I was a girl scout! It was a rite of passage in our family. My parents wanted us to have fun – well that was more us than them- as we went to out of town activities and made lifelong friends. The Kenya Scout organization is very different from the US system and the most distinct feature is that I didn’t sell any cookies to raise money for our troop. My parents paid an annual membership for the uniforms and badges, then out of pocket for our trips. This system does have a major drawback for families without a disposable income.
The Girl Scout system in Beijing is open to foreign passport holders. The city’s troop follows the American system and is open to girls from kindergarten to High School.
Another difference with the Kenya system is that the scouting was unisex both open to boys and girls and were all jostling for the same badge – some boys were every good at sewing while some girls were very good at wilderness survival- this was more about merit and very good at separating society’s gender roles.
This doesn’t in anyway take away the benefits from the US system of girl scouts such as time management, organizational skills, team work, and much more. The new year begins this September and registration will be taking place at the Western Academy of Beijing’s Elementary School Cafeteria from 9.30-11am. There will be an overview of the organization for those unfamiliar held from 9.30-9.45am followed by registration.
The organization is looking for adult volunteers passionate about paying it forward and helping girls build skills and confidence.
If you can’t make this registration, send an email to BeijingUSAGSO@gmail.com and they will try to find a suitable troop for your daughter(s).
Photo: styleblueprint.com
