Oh boy! This season brought us Designing Women’s second-favorite big ole donkey Girl Scout, Carlene. (For those who don’t remember, Julia called Charlene a big-ole donkey Girl Scout back in season 5’s “Miss Trial” - we’re not just being mean to Carlene.) More than one episode this season referenced the Scouts. We also have a big ole donkey Girl Scout among us in the form of one, Ms. Nikki, AND we have some Southern AND “Designing Women” ties to the Girl Scout universe. So, it was just time for an “Extra Sugar” about the Scouts.
Let’s talk about what the Girl Scouts are, what their Southern connection is + their “Designing Women” connection, and we just have to tackle Julia’s big beef, comparing the Boy Scout facilities and the Girl Scout facilities.
Here are a few of our references or other sources, if you want to dive in more:
Facts about the Girl Scouts and some of the history of the Girl Scouts
Information on the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, GA
A list of notable Girl Scout alums and this list gives us our “Designing Women” tie
Insight into the fundamental differences between Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and an explanation from the Girl Scouts about the value of girls-only programming
AP article covering post-COVID membership trends for both Girl and Boy Scouts and the CNN article we referenced about Girl Scout dues increases
Come on y’all, let’s get into it!
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Transcript
My favorite part of the intro is always watching your dance, Salina. It's always a joy for me.
Virtual or in person?
Well, I was going to say in person. It feels more personal and tailored to me and my preferences, but virtually, we have it recorded, so there's video evidence of your dances.
I feel like this might come back to haunt me. Luckily, I have no dignity, so the joke's really on you.
No dignity and no access to the recordings, so anything could happen. So, hello, everybody. Welcome to this week's Extra Sugar. So, Salina, on my honor, I will try to make this segment something you want to listen to. That's a Girl Scout reference, in case you missed it. Do you not know the Girl Scout.
Promise as an honor and eat brownies? Is that not it?
She wasn't a Girl Scout.
I think, you know I wasn't.
I think that's the perfect segue into this week's Extra Sugar, though, Salina, because I have some things about Girl Scouts for you. So this season brought us a couple episodes and references built all around Designing Women's second favorite, big old donkey Girl Scout, Carleen. I feel like I should also say welcome. I think I didn't invent big old donkey Girl Scout. That's what Julia called Charlene in season five's episode, Mistrial. So I'm not just being mean to Carleen. So scouting was kind of a big part of Carleen's character development this season. I think it came up in, like, at least three different episodes that she was a Scout. and then I think we have some other scouting connections in the Designing Women universe, so we kind of just need to talk about that, too. In incidentally, I also count myself as a big old donkey Girl Scout. I was a Brownie and a Jr. Like, 100 years ago. but today, I'm really involved with my daughter's troop.
So at the risk of interrupting flow, though, I think it's a good time for a disclaimer. I am involved with the Scouts, both my son's Scout experience and also my daughter's. So my son's in Scouting America, which is formerly the Boy Scouts of America. But I'm not speaking on behalf of the Scouts at all. I'm just a gal who's sharing her own experiences and reporting things I found when I researched it. I've bought Girl Scout cookies, so see. Are you speaking on behalf of the Girl Scouts today, Salina? Are you just a gal sharing her experiences with cookies?
I'm always just a gal standing across.
From a cookie, asking it to Be in her tummy asking to love me. the other major connection to our show is the southern roots of Girl Scouts, which we're going to talk about today.
