1) I am going to answer the Girl Scout question first. Why did we leave?
- We had many reasons for leaving. GSUSA has become all about girl empowerment. If you have ever met my daughters you will realize that they are empowered enough! They need to learn humility.
- We left because we moved away from our troop, and comfort zone. I figured if we had to meet all new people, we may as well try out a Catholic troop.
- We left because of a connection between GSUSA, WAGGGS, and Planned Parenthood. Once my girls knew that PP performed abortions, and that GSUSA has been associated with them, my girls were done with GS.
- I could have mostly ignored ALL of those reasons. The REAL reason we left GSUSA is because they insulted Catholics when they released the Junior Journey called aMUSE. In that book they reference a play called "Simply Maria." Yes, they only mention the name of the play and the author. Yes, they use the author as a role model for girls. Simply Maria sounds like a wonderful play. I could see Diva asking to find it and read it. When she sees a play she wants to do, we try to read an excerpt to find out what it is about before pursuing it. This is what I found as an excerpt from it.
- PRIEST. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here, under the Catholic church, in the holy house of God, to unite these two people in holy matrimony. Marriage is sacred. It is the unification of a man and a woman, their love and commitment, forever, and ever, and ever, no matter what! Well, then let's begin.María, do you accept José Juan Gonzalez García López as your lawfully wedded husband to love cherish, serve, cook for, clean for, sacrifice for, have his children, keep house, love him, even if he beats you, commits adultery, gets drunk, rapes you, lawfully, denies your identity, money, and in return ask for nothing? (MARIA thinks about it and then turns to her parents who mouth to her "I do.")
- I do not want my CATHOLIC girl to read that. She is gentle, sheltered, loving, and so much more. I do not want her to read a play that makes fun of one of the most sacred aspects of my life.
2) What is AHG? To me, AHG is a Christian, our troop is Catholic, scouting program for girls. We do all the things that you would expect a scout troop to do. We perform service. Our troop, collectively, performed over 400 hours of service this year. (I will update with an exact total later, the paper is in the van, it is midnight, and I am in my PJs). Our troop changes the missals at the sponsoring church as needed, we make and deliver cards and gifts to a local nursing home, we make layered cookies in a joy for the firefighters The girls can earn patches! Not for talking about our feelings like you do in the Daisy Journeys. Nope, my girls earned many patches, for Theater, Dance, Music Appreciation, Cooking, Outdoor Skills, World Heritage, Travel, Sewing, Computer Fun, and more. We also take field trips. We have seen the inner working of a bank and an airport. We have toured Sinsinawa Mound and learned about Fr. Mazzuchelli. All in all, AHG to me, is an organization that encourages service to others, learning new things, going new places, and making new friends.
3) Do we love it? YES! All 4 girls and myself love it. We have so much fun. I am the new Outdoor Coordinator. I am planning 3 day camps. Each camp is 2 days long. The girls will learn about birds, insects, fire safety, how to build a fire, how to cook on the fire, how to use a pocket knife. They will go on hikes, whittle a bar of soap, feed the troop, dissect owl pellets, make a nature journal, and start a bird life list. But most of all, they will have fun, make friends, and learn new things.
NEW FRIENDS
BEST FRIENDS, SERVING TOGETHER
at the Right to Life Chili Luncheon
SINSINAWA MOUND
FIELD TRIP!
learning so much about Fr. Mazzuchelli
