September 23, 2004

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a "From Stress to Success" interest project

Remember those heady days of ten days ago, when we all enjoyed exploring the world of Boy Scout Merit Badges together? Well, it's time to relive those days, except in a girlier fashion, as we examine Girl Scout Interest Project Awards. The Girl Scouts' naming system seems a little more focus-grouped than that of the Boy Scouts:

A World of Understanding
All About Birds
Build a Better Future
Car Sense
Conflict Resolution
Cookies and Dough
Digging Through the Past
Do You Get the Message?
Dollars and Sense
Eco-Action
Exploring the Net
The Food Connection
From Fitness to Fashion
From Shore to Sea
From Stress to Success
Games for Life
Generations Hand in Hand
Heritage Hunt
High Adventure
Horse Sense
Inventions and Inquiry
Invitation to the Dance
It's About Time
Just Jewelry
The Lure of Language
Math, Maps, and More
Media Savvy
Museum Discovery
On a High Note
On the Court
On the Playing Field
Once Upon a Story
Paddle, Pole, and Roll
Planet Power
The Play's the Thing
Rolling Along
Smooth Sailing
Understanding Yourself and Others
Why in the World?
Writing for Real
Your Best Defense

It just all seems kinda...condescending. Why not "Cycling" instead of "Rolling Along"? Why not "Self Defense" instead of "Your Best Defense"? Why must they all sound like headlines from Seventeen?

You may also be interested in the awards that can be earned by Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Girl Scouts.

Posted by Francis at 05:50 PM
Comments

I am so fucking disgusted! Just to begin with, Girl Scouts are going to, what, be *corrupted* by having their "awards" reflect MERIT instead of INTEREST?

"Here, cutie, we're awarding you this positively adorable little scrap of fabric based on your interest, rather than your mastery." (Oops, should that maybe be "mistressry"?) "Now run along and Build a Better Future by Understanding Yourself and Others, you hear?"

Posted by: Rose at September 24, 2004 11:05 AM

They keep redesigning Girl Scouts. Apparently for Girl Scouts to be an appealing activity, it must be cutesy. I'm not even sure what "2B Studio" activities are... but they earn you charms. In Middle and High School. And... yeah. THe whole thing's quickly becoming unrecognizable, even for someone who finished a mere 6 and a half years ago [though cheesy "interest project" names *do* date back that far].

Posted by: Erika at September 24, 2004 05:09 PM

I would think that if a young girl were planning to develop mistressry over something or someone, "Paddle, Pole, and Roll" would be a darned fine interest to have.

I'm just sayin'

Posted by: Jenny G at September 25, 2004 06:44 PM