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Male Girl Scout leaders. - how do you feel about this?

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    • Male Girl Scout leaders. - how do you feel about this?

      Well I honestly do not know how to explain this, as a Grandfather, as a Parent, or as a Sibling. I have grown up with brothers, men, and almost never around women except my mom and my wife. So tonight I have been watching training videos and reading a lot of information about participating with Girl Scouts, a possible learning curve for me. Yes just a little apprehensive. At 56 my son cannot participate and the mother of our granddaughter lives in another state, so Ashley wants to be part of the Girl Scouts at 7 years of age and that's cool but one parent has to supervise and I just passed all the background checks. In the past I was Patrol leader at 16, Senior Patrol Leader, at 17, Scribe and ran a Boy Scout troop till 18 and passed into Eagle rank. Clearly a long time ago. As my son entered into scouting at 16 -18 I was back again supporting scouting. But now I am in the autumn of life and struggling to be relevant. And Ashley is so important to our relationships. How cool is this. Wow. There are planned hiking trips and camp outs apparently that crappy crafts thing in cubs and GS is far less important now. We had a great time selling cookies!

      EDIT - This is so important to many girls as an introduction to Hiking, camp, and backpacking so if you have anything to add, such as first experiences feel free.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Wise Old Owl ().

    • I was the camping coordinator for my daughter's troop. They weren't permitted to schedule an overnight trip to the local Girl Scout camp unless someone from the troop received the official training. None of the mothers associated with the troop wanted to do it, so I volunteered.

      There was one other guy at the weekend training session at the campground. We had to sleep on a tent platform while all of the females stayed in a lodge. Woke up in the early dawn to see a buck mounting a doe about 50 yards from the platform.

      I had already been hiking the AT for a couple of years and had more outdoor knowledge than the instructor. But I understood that I was there to learn the girl scout way. Best training / advice I got was to never be in a situation where I was alone with one or more girls - one of the troop leaders had to be with me to avoid any hint of improper behavior.

      Our troop did one overnight trip and the girls got to have S'mores around a 'responsible' campfire. Again, I got to sleep outside which was fine with me. I did offer some basic outdoor survival training as we walked around the property. They had fun, I had fun. Win / win.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • Jake Ace wrote:

      A bear wonders into camp, you...

      A) take pictures from the confines of your tent.

      B) Send out the least liked counselor to have a sit down.

      C) Blow that som bitch away with the gun you ain’t supposed to be carrying.

      D) Go back to sleep and and take yur chances.
      B, someone needs to take one for the team. ^^
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Ok I don't know how to explain the details... but the leader forgot an integral part of peeing in the woods. The hike is next week and the part that was left out was how to lean against a tree. You squat, pull up the leggings and drop the drawers. Most find a squat log right? But if your back is supported by a living tree all is good. Please do not read between the lines on this one - water is involved.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Wise Old Owl wrote:

      Ok I don't know how to explain the details... but the leader forgot an integral part of peeing in the woods. The hike is next week and the part that was left out was how to lean against a tree. You squat, pull up the leggings and drop the drawers. Most find a squat log right? But if your back is supported by a living tree all is good. Please do not read between the lines on this one - water is involved.
      Tree? Squat log? This girl has been peeing in the woods for 60 years. Drop drawers, squat, wipe, pull up drawers while standing back up. Don't even take pack off if it is raining.

    • SandyofPA wrote:

      Wise Old Owl wrote:

      Ok I don't know how to explain the details... but the leader forgot an integral part of peeing in the woods. The hike is next week and the part that was left out was how to lean against a tree. You squat, pull up the leggings and drop the drawers. Most find a squat log right? But if your back is supported by a living tree all is good. Please do not read between the lines on this one - water is involved.
      Tree? Squat log? This girl has been peeing in the woods for 60 years. Drop drawers, squat, wipe, pull up drawers while standing back up. Don't even take pack off if it is raining.
      This may be my first post on a green page....

      Those are pretty clear directions I believe even I could follow.... on a good day.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Tonight was interesting Ashley is seven years old and starting to think for herself. Clearly there are challenges in our family lives, nothing is perfect. I expressed after many folks left with their kids, it was time to leave. Oh the damn drama, really she ran across a soccer field to avoid me and then lied about it. Well we had a "discussion" about poor choices. It all worked out, but made me think about what if that happened on the trail. I still think she is ok and I am not worried, just sharing.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup: