (I have a Lifetime Membership). Please don't make me regret it.
- It is a struggle to implement the journeys. We have other things going on so we also seem to have to take a break from them. The girls lose focus when we go back to them and we have to go back and review what we did. There just doesn't seem to be enough "doing" with the journeys, too much planning. The badges worked a lot better. You could start and finish in a reasonable time and there was a lot of things to do. My older daughter was much more engaged and like the old brownie program. My younger daughter is bored. I think you should go back to the old program with the younger girls. I can see the program working with the older girls, but I'm not there yet.
- I am very concerned about many issues with Girl Scouts. I am disappointed with the direction our CEO and Board of Directors is leading our council. I sometimes feel that money issues take precedence over the needs of the girls and volunteers. I am painfully aware that money is required to run this organization, but it is still about the GIRLS. I do not like the amount of time and energy wasted on doing Journey work that the girls call schoolwork. They are there to have fun and enjoy new experiences, not more school. As an adult, they bore me to tears. I would hate to be eleven and have to face this every meeting.
- too much emphasis on Journeys. Many badges can't be done in a troop setting especially without bringing in professionals. Little support from council
- Why are all the camps closing? As a child my strongest memories were camping at Camp Eagle Island in the Adirondacks and Camp Shepperd's Mill in New Jersey. My week long stays forged in me an independent spirit and a love of nature.
- I dislike how much the program has changed since I went through it. I really enjoyed earning the Try-its, Badges and IPP. Having volunteered during a Journeys weekend put on by my council I was disappointed by the program. As a teenager what is now offered would not have interested me. I am also disappointed by the lack of Outdoor Program that is now being offered by the Girl Scout Organization. I have heard a lot about the shutting down of Girl Scout camps and this greatly saddens me. Personally I loved going away to sleep away camp and I thrived in the Outdoor environment that was offered to me though Girl Scouts. I wouldn't be who I am today without it, so it saddens me that girls do not have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in Girl Scouts.
- I don't like the direction it's going in at all. Girl Scouts used to be about blossoming into a strong, independent, capable woman, and now it feels as though it is throwing out all traditional values (fire building, survival skills, crafts, camping, etc), and is teaching girls that they never need to learn to work with other people, that they are always right, and is lacking in teaching respect. I have been in scouting for 13 years now, and have worked many community workshops and have worked at a Girl Scout camp for 5 years, and honestly, I'm glad I went to the camp and experienced scouting when I did. All of the older scouts that I loved learning from when I was younger, hearing their stories and gaining some of their wisdom, are being mistreated. Worst of all, the management of council is rude and quite frankly thoroughly unpleasant to deal with, as they constantly remind leaders and women who devote so much time to helping young girls that they are "just a volunteer". It's honestly a shame that Girl Scouts is becoming such a shadow of its former self.
- I am neutral. Although I do not like that there are way too few badges, I like the concept of the Joruneys. I do not like the way they are all work, there should be more outside incorporated in the Journey's.
- I feel the Girl Scouts have changed the program to cater to the whim of what is "currently popular" with entirely too much emphasis on trendy, fashionable and easy. Girl Scouts no longer have to "work" for their awards - don't like the curriculum? No problem, just change it. And NO ONE is challenging these girls! Yes, the STEM is important...but when troops are making shopping trips to the mall their focus instead of the core values and learning that should be the focus...well, I just can't imagine who thought that girls today need lessons on how to "shop till they drop". How about teaching more about the outdoors? Try dropping in on a Boy Scout meeting.... then head into a local Junior or Brownie meeting... we are dumbing down our program so much that our girls won't learn a thing!
- I feel that we have gotten away from what girl scouting is all about and volunteerism I feel like volunteers are treated like "paid staff " without the pay. I feel like they forget that we are volunteers, the support is less and less from a council level and put more on the community level and for some things this is fine but for others it is not
- My girls miss the variety of the old badge books, they hate the journeys- too much like school and too little variety in topics. They are only still involved to go camping, which we do as a troop, and is something we feel national and to some extent council is not emphasizing as part of the program.
- When I call with questions I can never find an answer. Office always seems backed up with calls and or requests. Not crazy about the Journeys.
- You should have somewhat satisfied.
- I'm on the fence about this one, in between satisfied and unsatisfied. I feel that we've moved away from service somewhat as we are required to focus on many of the gs materials such as journeys, etc... I think much more responsibility is placed on leaders and the org loses site that we are just volunteers. This is a huge problem as it's become more and more difficult to recruit volunteers. The journeys that we have done have not been great, brownie journeys were difficult in terms of literacy and hard concepts for the girls to grasp.
- I started a troop because my granddaughter wanted to be a Girl Scout like her mother and myself. The program has changed so much, I hate it. They lost all morals and values that GS was founded on. We have a multi level troop and so many badges require internet. Where we meet, we do not have this. I have searched online for old badges and am presently working on them. This is my last year in GS, memories of the old GS will remain.
- The girls really miss the old badges they could earn. While there are some aspects of the Journeys they like, they feel that they are too much like schoolwork. Also, living in a small, rural community, we have had to adapt many things in the journeys. We are often not able to do the activities that are included because of our location.
- Mostly the program content of the Journey program and Cadette through Ambassador programs.
- We need more badges to work on. In my opinion the Worlds to Explore programs were the best in recent memory. And GS camp is VITAL!
- it seems that the organization has lost its priorities. The closure of long time camps is horrific. It seems that the direction of girl scouting has been more in the interest of creating a corporate identity than of really being there and providing a space for girls to simply be and to grow. Without our camps,the Girl Scouts cease to be what they have always been.
- We do NOT like the journey vs badges. It is just not the same. Badges worked well for 100 years. Have you not heard the saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it"? Also question the closings of so many camps & facilities. I know they cost money to run but I also know more money is probably going in now with the demand for money for the "family fund" out of every member.
- The out of doors is an important aspect of our organization to both the girls and adults. I understand how important it is for the minority groups of Girl Scouting to feel included, however all Girl Scouts are losing camps left and right which is giving the impression that we do not care about the out of doors. Whether or not GSUSA has something to do with the individual camp something must be done.
- While the bigger idea was a good one to merge councils in order to save staff dollars, in our area what has happened has been rural girls receiving less service. I live in one of the middle sized communities in the new council. There has been no information to the public about the purpose of the merger or even that the merger has happened. IN addition, members are not communicated with at the same level as prior to the merger. My concern about the journeys is their lack of connection to badges, and the written activities are very cerebral, not action oriented. While as a leader I've compensated by developing activities that go with the learning,not many others have the time or skill to do this.
- Journey books are not what girls want to do. They don't join Girl Scouts so it can be just like school, with books and reading, and things. They want activities, to learn new things, to get out, and to be girls. As a leader, I look fondly on my grandmother's Girl Scout Handbook from 1930's and wish Girl Scouts was more like that - less talking about our feelings and more getting out and learning valuable skills (ropes, outdoor survival, etc). Many of my fondest memories of Girl Scouts don't involve sitting around and reading stories from books and talking about my feelings. The overall structure of Girl Scouts is archaic, there are few opportunities or activities for older girls, and why, oh why, do girls in our area have to join Venture Scouts if they want to do the stuff that Venture scouts do? Why can't Girl Scouts offer that kind of stuff?
- GSUSA is a service organization for the benefit of a community) it should not be run from a for profit business format.
- The Gold Award seems to have been watered down. The current awards seem to discourage girls from running programs for the younger girls. The anti-volunteer attitude at council is disturbing.
- I find the closing of camps to be extremely terrible for GSUSA and for the girls. Girls need these opportunities. And if their cookie money is not going to camps and the like, then what IS it going to? Our leaders don't need fancy cars. Our girls need experiences to be leaders in the future.
- It's gone from bad to worse with the mergers and changes
- The girl scout organization has lost its way.
- Not much leadership or help from council. council too large to service smaller areas in the council. No activities unless in large area 2 hrs away.
- It is becoming increasingly less about the girls and adult volunteers and more about the money.
- The overall program had completely lost touch with what actual girls INVOLVED with scouting want. Surveys should be targeted at girls who want to be scouts.
- There should be an "I'm just sorta meh about the direction gs is going." It's on but not great
- Having been on both sides - pure volunteer to staff that serve volunteers - every volunteer needs to understand that only about 10% care about governance so if you have place holders in your council's delegates you will not get effective governance and that bleeds into the national delegates. I would suggest that whomever is doing this survey to be as transparent as possible but share with all council boards and staff at the same time as with national and to include the number of people that responded and from where. You also want to start with the positive.
- I find the program to be very "cookie cutter" oriented. I find it very difficult to do the program in a large city without spending money. This makes it very difficult for low income families. The program also has way too much "home work" and for girls in advanced studies who already have homework, the last thing they want to do is more homework.
- There seems to be very little direction or at least no communication of that direction.
- Girlscout should have more events for girls and their families and leaders and coleaders could events also not just girls we like to have also.
- It seems more and more work is put back on the volunteers. GS is becoming a money hungry cooperation. We get nothing off cookie money and yet the price per box goes up making it harder to sell, but as long as money is being made no one cares. There is NO order or regulation being upheld and no one cares. Last and the biggest problem I have is the NEW change over (Journeys) It killed girl scouts and was done for money alone. I have been a girls scout since I was a brownie and went right on to becoming the youngest leader in our unit.
- We have a great group of girls and leaders
- While I am currently not in Girl Scouts I plan on becoming a leader when my girls are old enough. I loved my Girl Scout experience and my fondest memories are of Camp, especially Camp Conestoga. I no longer live in Iowa but am so sad to hear that Girl Scouts is possibly selling off my beloved camp. Camps are so important to Scouts and Girl Scouts should have their own camps.
- New programming is not easy to use, materials and awards are expensive and there isn't enough variety. Not enough support for recruiting and supporting new leaders.
- Camping is very important in our girls' development
- I don't like that they have taken outdoor skills out of everything.
- The Journeys are poorly done, particularly for girls who are doing them on own because Troop doesn't want to do them. The loss of many of the badges/Try-Its is disappointing. Too much focus on cookies. Too little focus on trying new things. The new reworked badges are too specific. Art badges should not need to be "pottery" at Junior level...some girls are better at 2D or 3D or digital art...why limit it so much?
- The journeys are in such a fashion - that it takes more time and effort from leaders to develop and get ready for the girls to do. We are volunteers - the girls do NOT want to do more homework or paperwork - they want hands on experiences!
- There is almost no programs for our girls without going to Alton, Glen Carbon or somewhere that is at least a 2 hour drive.
- The journeys for my daisy troop has been very boring for the girls. Plus its the middle of Winter and all the journeys are outdoorsy, not much I can do in 10 degree weather. There isn't much else in the training or handbook to help give us more of a direction to help keep the girls involved and paying attention. I have learned more from. GS groups on facebook than I did in any training. There needs to be more realistic training on what you should do.
- Too many hidden political agendas and affiliations that go against my Christian beliefs.
- I feel they put too much work on volunteers that should be handled by the paid staff..like training every new leader. I am. to sure we take into account many are volunteers with ft jobs. That events need to include families at times since that could be only time families get
- The consolidation of councils eliminated the intimacy of conversation with volunteers. It is nearly impossible to find the answers to questions on poorly constructed and unmaintained websites and no one ever returns a phone call. The elimination of camps in the day and age of nature deficit disorder in children is short sighted and counter productive. We should be making GS less like school, not more like it!
- As a leader with 13 years' leadership under her belt, I feel that our organization has drifted VERY far away from building girls who have "courage, confidence and character." I am having a great deal of difficulty implementing the new Journey materials with my troop (and we are now on our FOURTH one so it isn't like I haven't given it my best shot). I also would like to see our organization return to its roots of providing outdoor skills and leadership, and practical learning and knowledge. I am not a therapist or a political advocate and I don't think I should have to be, to be a leader!
- It seems that the focus is on sell nuts and candy, and especially, sell cookies! While I understand that money is needed to function, it is not why Girl Scouts exists. We need to focus more on the girl! Let them experience new things while focusing on the basics! I am not a fan of the journeys, and most people I talk to are not either. These girls don't want school work, they want to learn by doing! They want to explore the world around them. They do want to leave the world a better place, but in our Council the road to earning a bronze, silver and gold award is much harder than other Councils. Why? After my daughter earned her bronze award she was not honored in any way other than the troop presenting her award to her. Council did not even mail her a certificate or anything. That was a LOT of work for an 11 year old! (too much if you ask me)
- I see the organization is slowly moving away from everything that I held dear as a Girl Scout in my youth, as a leader for my daughter from kindergarten to her reaching her Gold Award, as a Service Unit Manager, Council Trainer, and as a Resident Camp Director. Juliette Gordon Low believed that getting girls out in the out-of-door was paramount to them being healthy and happy. Now all I see are troops that do not challenge the girls to stretch their limits to try new things and to be all they can be. Yes, STEM is important, yes, leadership is important but all of those same skills can be gained in a week at camp. I have personally watched shy girls, afraid of their own shadow, blossom into confident, outgoing, young ladies ready to lead the world. Today I am not sure if GSUSA understands this principle, one of Mrs. Low's most basic tenants for the organization she started in 1912.
- I think Girl Scouts is very important if the life of a young girl and to a volunteer who doesn't know what she is getting into and in turn she learns just as much as the kids. Life's lessons shared through scouts in wonderful. When I was a Scout in the 70's, a volunteer/leader in the early 90's and now I am working with my granddaughter's troops. In the 90's we had about 11 to 13 councils in NJ now we have 2 or 3. South Jersey is very under served. Most events happen too far away and lot of volunteers feel left behind. Even summer camp is not close and there's not enough girls that want to go that far so there are no buses. I wanted my granddaughters to experience what my daughter and I did through summer camp but its too far to drive everyday for a week. I took a some time off from GS and now that I am back I feel the program has changed so much. Change is good but when you change and lose good things it makes you wonder. I miss the program I did with my daughters troop. The girls do not like the journeys. I also feel that the level changes don't work. The girls need the 3 years to complete some awards. I prefer the one year of Daisies and keeping it simple. We all have to except change. Its a fact of life. I feel the new binder hand books and the cut back on badge choices will cause some to become uninterested. No matter what this is the greatest organization for girls and I am proud to be a lifetime member. I will continue to go with the flow and grow in Scouting.
- Kids desperately need to be outdoors. GSEP has lost sight of that.
- THERE'S A LACK OF ORGANIZATION AT TIMES AND UNSURE OF WHO TO TURN TO FOR ANSWERS.
- Very monetary focused. Seems to keep a lot of the girls funds at council level while not providing much support to individual troops. All the reading materials needed get very expensive. Wish they would go back to one soft cover text per age group. Binders are too difficult for girls to transport. Would like to see leaders given Texts and the learning materials so they didn't have to buy them out of troop funds.
- Very concerned about our properties, outdoor education.
- I don't really keep up with it, and don't really have any clue as to the tools out there for people like me.
- I know the new badges and journeys were meant to make leading easier. I don't agree that it does and it limits the choices of the girls for badges. They want to learn and have fun. This seems too much like school. I have Seniors and Juniors. The Seniors do not like the Journeys at all. They groan when we work on them.
- I have to say unsatisfied because I am half way between Satisfied and unsatisfied. I choose this for several reason: the positive - I believe the journeys are a great addition. I hear a lot of complaints about it's too much like school work but when I hear what these young girls are doing for take action projects I am amazed at what they are doing. I love the more emphasis on girl leadership and girl lead. I think there needs to be more training for leaders of younger girls to start the progression of girl led. Many, many are so lost how to do this with young girls. I also hear a great deal of unhappiness on different GS sites about the loss of many badges and outdoor program. I personally think there are too few and the variety is very limited and I hear many many complaints that there is not enough outdoor and older girl program. I happen to live in a great council that has had steady Executive staff and see the emphasis on getting more professional level staff to improve the program. I will admit that I don't really understand why the council numbers were cut so drastically and I am very confused by all of the displeasure on selling numerous GS camps
- The most important part of Girl Scouting is the camps. They are being sold off in mass numbers. I do not understand the "to make great super camps" arguments. Why can you not make MANY great camps, or only choose to focus your funds in several camps.
- I think it is going in the right direction, however I think you are rolling out things without the proper support and preparation... for instance the registration process... almost everyone I knew had an issue registering on line...I got "stuck" because I had registered with my last name which is different from my kids ( Background check needed my legal name--my name is hyphenated). Rather than prompting me to try something different I was told to call the help desk which was not available at night or on the weekends...went to voicemail, etc. and seemed understaffed... very frustrating...it took a few weeks to get it fixed ( once I got hold of a live person, it was an easy fix)... maybe next time notify folks how they were previously registered rather than making a random assumption ( although my kids were registered with one name last year), linked to me ( with my hyphened name) an assumption was made that we did not belong together... it was an AGGGHHHHHH! moment for many... I am not looking forward to next year and if I need to register for anything else this year.... hopefully it will be a much better experience. I also think that if you are asking for additional adult volunteers that you should not ask them to pay to be members.... folks are busy and now it seems as if you are looking for their time and money....its like a 'game'... you can become a volunteer for FREE but you need a background check which is $15...but you can't be a volunteer w/out a background check...a little confusing ( and shady)
- It is foolish all these changes that are occurring. There's nothing left to challenge girls, it only simply caters to what they're doing now. This is why you cannot keep numbers up. They are not given anything to strive for anymore. Why close the camps? For many of us, they were the best part of scouts. The point was to get away and learn how to be in nature, and many girls will never have that opportunity now.
