-By Cynthia Marple

Girl Scouts is a great after-school activity for your daughter. The Houston Texas area is part of the San Jacinto Council. Their mission is “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”

Girls in grades K-12 can participate and join at any Grade level. Lots of age appropriate activities are involved and Girl Scout badges are earned at each grade level to advance.

• In Kinder – 1^st Grade, the girls are Daisies and earn patches that make a daisy flower.
• In 2^nd – 3^rd Grade, the girls are Brownies and earn triangle shaped patches bordered in brownie brown. The titles of the patches from the Brownie Quest group are: Computer Expert, My Best Self, Dancer, Home Scientist, and My Family Story.
• In 4^th – 5^th Grade, the girls are Juniors and have round-shaped patches that show she has earned specific badges like Junior First Aid, Camper, Geocacher, and Scribe.
• In 6^th – 8^th Grade, the girls are Cadettes and earn cube-shaped patches to show she has earned badges like Finding Common Ground, Eating for Beauty, and Woodworking.
• In 9^th – 10^th Grade, the girls are Seniors and continue to earn new badges and develop higher level skills.
• In 11^th – 12^th Grade, the girls are Ambassadors. They continue to develop skills and earn badges such as Public Policy, Financial Literacy, and Coaching.

One of the most famous fundraising events in the United States is selling Girl Scout cookies. I wish I had girls whenever sales begin so I could get all the Thin Mints my family craves. Many, many moons ago, I was a Brownie and then a Junior. Selling those cookies was the easiest fundraiser I ever did as a child. The hardest was selling packs of light bulbs for choir… but that is a story for another time.

Camping is a key activity for Girl Scouts and both outdoor camping and overnight adventures at local museums or monuments are planned. The local council has 10 Girl Scout camps with lots of opportunities for outdoor fun and skill building like archery, rifler shooting and swimming. Some of the camps are detailed below.

• Camp Agnes Arnold is in nearby Conroe and it is centered around Shadow Lake so lots of water based activities like canoeing and fishing are offered.
• Camp Misty Meadows it adjacent to Agnes Arnold and that camp is focused on horseback riding.
• Also close to Agnew Arnold, Camp Silver Springs has a challenge course with low ropes, a zip line and rock climbing components.
• Camp Casa Mare is in Seabrook and is home to the Girl Scouts Mariners program where girls learn how to sail.
• Camp Robinwood in Willis houses the Council’s rifler shooting program – Archers In Motion (AIM). Situated on Lake Ann, canoeing and fishing are available as well.
• Camp Whispering Pines is in the Piney Woods region of Texas. Family camping is available here.

Many more day camps and out of state Girl Scout camps are available for members to enjoy.

Adults are welcomed and needed as volunteers to lead the girls and help them complete badges. There are lots of ways to work with the Girl Scouts as an adult from being a Troop leader, small den/group leader or helping with cookie sales or camping.

One of the reasons Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are separated by gender is to give each gender their own time away from the other gender. Studies have shown that, especially for girls, being in a group of only girls can allow for more leadership opportunities and less friction. Scouting teaches respect for differences and acceptance of all people regardless of background.

Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
If you are looking for a fun activity for your girl(s), look for a nearby Girl Scout troop to visit and join.

To find a Girl Scout troop near you, go to http://www.gssjc.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join/in-my-area.html

For a list of Girl Scout Badges and more details, go to http://www.girlscouts.org/en/our-program/uniforms/insignia-list.html

Tell us about your experiences with camping in a group or as a family in the comments below.

To check out a huge list of other activities & after-school classes for you kids check out www.iQuriousKids.com

-By Cynthia Marple