And then finally, we just have to talk about the comparison Julia made between the boy Scouts and the, the girl Scouts at the end of I Enjoy Being a Girl episode 20 this season. Essentially, Julia was not impressed at the state of the girls facilities compared to the boys, and she shared a couple thoughts around the disparities. So I want to break them down and see what's real, and maybe what's not. So first up, what's a Girl Scout? Our international listeners might recognize it more as Girl guides, which is the name of the movement, in some countries. Basically, it's a youth organization for girls. Their mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts take part in camping, which is what we talked about a little bit, this season, but they also take part in community service. They explore a lot of practical skills like first aid. They've also embraced technology and like STEM related activities a lot in the last few years. Girl scouts earn badges and patches that show their proficiency in the different areas. And then they're separated into levels based on their grade in school. So the daisies are the little EAs, like the kindergarteners, and the first graders. And then brownies are second and third grade. And then we have juniors who are like fourth and fifth. Cadets are middle school age. And then ambassadors are like high school age. So by way of history, we have a huge southern connection. The girl scouts were founded in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia, by Juliet Low. Salina. Just huge. You've been there. I'm going to talk about that in a second. Oh, ah, you can tell us. You can tell us about it. So she was inspired by Robert Baden Powell, who was a Brit, who founded the scout movement, which included the boy scouts and then eventually the offshoot Girl Girl Guides. so Juliet formed a group of girl Guides in England in 1911, and then in 1912 she returned to the United States and the same year established the first girl Guide troop in the county, in the country, in Savannah, Georgia. The first troop was made up of 18 girls. I thought this quote on the girl Scouts page about the early years of the organization was pretty amazing. It says, at a time when women in the United States couldn't yet vote and were expected to stick to strictly social norms, encouraging girls to embrace their unique strengths and create their own opportunities was game changing. That small gathering of girls over 100 years ago ignited a movement across America where every girl could unlock her full potential, find lifelong friends, and make the world a better place.
That's nice.
That's our troops favorite part of reading, of like reciting the promise. They say they promise to make the world a better place. They love that part. so in 1915, the United States Girl Guides became known as Girl Scouts, and Juliette Gordon Lowe was the first leader. Eventually, headquarters relocated to Washington, D.C. but the Juliet Gordon Lowe birthplace home in Savannah remains an important landmark for Girl Scouts, hosting more than 65,000 visitors a year. So you've been there?
I have.
Is it cool? Do you remember?
Yeah, I'm trying to. I think we went on like a haunted tour.
Oh, okay.
And it was on there and I was spooked out just because they said the words haunted. And I was like, oh, God, where?
Right.
So, I mean, I remember it's like every historic home in Savannah. I mean, they're all really beautiful, but they're kind of decorated in a way that, like, you know, you probably wouldn't decorate today.
Yeah.
but, I definitely remember being in there. Maybe the lights flickered or something could happen. but I definitely remember, like, this is. It's like a Georgia history thing and you get to take it multiple times in Georgia. So, I was very familiar with the lore and went in there. I was like, oh, my gosh, this is the girl that found or the woman that founded Girl Scout.
So that's cool. That's cool. I could get. I could have gone for a really long time about the founding of Girl Scouts, the founding of Boy Scouts, how these things came to be independently and together. There were some lawsuits in the early days over the names and the branding. but the more I clicked around, I did that Carleen thing where I ended up way down rabbit hole. So suffice it to say, the Girl Scouts is an old organization, and it's something that is recognized internationally as well as in the U.S. more than 50 million women in America today enjoyed Girl Scouts during their childhood. According to the Girl Scouts website, 64% of female leaders in the US were once Girl Scouts. 64%. It's worth sharing that because we have a huge Designing Women connection here. Which we pass. Which we mentioned in passing previously. LBT was a Girl Scouts. I think I brought that up, or maybe we casually discussed it at some point because it was around one of the Scouting episodes. And you said you maybe made an assumption Pam Norris was one because she was Also involved with Troop Beverly Hills. I didn't find anything saying she was. In fact, Troop Beverly Hills was inspired by someone else's Girl Scout experience. so I don't think Pam Norris was one, but LBT certainly was one.
And there have also been a lot of other big names in Girl Scouts, both in entertainment and beyond. So I'm going to list, I'm going to include a few links, to lists in the show notes, but to give you a flavor. Barbara Walters, Lucille Ball, Mariah Carey, Florence Griffith Joyner, the Olympic gold medalist. Her name is so hard for me to say. tennis legend Venus Williams. Activists slash advocates, Gloria Steinem and Melinda French Gates. Elizabeth II was a Girl Guide, as was Princess Margaret. Several First Ladies, including Hillary Clinton, were Girl Scouts, as were several First Daughters. And then there's, like, a slew of business executives who aren't name recognition famous. But, I'm sure they're incredibly successful. And then, like, a lot of female astronauts were Girl Scouts. Like, the list was this long. First of all, I didn't know there were this many female astronauts, but then that they were all Girl Scouts is pretty amazing. And I'm holding my fingers, like, I don't know, six inches apart. I don't know. this is accurate. Very unscientific. Then, of course, the one.
Well, you're not an astronaut, so it's okay.
I'm not. It's true. The one, the only. Drum roll, please.
Taylor Swift.
Ms. Taylor. Allison Swift, was it.
Oh, I took it from you. Gosh darn it.
I thought you're gonna be like, I'm glad you did. Yeah. Taylor Allison Swift was a Girl Scout. I think that's like. I think this breadth of women who were Girl Scouts, just seeing and hearing the diversity in the group is, I think it's really impressive.
Mariah Carey shocks me, you know.
And then the other thing you got to take with a grain of salt is like, how many years did they do this? Like, my husband was a Cub Scout, and he really hated it. He did it for less than a year, so it's hard, but he did it. He did it. He did it.
I mean, I didn't do anything. So look at me.
Look what you. Look at everything you've become.
Look at everything I've become.
Good for you. So, obviously, you can't take this list of names alone as proof that Girl Scouting is valuable. but I will say, and I think you and I talked about this, Salina, when I first signed my daughter up, for Girl Scouts, because it's been a long time since I was a Girl Scout. Like, you know, the early 2000s were a long time ago, you know, but the common thread still seemed to be a motivation to do good. An inquisitive and thoughtful spirit, a can do attitude. And like all of those felt important to me for anyone, but especially girls. Like, I feel like they just need that.
so that leads me to the main bit of our segment today, which is breaking down the differences between Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, namely addressing some of Julia's criticisms toward the end of the episode 20. Because, in 2023 when I was signing my daughter up, I had this moment of like, is it weird or is it backward to sign her up for a girls only activity? Like it feels anti progressive or like anti feminist or something. Like we're intentionally being exclusive and only having girls rather than being inclusive. or conversely, like you're admitting there are things that girls can't do as well as boys so you have to make a whole separate space for them. Do you know what I mean?
Like the mental gymnastics that we have to go through in thinking about what's the right answer here. but I did a little digging around because Cub Scouts was also on the table for us because my son was interested in that. But it's worth exploring the differences between the two. I'll cut to the chase that so much has changed since Julia made her comments back in 1992. I'm not sure it's fair to say that either organization is doing markedly better than another. which is great. Or is it? I think there's some pieces to that, so we'll get into it.
so first up, I mentioned this. In Girl Scouts history, the Boy Scouts were also founded in the early 1900s in the UK. Girl Guides was their female oriented counterpart. in fact, that guy that we talked about at the beginning, Robert Baden Powell, who founded Boy Scouts, his sister led the Girl Guides for a number of years. Boy Scouts moved to the US just a few years after they were developed in the uk. So for anyone who isn't familiar, the Boy Scouts of America's website says the Boy Scouts of America provides the nation's foremost youth program, character development and values based leadership training which helps young people be quote, prepared for life. Boy Scouts program is also split up by age level. So Cub Scouting is for the little ones, the elementary school age, while Scouts itself is for grades six through 12. in 2018, Cub Scouts opened its door to girls and Boy scouts followed in 2019, renaming itself Scouts BSA. Scouts BSA announced a further rebrand earlier this year. They'll shift from the BSA or Boy Scouts of America branding to Scouting America. a PBS piece I found summarized it like this. The change comes as the organization continues to emerge from bankruptcy and is paying out more than 2 billion to men m who say they were as sexually abused as Scouts. so I'm not going to go that much into the sexual abuse piece, though I definitely think it's worth looking into if you're so inclined. but it is referenced like all the time when you talk about the state of the Scouts in the last couple of years, so I want to acknowledge it. I think the name change is also super relevant to the state of Scouts today, so I want to share that too. I'm probably going to slip between the brands depending on the time period I'm talking about where it felt like it fit properly. But just so you know, today Scouting America, not Boy Scouts.