- More girl programs for the lower half of the region
- I love our district and neighborhood. However our enrollment is down. I have talked with troops that have higher enrollment and it seems to be a common theme that camping and outdoor adventures bring girls in. The girls want to do activities and camping that they do not get at home. Our district and neighborhood has fallen into a slump and so many troops ONLY "camp" once a year in "lodges" for the neighborhood camp where everything is already done for them. No cooking or anything needed. This does not give the girl the life skills and lessons that they need and want. I know that the girls want to camp because it does not matter the age the universal answer to what do you want to do more of with Girl Scouts is "CAMP" but instead it is more arts and crafts. We are not doing a good job of meeting the girls needs!
- I don't feel that the daisy journey guides are realistic for daisy age group. Its too much like extra reading homework. We already spend a block of time learning the flower friends stories it would be nice for the journey awards to be clearer and have a set list of challenges this age group can actually do to obtain them.
- The program changes quicker than I can keep track of
- many traditions have been lost. Bridging now occurs every two years, how special is that? Outdoors and outdoor living skills are undervalued and not stressed. The leadership experience which was woven into outdoor camping experiences is now lost.
- Journeys not enjoyable , too much like school Not enough singing in trainings De-emphasis on camping
- Too much difference in the socio-economic makeup of our Council. Westchester and Ulster Counties are 2 different worlds, and with Westchester making all the decisions, most events are way too high priced or far away for the northern counties.
- Where I think the new direction is necessary to keep girls interested, I would like to see more of the old traditions carried along. Camping and outdoor skills for sure.
- My daughter is a first year brownie. We joined this troop at the beginning of the school year and have yet to work on any badges. I was her daisy leader for two years and made sure that we completed all off our petals. She is very discouraged.
- I have not been to a meeting all year. They are too far, too early and too many people. I am VERY busy with two high school girls. I need to meet close; within 5 miles away, get things done, and move on. I don't have time to drive 30 miles away.... for a SU meeting. Then there are 40 troops, that's too many people trying to all say something. Then, drive home. AND<>> I was not told how to register for Cookies this year, or the deadline so, my troop missed it. In the past, my SUM, would of called, said, I see your troop did not get cookie training, can we help. This year, nothing, not even a email about training. Can we go back to our small service unit. PLEASE. I don't even know the name of my "community".
- I think we're doing okay but there are great improvements to be made in the outdoor program department.
- Outdoor programs are being pushed out by activities duplicated elsewhere in the community. Camps are being allowed to deteriorate while staff enjoy remodeled offices. Then the condition of the camps is used as an excuse to sell them off.
- Our council makes every stereotype there is of women true. Backstabbing, hostility and two faced are some ways to describe dealing with staff members.
- We are on the outskirts of our council and sometimes I feel like we are too remote from what is happening within our council. We are more than an hour drive away from the heart of our council. We are a different type of community because they are large city and we are smaller town. It makes many things that work in one place not fit the situation that we are actively working with in our area.
- I am so saddened that GSUSA has been supporting extremely liberal, pro-abortion women and that GSUSA has been so extremely public about it, ie. Facebook, twitter. I wish that GSUSA would stay out of politics and being an organization that is inclusive of girls of all backgrounds & beliefs.
- The realignment left our council with terrible financial challenges. There has been a severe drop in support for leaders. There is no plan for recruitment programs and support. There is a proven pattern of neglect of our camp facilities.
- I don't like the seeming focus on attracting new members rather than listening to old members.
- Our girls (two troops, Cadettes and Brownies) uniformly hate the change to Journeys.
- I love the GSLE. It needs to be made easier for the adult volunteer to understand and follow. I like that we are now mission focused. I hope we stay that way. Do we need more outdoor?-yes. Do we need more leadership?-yes. I do believe we need to be even more girl-centric and to help our troop leaders see what that looks like in a girls world.
- Not nature or tech based. Badges connected to books make the process less exciting or interesting. Moving away from Juliet Lowes intentions
- Need to do less cookie selling and more practical /stem program initiatives. We're seeing nothing at our service level. I just wish my daughter could do the same things the boy scouts do.
- Girls are NOT interested in doing activities, etc. that are school related. They want to do things they do not do at home or school.
- The GS organization is made up of volunteers, yet our CEO, staff and board are approaching management from a corporate mentality. Our staff, therefore, has a rapid turnover which leads to lack of continuity. Current management strategies are not conducive to a smoothly run volunteer organization. In many cases, the new staff members have no concept of the needs and ways of work necessary for volunteers and girls, especially in rural areas. Frequent re-alignments lead to confusion, lack of communication and general dissention among the volunteers, without whom the organization would collapse!
- I have not been able to keep track of our Membership Development Executive/Pathways Coordinator/Council Liaison because they change about 1x per month. Don't know who to call for support. Thankfully, I finally have a new Service Unit Director who is easier to talk with but the frequent changes in the last 15 years have been very expensive. Constantly buying new books. My daughter's troop would get to a new level, we would buy the books and use them for a year and then have to buy new materials in order to stay current with the new standards. The changes to the Bronze, Silver and Gold Award with the new requirements make it a joke. Having a single focus on the prerequisites instead of the broad focus that we had pre Journeys and Studio 2B doesn't give the Girls the broad knowledge that they should have. The BS Eagle has a broad range of requirements so that if a topic is not of interest to the boy, then it's not the be all end all of the chance to earn it. I don't have any girls in my current troop that I can get to work on one of these awards because they don't like any of the Journey topics. This is a real shame and they've told me things have become too much like school. Less activity and more book work to get an award completed.
- All of the traditional elements that made Girl Scouts effective have been removed from the program. The feedback from girls is that they hate they Journey program. Our council has eliminated virtually all local services post merger, sold our local office, and proposed selling off the bulk of our camps. The experiences I remember the most from Girl Scouting were building life skills (Car care, Ms. Fix it, Camping, First Aid, Sport Sampler) and camps.
- When Denver decided to consolidate Wagon Wheel into their council we started having issues. Our council was running in the green..membership was and we had a good core of volunteers. Since then it has all gone down hill. They close our service center here. Membership has plummeted and the core group of Volunteers are gone. Also because everything is being ran out of Denver we don't have the programs in Colorado Springs that we use to. It is a very sad day for Girl Scouts and I am very happy that my daughter is an adult now because she wouldn't have stayed.
- The consolidation of councils has ultimately turned our state program into Girl Scouts of Denver. We've lost our service center, our camp, and considerable programming and training. Girl Scouts need to get back to the basics - girls are not having fun with the new programming. It feels too much like school. The wonderful part of Girl Scouting is learning leadership and new skills while making friends and having adventures. Now the programs are just about learning, documenting, and paperwork. Boring. One of the reasons Boy Scouts has more programming success is that they welcome traditional. Potential supporters still recognize the program and you can't say that for Girl Scouting.
- Journey's are horrible. My girls (the last of them graduated HS last year) opted out of doing any but the required to get their Gold). They're "like school". Need to go back to the basics and let the Girls pick the path they want to take (Badge book). Selling/closing camps. Summer camp is one of the biggest reasons that many of my girls stayed in. Perhaps research says that camping isn't pertinent to Girls, nowadays. Anyone can draw their own conclusions with questionnaires; It's one of the most basic lessons in preparing surveys. Closing Council buildings means that there are no local resources outside of the metropolitan area. We're in Colorado Springs which is the second-largest city in our State, yet to deal directly with Scouts, we'd need to drive over an hour (each way) to purchase something. That's wrong.
- The girls hate the journey programs. It's like pulling teeth to get them to do a journey. I would like to see other options as a prerequisite to earning higher awards.
- I use to be a member in GS for eight years. Those years were the best of my life because i got to go do things with my troop, go to camp and even go to the Bahamas. GS organization is now saying they do not have the money for camps yet take a nice chunk of each cookie box sold leaving the troop with very little per box. cookies are the way we got to go and see the world but you're taking so much money troops can't afford to do the amazing things we did. I think GS needs to stop thinking as a business and go back to thinking about its girls, you are losing girls and troops because they do not have the money to continue. you are losing parent support because they have to pay too much for activities and sell cookies with their kids but never get to reap the reward. It hurts me to see GS going down hill, people boycotting cookies and trashing GS. You need to fix this, make GS the proud name it once was and not just a group of people trying to get as much money for themselves as possible.
- Feels very corporate. I don't like Journeys. I feel that we are being made to buy a curriculum. The focus on being online, and selling online is very counter intuitive to making new friends, trying new things, HELPING and BEING a PART of the community. Not enough focus on volunteering. Not enough focus on outdoor activities. Believe it or not, these girls are of a different generation....they get computers, and online social networking everyday....they don't get cooking, and sewing, and building a tent, or building a fire everyday....while many in the headquarters are leaning away from these traditional Girl Scout activities...these are the very things the girls want to learn. They think these "old fashioned" activities are cool. I can't begin to tell you how big archery has become, yet there are so few trainers that any program or camp that has one is so packed, the girls only get about 30 minutes each. I think Girl Scouts needs to go back to traditional Girl Scout values. Get rid of the magazine and candy sales (no one likes them, it's the parents selling, and all any one wants are cookies) Let the girls make fundraisers on their own. They will come up with something they enjoy and want to do, and their work and initiation will be more valuable to them. There also needs to be a more active push to recruit volunteers. I see girl recruitment, but our area has to turn them down because we have no adults. This makes no sense. Make the paperwork easier (I hate overnight trips because the paperwork is ridiculous) and more transparent. Finally, all these managers that come through the main regional offices are out of touch with what goes on at the troop level. They really don't seem to understand that troop leaders are UNPAID volunteers and should be supported, not given more unnecessary tasks to complete or paperwork to fill out. You should come to us, come to a troop meeting, visit a camp ground. Our lives are too busy to come to a meeting or training that you scheduled for your convenience. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't feel the organization really cares about the adult volunteers (many of whom are former Girl Scouts) that keep the organization running. We are the people who are teaching the girls about Girl Scout, our voices, thoughts, and time are important.
- I was a member, but I'm no longer a part of GS, and I find myself uncomfortable supporting GS anymore. I'm to the point where when cookie sales come around, I'd rather donate money to the troops directly than to buy cookies and give money to a council that wants to move in directions that I don't support.
- People need to get facts before forming an unfavorable opinion.
- Things have changed so much I don't know what I'm doing anymore.
- Much too much focus on events/ money to be made and less time to focus on camping/life skills/service back to the community. I don't like the journey programs or the badges they earn. Some are completely pointless. We should go back to some of the badges from the 80-90s.
- Council gets too much of the cookie money and they're going to shut down camps
- I think the program has become too school like, and there is less emphasis on civics and outdoor skills.
- It seems as if the GSUSA is more concerned with making money than they are about the girls. For instance.....In February of 2013 I took my troop to a GSUSA camp. We stayed in the lodge and although I was aware that the other cabin on the property would be occupied, I did not know that it would be occupied by a non-scout group. The non-scout troop consisted of 6-8 adult males. We arrived Friday night and did not become aware of our camp mates until late Saturday morning. Thank God nothing negative occurred but I have no idea who those were and I don't think they had any business being at a scout camp while the girls were present. I did take my concerns to (council removed) who listened but said it is their policy to rent the camp site to non-scout parties (no clearances needed). They said they would take my concerns to the GSUSA, but it is now a year later and still no word from them.
