Children Leaving Girl Scouts Due to 'Planned Parenthood' Affiliations
Correction Appended
Many Christian parents are reporting that the Girl Scout's affiliation with “Planned Parenthood” is not something that they want their children involved with, and have now begun removing their daughters from the organization.
In recent years, it has become more apparent to many Girl Scouts and their parents that the wholesome values that the organization claims to stand behind may not be as wholesome as expected. In response, they are favoring several faith-based girl empowerment organizations that have been founded as alternatives to the Girl Scouts.
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The Girl Scouts prides itself on its affiliation with Planned Parenthood and sponsors a lot of material distributed by PP, oftentimes through Girl Scouts events and meetings.
Recently, The Christian Post reported on a pair of sisters who decided to leave their Girl Scouts troop after realizing that the organization was in direct violation of their strict Catholic values. They started a website called “Speak Now Girl Scouts,” to reveal the truth about the message being delivered to girls through inappropriate content provided by the Girl Scouts.
Sydney and Tess Volanski were Girl Scouts for eight years, having discovered the organization through their church. The sisters began to delve into the Girl Scout's not so wholesome affiliations after coming across a pamphlet called “Healthy, Happy, and Hot – A Young Person’s Guide to Their Rights, Sexuality and Living with HIV.”
The pamphlet was allegedly distributed by the Girl Scouts USA group at a Girls Only Workshop in New York at the annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women event.
They also uncovered a blog on the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) website that encourages, "safe, affordable, and accessible abortions for women," Sydney told the Post.
Due to their contradicting ideals with the Girl Scouts USA, the sisters decided it was imperative that they no longer take part.
“While we recognized the many good things about Girl Scouts, we had to ask ourselves: Will we stand for our beliefs, for the dignity of life, the sanctity of marriage, modesty, purity? Or will we remain true to Girl Scouts? We cannot see any way to truly do both,” Sydney said.
Patti Garibay, founder of the American Heritage Girls, a non-denominational female scout program notes that countless American Heritage Girls were once Girl Scouts who left the organization due to conflicts with their faith and beliefs.
Garibay herself left the Girl's Scouts despite having a long family history in the Scouts, which included her daughters and her mother. When the Girl Scouts amended their "promise" in 1993, making the evocation to God optional, Garibay realized that she desired to be distanced from the scouting program.
"I believe scouting is a character development program and needs to have a basis that does not change over time despite changing culture. Biblical values are timeless, what is the truth, what is right, that does not change with culture or whoever is popular or in power," Garibay said.
American Heritage Girls serves 13,000 children in 41 states.
Another budding girls group is the Little Flowers Girls' Club. Geared toward home-schooled Catholic girls, the club has been growing by 2,000 members a year.
Pioneer Girls and GEMS Girls' Clubs, are also both organizations that focus on Christ-centered and faith-based life skills and character building.
Even those who are not a part of the Girl Scouts are beginning to see that their link to various abortion-advocacy groups is potentially dangerous for girls.
Former Planned Parenthood clinic director, Abby Johnson left the organization when she became a pro-life advocate. She stated on her blog that the connection between Planned Parenthood and the Girl Scouts is definitely inappropriate, discussing one PP brochure called, "How to Know You are Ready for Sex," with a Girl Scouts logo on the back, indicating its sponsorship.
Johnson has stated that she has cut all ties with Planned Parenthood.
"No one loves Thin Mints more than me. But there are no more cookies in this house. My daughter will not be a part of GSUSA. I will not support any curriculum that supports GSUSA," she wrote.
Correction: Thursday August 18, 2011
The first released version of this article incorrectly stated that Sydney and Tess Volanski received the pamphlet "Healthy, Happy, and Hot – A Young Person’s Guide to Their Rights, Sexuality and Living with HIV" when they attended the Girls Only Workshop at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women event in New York. The girl's mother Christy Volanski has since explained to The Christian Post that her daughters were never present at the Girls Only Workshop, and were not in New York at the time of the event, and furthermore they did not personally receive the pamphlet.