Okay.
I also wanted to share that BSA also stopped excluding openly gay youth from activities in 2013. that's not materially relevant to some of the other stuff I'm going to talk about. But again, it comes up a lot in terms of milestones in the organization's history. it's really influential in discussions about perception of Scouts in recent years. And it does have significant relevance to the differences between Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
Nikki: I'm processing a lot of things about the Boy Scouts controversy
So I want to mention that too. You having any initial thoughts?
I'm processing a lot of things. I'm processing like a segment of the country who would love to get angry. And how you're mentioning all things that would probably set them on fire. But when it's all feels to me like an aim to be more inclusive.
So there has been a choice made, that the Boy Scouts is too inclusive. And so there have been offshoot organizations that have been put together.
It's important to have small tent people.
You know, so it takes all kinds. You know what I mean? so I've laid out all those facts and I will say it's clear that at the time of our Designing Women episodes, yes, Boy Scouts was for boys, Girl Scouts were for girls. Julia's arguments would lead you to believe that financing was the other major difference. I'll go ahead and tell you that I'm going to have trouble, proving or disproving the financial state of both organizations in the early 90s. It's either like, an amount of research. I just can't do or the answer is not obvious.
Nikki, did you just not have time to go do like some first person ground floor research in the last couple.
Of years, find their financial report from 1990? I did go to my library's website and I did go to like the LexisNexis version of the search, engine to look into whether like the New York Times. We've talked a lot about how Designing Women tends to look at the New York Times as a sort of, I don't know, like a source for a bunch of the things they mine for the show. I couldn't find anything from like 19, I think I went 89 to like 93. I couldn't find anything obvious happening in the world with Scouts, that seem.
Like that stuff should be readily available like financial reports.
Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure they are. I think you would have to go back and find a 1990 report and then scour through it and then compare it to the Girl Scouts. And I just, it's just like that's a long time. You know what I mean? I will say it's probably a fair assumption that the Boy Scouts were doing better at the time. so we're doing some fact checking. Boy girl distinction was accurate.
so then like I said, the devil's in the details on some of the other differences that I think could affect the girls experiences. So I'm going to link to an interview I found with a lifelong scouter and former Girl Scout council executive, which shares some interesting perspective on the differences between the two organizations at like a genetic level. so they are fundamentally different in their structures and that makes a difference in the way they're executed at the individual level. so the long and the short of it is that Boy Scouts is at its core chartered by churches. charters make decisions about the activities of the pack or about the way they approach leadership. Girl Scouts doesn't work that way.
interesting.
Yeah. So the interviewee put the implications of this structure this way. The Girl Scouts could choose to be inclusive decades before the Boy Scouts did. When I left the Boy Scouts and got introduced to the Girl Scouts and that was in the 70s, we were focused on inclusion and diversity years before, decades really, before the Boy Scouts ever were in terms of race and gender and sexual orientation. I think the Girl Scouts were always interested because girls were getting pregnant and the Girl Scouts wanted to be able to talk about those issues and address them directly with the girls and did.
it was really nice until that last.
Until that last part.
Yeah. Then it kind of like went to the other side, but I'm not sure.
It was intended to read that way. I think his interview might have gotten edited a little bit. I think the point is that there were decisions made early on to be able to talk about the issues that affected the girls.
They were just all getting pregnant with every single one of them.
I hear the way that sounds.
Bunch of hoes, you know?
You know, and I think. But I think, the reality is, like, churches could have chosen to do the same thing or the Boy Scouts could have chosen to do the same thing because churches are very interested in.
The sex lives of youth. Okay.
They tend to be. I don't know.
And speaking of someone who signed a virginity card. Oh. Oh, thank you, church.
Oh, no. So, one of the downsides he did talk about, about the two organizations being fundamentally different is that Girl Scouts tends to have less reach, an influence in the community because they're not affiliated with churches in the meaningful way that Scouting America is. so I think that there is a thread there, like Julia was saying, like, men are scouts, then they grow up to be rich men who fund the scouts. And I think those same men tend to. Used to. I think the data have changed. But in the early 90s, I think they would go to church and they would be affiliated with the church and then with the scouts and then bring the money to the Scouts. I also think there are meaningful differences in programming. So I've been involved, like I said, in both. I'll say Cub Scouts at the level we've experienced so far tends to be more focused on individual, like, survival skills and like, civic things like flag ceremonies and stuff like that. there's sort of this required path that you have to follow. and there are also, like, other activities they can do, but it's really, you need to do these things to be the right kind of, Scouts. so we have a, ah, parent or a community volunteer who coordinates all the activities and leads the kids through them at the den level. Then we have a bigger pack which is comprised of all the dens in our pack. We meet as a pack once a month. We get updates on activities, that sort of thing. It's a much more defined experience than the Girl Scouts is, and I think that has pros and cons. So Girl Scouts programming is a little more choose your own adventure. The mantra is that it's supposed to be girl led. So they have a leader who manages the activities, drives them places and whatever. they have parent community volunteers, but really the girls are supposed to decide what sort of troop they want to be. I've heard of troops that love camping, so they go camping all the time. Our troop loves crafts and games, so we focus a lot on that. They've also really loved, like, the sciencey STEM style stuff that we've done. So I tend to focus activities in that direction. we're a little less focused on individual survival skills, and civic activities. It's really more focused on building sort of your team and your network and this little community of your own that you've built. so they do learn some of the, like, flag decorum and stuff like that. But it's really about teamwork and cooperation. so you could sort of see where some of this could have been at play when Julia was observing the differences between the camps. So, like, a defined Scouting experience could result in a slightly more organized campground. For instance, deep community connections could result in a better infrastructure. So, like, if you know a roofer, your roof is more likely to be up to date than the person who doesn't know a roofer. You know what I mean? So if the Girl Scouts weren't as deeply involved in the community, they might not have had the same experience. The trade off, of course, as I see it, can be a little bit more of a black and white approach, like a less, less of an ability to solve problems creatively. So, like, if everything's handed to you and laid out to you in like this path, then you kind of expect everything to be that way forever. And so one of the things I love about Girl Scouts is that they're being forced to problem solve. So I love that.
woven through all of this is a discussion about gender inclusivity. So, of course Scouting America now welcomes girls. Girl Scouts does not welcome boys. So, the Western Pennsylvania Girl Scout Council's website put it this way. Girl Scouts has no plans to admit boys into the organization. Research shows that a girl learns best in an all girl, girl led and girl friendly environment. Our programs are designed specifically for girls at their various developmental stages through youth. So that's really what I dug into when I thought about putting my daughter in. I just couldn't help. I couldn't shake this feeling that it's a little bit weird to put her in a gender exclusive organization. We're almost conditioned, like by our generation for co ed. You know, like everything should be co ed. So it felt backward to me, the way I eventually made peace with it. With some of the information I read on the Girl Scouts website as well as a subreddit I found from other parents. So the Girl Scouts website says a lot. I'm not going to read the whole thing, but a lot of it is really powerful and I'll link to it, but here are a few of the pieces that stuck out to me. Studies show that in co ed, learning environments, boys receive more praise than girls when they call out in class, making girls less likely to raise their hands. Furthermore, boys are allowed to problem solve on their own during class time, which fosters independence, whereas teachers tend to step in and help girls, leading girls to question their own abilities. And outside of school, more than 1 in 10 US girls reports being catcalled before her 11th birthday and a, whopping 85% report gender based street harassment before they turn 17. Not only does this make girls see their worth in terms of their appearance, but it also makes them more self conscious and cautious overall when out in public. Add in the fact that the worlds of tech, advertising, major league sports, politics, finance and so many other fields are still considered boys clubs, sending not so subtle signals to girls about which industries or activities are for girls and which aren't, and the world starts looking a whole lot less equal for your daughter. The fact is, 99% of your daughter's life is experienced alongside boys, where she either has to fight for attention or dodge the unwanted kind. Not only can that get exhausting, but it can also lead your daughter to keep her head down and stop seeking attention completely. All girl environments, be they all female sports, regular slumber parties, or even her Girl Scout troop meetings, work as a type of oasis in her world. When there are no boys to be compared to or to compare herself to, she can discover her passions, stretch her limits and shine her absolute brightest without the social pressures of being seen as too girly, too masculine, or really too anything. Essentially, she's allowed to be herself and learn her own strengths on her own terms. She can build the bravery, confidence and resilience that comes with taking risks, struggling, failing and trying again. She can learn to innovate and problem solve without anyone assuming she can't do it on her own. And she can carry these experiences and skills with her into the wider world where they'll both bolster her and help her rise to new limits despite any barriers in her way.
Geez, it is because I'm going to tell you, I was wondering how you squared that like one side opening up to be more inclusive and the other side being like nah, you know, it's so hard. It's really tough. So But I mean I think those are some, like you said, powerful, I think is the exact right word arguments for kind. I know this is triggering for some people, so try and hold on. But that is triggering. Or that is like those safe spaces I think are important and I think, I don't know, I felt that, I felt a lot of that. Especially when you said the thing about boys getting praised more in the classroom or I don't know, like, I don't know, being listened to more at a conference table or. And it's, it's And it's not just by other men, you know, it's. That's how baked in it is. and so it's all these formative years that really matter. It's when that happens. So I don't know.
Yeah, I'll say I had it. I'm obviously not a teacher, but I went to my daughter's classroom. I think it was last year, we were like doing the holiday party for her class. And I noticed the boys just, they're bigger, they're louder, they're bigger personalities, they're. They take up a lot more space in the room. And I could just see there was a dynamic that was at play where the girls were much more reserved and much less willing to like put themselves out there. So I think there are also the other thing I kind of think about, I think there are also lessons to be learned about being a girl who supports other girls like a girl's girl. Like that's a big part of our troops promise to one another. And I feel good knowing that at least a couple times a month the girls are getting like a defined time to practice their skills building other girls up in a world where we're kind of conditioned to tear one another down. And I think that's so magical.
So there is a lot of research that shows co ed learning environments are useful for girls. And I don't want to discard any of that or disregard any of that. I like to think of the Girl Scouts as just like a separate defined all girls time like, like that quote I read. Like a safe space for them to try new things without. Without having to be under that gender glare that's always sort of there. And they do have time to interact with boys other otherwise. But this is their safe space. I will say some girls build on it by double dipping. So some girls will be a girl Scout and a Cub Scout or they'll be part of Scouting America. I'm not sure how they do it. Like, I don't know if they're doing other activities. I just don't know how you make time to do that. But I think it's great that they find the space and the time to take advantage of the strengths of both organizations because they are so conceptually different and we've gotten a lot out of both. This segment happens to be about Girl Scouts and the differences between Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, but we've gotten a lot out of both. I also think it is worth noting that Girl Scouts is welcoming to trans youth who identify and live as female. I think they struggling. They think they're struggling with welcoming trans youth who now live and identify as male. One of the things I read, it's because of it, like, can help foster a sense of gender dysmorphia. and also the, because the programming is so female oriented. So like, it just doesn't. It doesn't lead to a good experience for a trans youth who's identifying as male. It's just not going to be as good of an experience for them. But trans youth who identify as female are definitely welcome. I think it's a troop by troop decision. So you do have to make some decisions with the comfort level of your troop with like, like, I don't know, whatever goes with that. But I do feel like it's an inclusive environment in that way.