- Not enough structure or direction. Having been away from leadership for a while I am amazed at how little direction there has been and if you don't read emails you don't get any information. I think that the whole process has become much too individually oriented as the whole fun I remember as a girl was the time I spent with other girls. Just not sure that is the case any longer.
- This is my first year associated with Girl Scouts, I have truly enjoyed this experience and learning with the girls in our troop
- The connection to Planned Parenthood is very unnerving. The very idea that Wendy Davis is used as a role model disgusts me. That is by no means the type of person I want my daughter to look up to our model herself after.
- I'd say the Journeys are not practical for a troop meeting. Way too much reading- and at an advanced level for the girls too. I'm an educator by profession and I know the importance of literacy, but I see Girl Scouting as an organization that should be attainable by everyone. The structure of the program now limits struggling readers from participating, I also believe that all the badges should be included in the binder. We should not have to purchase packs of badge work to add to that binder. And speaking of the binder- Really? A Binder? Why couldn't you have put the contents of the binder into a bound book version. Girls drop these binders and it's like 52 card pick up to put them back together again.
- It appears that GSUSA & a good share of the local councils have lost focus and are short sighted. National is diluting what makes us different & unique. Girl Scouts has a niche with the camping, badges, etc. There is too much emphasis on teaching leadership in the early levels, instead of ensuring the girls have fun.
- I love Girl Scouts. I do have questions about perceived partnerships with politically motivated organizations. My council has not seemed to condone the partnership with any of these political organizations, however there is a lot of news buzzing about stating that councils here and there have some type of relationship with Girl Scouts. This may individual troop or council decisions, but these relationships become public knowledge it impacts all Girl Scouts. I would like to see GSUSA ensure that although activities should be girl lead, girls and Girl Scouts should not be involved with politics.
- They have shown what direction they want to go in having no backbone! We will take three opposite direction with our girls.
- My girls are Ambassadors and do not like the new program at all. They think it is too much like school. They prefer the old ("fun") badges. In fact, they voted to continue with the old program. I bought enough badges to get them through next year. I will be running the troop for a year after that for the current 10th graders. They said that they would rather not earn any badges in their senior year of high school, unless I can find some more of the old badges. They also dislike the Journeys. It is impossible to do Journeys at meetings. High school years are very busy with sports, drama, dance team, school clubs, etc.and are not able to make every meeting. They find them to be boring and don't want to spend 6 to 8 meetings on the same topic. Only my girls who are earning their Gold Awards will be earning Senior/Ambassador journey(s). Many of them opted for the all day program that the travel group from GSCM sponsors "just to get them over with". My daughter and I used to talk about co-hosting a troop when she has a daughter of her own. However, she is so discouraged with the new program, she is re-thinking that decision.
- *Journeys programming meets graduation standards in all 50 states which makes us an excellent partner to parents and schools yet journeys are more experiential and provide for girls to "take the lead." * Girl's Guide to GS offers skill building that more closely meets girls where they are and in ways that make sense to them. * The idea of a core consistent leadership experience by grade level is much easier for volunteers to grasp onto -- so we aren't expecting such a large time commitment/learning curve & also will give girls/families a better idea of what they can EXPECT. * The concept of "pathways" -- joining GS and participating in the activities you are interested in/have time for makes good sense for girls/families today. Takes away the threat of girls having to "choose" between sports or other activities and GS.* GSUSA is now able to take a larger part in providing resources and training to help councils recruit girls and provide program. This means councils can spend time in the community garnering support and members.
- Leaders have no support and are treated like the "black sheep" of the organization when we do ask questions.
- The Journeys and some badges the girls learn at school. We are just repeating what they already know. Should be teaching them other things. I truly like the old books as they needed more info to earn the badges. The new badges are not challenging. Also GS supporting this woman who supports pro abortion, has really hurt cookie sales. GSUSA should not support any groups pro, for, political, or religious..
- Only unsatisfied because of the closing of some camps around the US.
- Not happy with the direction of the program of virtually stopping the out-door aspects of the program. Also, not happy with much of the program being too much like school for the girls and not fun. Due to this many girls are leaving the Girl Scouts for other similar type groups. Too much emphasis on cookies...not leaving much time for anything else during a large portion of the year, especially for the older girl. The Girl Scout Organization seems to focus it's sole attention to the younger girls for membership to get their "number" up at the expense of the older girl retention. The older girls are the key to the Future of Girl Scouts and their future leaders which, in turn will ultimately bring more girls into the organization
- Very difficult to get assistance from the council office. Materials and uniforms are expensive. Cookie sales should be solely the troops profit a d councils should hold adult members fundraisers to raise their funds.
- These new leaders need a Scout 101 class offered to help in the traditions and expectations of these new troops. They all look like deer in headlights :)
- It seems the focus has become very corporate and not grass roots enough. Volunteers that love what GS was founded on, and the principles we try to instill in our girls seems to be often overlooked by the GS paid staff. Things as simple as not using resources wisely by being wasteful with paper products, plastic water bottles at meetings etc…
- I just do not see the higher value in the current badge program .... aligning with common core and STEM makes it too much like school. Where are the traditional badges? Where are the outdoor badges? There are not enough choices for the girls. The journey books are cheaply made, spin breaks after a few uses. The journey books reading levels do not align with average reading level for the scouts they are targeted. The girl guides are large, clumsy and overpriced. Most of my scouts don't have them. They do not hold all the badge requirements, they are cheaply made and there are too many 'pretty' graphics. I am pretty sure that these current materials won't be around in 100 years ... accept for the unsold stock perhaps.
- I am aware of the shift away from camping and outdoor activities I am aware that camps are being sold to generate revenue to pay for pensions. I am saddened that Juliette Gordon Low's vision has been lost. Bring back the "heritage OUTDOOR activities": Camping, canoeing, sailing, archery, orienteering etc . "Savvy Shopper" and the like are so wrong on so many levels
- I am not fully Unsatisfied, but there was not a place to select satisfied with some of the things and unsatisfied with others.
- No start-up support beyond basic online training for new leaders. No monetary help or even emotional support. Girls work EXTREMELY hard to sell cookies. They only keep a small portion for them to survive as a troop. My troop puts an average per girl of 15 hours into the cookie program. Give them their due share. In no other organization have I ever encountered such a small profit. This wouldn't be so hard to swallow if we had local programs and a local store and a local office. We do not. We can't take advantage of things that GS offer because they are far from us. Or if we had a week long day camp offering or something to show for all their hard work. If GS wants us to DONATE to others all of the time, they need to help us raise the funds to do so. Let us do fundraisers that we can actually make money to do good with OR let us make more from our cookie sales. Our price per box was just raised 50 cents each. Our troop profit was not raised ONE CENT. Volunteers can not afford to fund your agenda! I am going broke just selling cookies! Gas for my vehicle to do cookie booths, deliveries etc. Child labor for my girls and taking advantage of me the unpaid volunteer is what cookie business feels like.
- Love the new badges. Dislike daisy are two years. Daisy should be a introductory year. Brownies should be 3 years. Dislike have to purchase the expansion packs for badges, seems like a scam to make more money.
- I am extremely dissatisfied with a number of things. The council re-alignment has made councils that are too large to properly serve the girls. The pension issue. The sale of the camps. This idea that girls want more STEM and less outdoors. As a former troop cookie manager, we all felt like Amway salespersons. The troops should get more of the profit. Our troop has chosen not to sell this year because the reward is not worth the work.
- The Girl Scouts of the USA keeps changing the main program. First were the badges in the badge books, which worked great. Then Studio 2B, and now Journeys, as well as other things in there. Try keeping a program for more than a few years.
- See a lot of new leaders confused & not pleased with program materials.
- I feel that GSUSA is more interested in the girls that they MIGHT recruit into Girl Scouting than they are with keeping the girls that they already have as members. I also STRONGLY feel that there are huge numbers of activities geared toward keeping the interest of Daisies, Brownies and Juniors but very little to keep older scouts interested and involved. I have a troop of third year Cadettes who genuinely want to stay involved but are frustrated with what is available to them in the way of badge programs, special activities, etc. Journeys - I keep hearing that some leaders or girls like them. I have Juniors and Cadettes who absolutely hate them. They are too much like school work and just not interesting. They see the journeys as something that they HAVE to do. When asked how they could be made better, they say that they can't. They come to Girl Scouts to have fun. They understand that there is learning involved but the learning also should be fun. Treatment of Volunteers - Let's start with the Membership Manager who, at our last Service Unit Meeting, told us leaders that we were more interested in making less work for ourselves than we were with taking care of the girls. Yes, in so many words. Enough said???
- Regarding (council removed): (camp removed) will continue to be a failure as long as (name removed) directs it. The campers are scared of her and the counselors are bullied and undermined by her, especially if they know more than she does. She was a horrible counselor the one week she worked in 2009 and she is even worse as a director. And (camp removed) will continue to fall apart and need costlier and costlier repairs as long as (name removed) is there. He is lazy and has let the camp decay since he started. Finally, whoever decided that CITs should pay $900 in this economy so that they can work a physically and emotionally strenuous job for less than minimum wage should really rethink that concept. CIT training under Boots cost about $30 and was one week long. The didn't get paid the first summer but they did the next summer. Those were the times when there were dozens of CITs who worked at (camp removed) for years and provided traditions and continuity for the campers. The camp program is a critical part of Girl Scouting but this Council is letting (camp removed) be destroyed.
- Too many changes that appear to be done to keep up with hip language and trends, all the while diluting the main goals, confusing the members, and not truly gaining ground in membership totals. Too many program pathways and too many junctions along the way that keeps busy work the chieftain while clouding the goals of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
- It's no longer about the Scouts!
- When the Journeys were introduced we were assured that the old ways weren't going away. That has not been the case. To earn the higher awards, the only prerequisite is the Journey--what happened to world exploration and leadership awards separate from the Journey (Junior level only as the Cadette has leadership awards). I am highly disappointed that Cadettes can only earn LIA by working with Brownies--what about helping Daisies or Juniors with their Journeys? This truly limits the opportunities, especially for going on to earn PA training. I also do not agree with the organizations' continued association with Planned Parenthood. This sends the wrong message to our girls. I have been looking at other alternatives and will consider leaving Girl Scouts if certain agendas continue to be pushed.
- I feel the organization has become too focused on being cutting edge and progressive instead of just being a great organization for girls. The direction is driven by think tanks and not members. There needs to be a balance between the business and the member and right now the members are being ignored.
- I would love to see many more badges that require learning about a career or skill like we used to have. Really disappointed in the Journeys. I do not like focusing on one subject for an entire year. The girl scouts seem to be following what everyone else is doing rather than continuing activities that you do not get other places. I especially think the water journey could be compressed into a quarter rather than a year.
- I am not happy that I have to defend Girl Scouts for my Catholic families, due to the connections with Planned Parenthood
- I'm slightly disappointed with the 'scout' image being removed. Boy Scouts are known for their uniforms, helping ladies across the street, and camping.. Girl Scouts are known for cookies now a days.. They don't even wear actual uniforms anymore! I completely understand individuality.. But you signed up to be part of a troop when you joined the Girl Scouts. Uniformity is part of being a team player. You can still be an individual and wear an appropriate uniform. When I was a child, part of being a Girl Scout was showing your support through looking tidy and performing as a unit. Also, what happened to the friendly cookie sale competitions? I understand safe sales and not going door to door, but being top seller in your troop was always quite an honor. It really shows the girls you get back what you are willing to put in. It's all about how much effort you are willing to dedicate!
- The rumors of support for planned parenthood has been disturbing.
- With all of the current research showing the importance of being outdoors, camps ought not be sold. In 10 years it may likely be a decision regretted.
- Our organization lacks standardization. The current programming is very ethereal. What passes as completing a journey in one troop does not pass muster in another. The leader's guide and the girl guides are not written the same way, causing girls to jump all over the book or leaders to scramble to get on the same page as the girls. Programming expects you will have internet access and a kitchen at your meetings Trying to make forward progress on the Journey AND complete a badge is difficult.
- The people I have spoken to at our local offices are rude. I don't like the changes that were made in the pledge or the law a few years ago.
- Camping and other outdoor activity MUST remain a central part of Girl Scouting. There is no better way to develop confidence and competence in girls. 2) "Experience changes the brain……the actual activation and wiring of the brain. Particularly when experiences are emotional, novel, and challenging, the repeated experiences kids have alter the actual architecture of the brain. It’s like a muscle. When it’s used, it grows and strengthens. So, when kids have camp experiences that require them to overcome fear, be flexible, handle their emotions (especially away from their parents), be persistent to master something, build relationships, and so on, it builds this important part of the brain"" http://www.acacamps.org/campmag/1401/bunks-good-brains 3) All science disciplines require development of the spatial intelligence and spacial memory. That is one area that males exceed females. Any lack in that can g-be explained by the fact that boys are allowed to be more physically active. That is one way that spatial capabilities of the brain are developed. By eliminating outdoor activities you are in fact crippling girls development in the STEM realm rather than promoting them as advertised.
- The lack of communication and organization is unsettling.
- I absolutely hate that camping is becoming less and less important to Girl Scouting, and that cookie sales are taking over the organization. Juliette Low founded the organization under the pretense that it would be a place for girls to grow strong and become leaders and positively contributing members of society, through outdoor experience. The outdoor experience is so key to this organization, because there aren't a lot of organizations children and young adults can be involved in anymore that place heavy emphasis on outdoor experience and adventure. When I tell people I am a Girl Scout, I don't want their first reaction to be "Oh, when do you sell cookies? Can you get me some for free?" or something of the like. I want them to say, "Wow, so you do all kinds of cool outdoor adventure stuff!" or even, "Oh, did you get your Gold Award?". (People don't even KNOW what the Gold Award is!) Girl Scouts is essentially becoming a business, because all it seems to be about anymore is getting people to buy the ever-so-addictive Girl Scout cookies. I understand the importance of teaching girls about financing and running a business and competing in the business world, but there is so, so much more the organization could put more emphasis on... Much more valuable things, in my opinion.
- I'm very concerned that there is a lack of emphasis on traditional core scouting values and skills. I think Journeys are fine, but badges instead of fun patches would be preferable.
- I love Girl Scouts but feel the budget cuts are taking away from the girls experience.
- Two things have fallen through the cracks: Tradition (it doesn't have to be stale tradition. It can have a modern twist) and relevance, especially for older girls. I think these things go hand in hand; without the tradition end, girls do not consider Girl Scouts to be a unique and special organization. To many girls, especially from privileged communities, it is just a "club." I love Girl Scouts and I want it to remain relevant and special.
- I feel the journeys are too much like work. The old badges were more fun and enjoyable. The new badges are more work.
- I feel girl scouts has gotten away from the programs that drew girls into scouting.
- Overall, I am very pleased with the Girl-centric programming and leadership-focused direction GSUSA has adopted within the past few years. I think many of the new programs are more relevant to girls and the society they live in today. I am also a huge fan of the Leadership Outcomes model.
- I only know what goes on from my granddaughter and her mother who is very involved as a leader and role model for her daughter's troop. If that is any example of what you promote it is awesome. The girls are learning amazing things about themselves and society around them. They do so many charitable things. You go girls.
- The new badges are crappy and there aren't enough activities for Older Girls that don't cost 100s of dollars.
- Badges are looking more like home work & loss of focus of important skills.
- More emphasis should be made on outdoor activities and less on moneymaking
- I feel we are so busy teaching girls not to bully and be what they want to be that we aren't teaching any actual skills anymore. Programming for older girls is so service or leadership oriented (which is great) but they don't get to have fun anymore.
- I do believe that more consistency across all councils in the country would be better! There are such differences in support & assistance. Overall, Girl Scouting is what you make of it at the troop level - but better volunteer resources are greatly needed!
- we need to remember that Girl Scouts is a movement and we are always changing. So are our times. We have a lot of competition out there for girls to do. We do need to remember to keep it fun.
- We have a great growing attentive Council. We are improving our camps and engaging girls in STEM and Life Skills and Leadership.
- My girls have been involved for 12 years & it's not that fun anymore. The awards are too much work.
- Girl scouts now feels like work for both the girls and adults. Too much emphasis on service.
- Girl Scouting needs to stop overhauling itself and stick to some kind of common basics so that when a girl finishes a level, she has a common set of skills/ experiences. Stop flitting about trying to be everything to everyone
- I feel like every year or two the Girl Scouts gets farther away from the mission that J.G. Low established so long ago. It's no longer about skills and sisterhood and making the world a better place. It's all about creating leaders and forgetting about girls who just want to have a shared experience with badges and service and camping.
- the website is difficult to use. trainings are difficult to attend due to location.. overnight outdoor training is a distance and it is not offered more than a few times a year.
- Volunteers are not appreciated as they were in the past.
- I think the journeys are TERRIBLE! I do not like the new system of levels as the girls really cannot accomplish much in 2 years. The new style books are very cumbersome and the ring binders do not last long. GET BACK TO BASICS! Can't you update the old badge/hand books? I have been a girl scout (9 years) and a leader (20 years) and can honestly say that the new program is VERY disappointing. I am very disenchanted with Girl Scouts.
- No council should depend on cookie sales to make the bottom line. That should be for fund raising/contributions/sponsorship to do. the girls should not be the ones supporting pensions and investments.