and then I wanted to address the financial state of both organizations since I think that's a big part of Julia's Terminator, tirade. So again I said I can't speak to the specific 90s.
Hm.
It is very clear Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are dealing with complex financial realities today. So post Covid, both groups faced a, drop in membership. I found a 2021 AP article that captured the scale of the change membership for the BSA's flagship Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA programs dropped from 1.97 million in 2019 to 1.12 million in 2020, which was a 43% plunge. court records show that membership has fallen even further since that time to about 762,000. And these are data from, I think I said a 2021 article. The girl Scout said that their youth membership fell by nearly 30% from about 1.4 million in 2019-2020 to just over a million in that same year in 2021. That same year of the article. Since then though, there's been some Rebound. Just this month, Girl scouts reported nearly 2 million members, which suggests some steady recovery. Scouting America's website reports around a million youth members today. So it's a little bit more of a modest recovery for them. The drop in membership obviously has huge financial implications. Membership dues are the Girl Scouts largest sort of source of revenue. they recently voted, in fact, to increase dues from $45 to $45 by 2026 and $65 by 2027. I think we're paying 25 or 35 right now. So up to 65 by 2027, it's 160% hike from current levels. so obviously this has had controversy. I found a CNN article where one troop leader has three grandchildren in her troop. She worried about the impact on affordability for families, saying it would impact nearly every family in her troop. She said it's an enormous increase. It's like, what are you people thinking? You're going to run yourselves out of business? We get nothing for this money. We don't get our uniforms. We don't get our badges. I just started a new little troop with my youngest granddaughters and I had to ask the moms for money. the Girl Scouts organization, however, has been open about the need for the increase, explaining that it will support volunteer resources, better technology and new programs, all of which are meant to add value for the girls and ease the logistical load for the leaders. Their CEO described it as a necessary move to keep programs strong and deliver on the core mission. So the Boy Scouts, their revenue losses have been compounded by high profile legal battles over those abuse claims I mentioned earlier that resulted in a costly restructuring and debt settlement. I think they went into, bankruptcy to cover this settlement that they had to enter in. so their financial strain, I think, is way more pronounced than the Girl Scouts is. So both organizations are facing fiscal challenges. Girl Scouts seem focused on creating new value for members while Boy Scouts are still working through foundational financial recovery, which means they might both look hugely different in the years ahead as they adapt to this changing landscape. so I laid a lot on you, Salina. before I enter into a little bit of a closing, do you have any thoughts you want to share or ask?
Just that I'm, I learned a lot. I. I realized just how little I knew about Scouts. So, except for like the Savannah piece.
For those of us who care, we really care. And then for anybody who doesn't really understand it, I think it's easy not to know children. So, I mean, I think it's so funny. Either you don't have the experience as a child. It is so Southern to be a Girl Scout. It's so Southern and so religious.
What is my role on here if not to be the bad Southerner?
Just shock me every time. Shock me every time. Well, you know, our Girl Scout troop is always open to you. You can become an adult member. You can become a lifetime member. People who don't have kids lead troops all the time. For what it's worth, for anyone who thinks that, too, I've seen a lot of things pop up in the Reddit where someone's like, I'm 19. I'm in college right now, but I have some free time. Is it weird for me to lead a Girl Scout troop? I don't have kids, and people are like, oh, my God, no. I would so much rather you do it. Please. If, you can manage it, have at it. Because it's a lot. Leading the girls is a lot, but it's a lot of fun.
I told you one time that I would help you with a craft if you needed it.
I know, I know. I need to. I need to figure out a way to capitalize on that.
I mean, I don't know how good I'll do, but I'll try.
We'll teach you.
I'm more of an ideas person and less of an execution person.
Well, see, and I'm. That's not true, actually. That's the actual opposite of you, Salina. you're very much execution. You have ideas, too, but you're very good at execution.
That's very nice.
Very good at it. So embarrassed. So embarrass you. With all that in mind, I think Julia would be proud to see what's come of the Girl Scouts today. I think there are definitely still problems, and she would almost certainly find something to advocate for or against. But, I think knowing that girls have a space to gather and learn about all kinds of things, from camping to robotics, I think that would make Julia really happy. So I've sat a lot with Allison's quote from I like being a girl. So, remember, she said, instead of trying to be as good as men, you should try to be as good as women. And I think that Girl Scouts have taken that concept to heart over the years. They've embraced their own path. They focused on empowering girls through leadership, life skills, and community involvement. As society has evolved, so has their mission. I think they. They've tried to make strides toward inclusivity, broadening their reach, and in A lot of ways future proofing themselves, by fostering an environment where every girl can see herself reflected and empowered. But I also think both organizations hold a special place in American culture. They both have a unique mission to foster growth, independence, and responsibility in young people. So they've certainly faced their challenges, but the values that they instill remain as relevant as ever. So next time you see a Scout outselling popcorn or cookies, remember the importance of these organizations. Supporting your local Scouts doesn't just keep traditions alive. It invests in future leaders, dreamers, and change makers in our communities.
This is your fault, Nikki. Now, the next time I see people at the front of Kroger, I can't go in the opposite entrance.
I, as the person who stands in front of Kroger, I fully validate the need to do that sometimes. I will say that dropping a dollar in the donation bucket is also very help. And it gives the kids just a feeling that you see them. I think the worst is when people just walk right by them and pretend they don't hear them. These are not salespeople trying to sell you something you don't need. They're kids trying to raise money to do things. So at least acknowledge them. We had one lady that stopped. She let Landon do his whole pitch and then she said, you know what, buddy? I don't think that's what I can do today, but I would be happy to go inside the store and get a little cash and bring you a donation. Would that be. And then we had another lady who said almost the exact same thing and was like, but I'm so proud of you for saying that to me right now and looking at me while you did it. You did a fantastic job. So I think that's. That's the least you can do for him.
It does feel like a really good lesson. And like, I probably could have used that.
Yeah.
Because I feel like I'm not good at asking for things that I want or need.
Yeah.
So what a good training ground. And also you need to hear no because you got.
Yeah, I think it works for both of them.
What's wrong is dragging you through it too.
Yeah. Right.
Yeah.
You already know that lesson.
a lot of it with the young ones is that it is so much a parent driven experience because, like, you want the troop to be girl led, for instance. But there are limits to what an 8 year old can practically do in the world. Not they can do whatever they want, but, like, they can't drive themselves to their Girl Scout meeting. They can't take money from a stranger for Girl Scout cookies. So at this young level, it really is, so much parent involvement, but I get so much back from it. I was having a real bad day yesterday. Just thing after thing went wrong. I went and let our Girl Scout troop and I felt so much better afterwards. So, it is validating and it is, it's cool to see it all in action. So thank you for sticking with me today, Salina. Everybody else, you know how this is going to go. We're going to encourage you to follow along with us and engage on social or email us. I personally would especially love to hear about your scouting experiences. I really want to see cute pictures of people in their uniforms. I don't think I have a uniform picture, but I do have my uniform. So I'll be playing with that for something for social media. Perfect. So thank you, Salina for joining and thanks everybody for listening along today. That's been this week's extra sugar.
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