Compassionate Capitalism - March 2004

GIRL SCOUTS

WHERE GIRLS GROW STRONG

by Carol Patton

On any given day, girls between the ages of 5 and 17 might be raising money for a worthy cause, learning how to change oil in a car or canoeing in the backwaters of Minnesota.

With 10,000 members and 2,800 volunteers throughout Nevada’s five southern counties, Girl Scouts of Frontier Council, otherwise known as Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), is doing a lot more than selling cookies these days.

"Our programs are designed to help girls develop leadership skills, values, self-esteem and a commitment to serving the community," said Pat Miller, executive director of GSUSA in Las Vegas. The non-profit is one of 319 chartered councils in the U.S. and one of two in the state. Another council, located in Reno, serves Northern Nevada.

After operating out of temporary facilities since 2000, the organization will move to its new home – the Donald W. Reynolds Girl Scout Training and Service Center –sometime this spring. The $5 million building contains almost 19,000 square feet and is located at the corner of Mojave and Harris in Las Vegas.

Among the council’s biggest challenges is overcoming old stereotypes, such as the image of Girl Scouts mainly selling cookies. Although cookie sales are a long-standing tradition, Miller points to other programs that would surprise many people. For example, for the past three years, volunteers have trained 42 incarcerated mothers at the Women’s Southern Nevada Correctional Facility as Girl Scout leaders. Once they complete the 10-hour program, they meet with their daughters twice a month for two hours at the prison to carry out Girl Scout programs, such as planning community service projects. The program has grown so popular there’s even a waiting list. Its focus is to re-establish the mother-daughter bond and to enable young girls to see their mothers in leadership roles, said Miller, explaining that children of incarcerated parents are six times more likely to end up in prison, especially if the parent-child bond is broken.

Since 1986, the organization’s drop-in centers have been offering girls a safe place to "hang out" after school. Staff and volunteers at five different centers in high-risk neighborhoods plan a variety of learning activities, including computer operations, basic plumbing and auto mechanics.

Last year, GSUSA introduced Studio 2B, another program where girls between the ages of 11 and 17 tell scout leaders what they want to accomplish. Almost anything goes, from rock climbing to traveling abroad. Scout leaders then work with the organization’s advisors to make it happen.

What’s more, older girls have the freedom to engage in individual projects. Several years ago, a high-school junior organized a book drive for Belize, a small country in Central America, then raised funds to build a library to house the books. Another recently created an art competition for high school juniors and seniors in Clark County. She recruited artists to serve as judges, established contest guidelines and solicited businesses to donate prizes.

Still, many high-school girls don’t realize the opportunities that exist in GSUSA, thinking members are just "Brownies with long legs," said Miller. To make matters worse, many adults don’t believe girls are prone to dangerous or criminal behavior, which has led to a volunteer shortage. Over the past four years, membership has increased by 20 percent, while the number of adult volunteers dropped by 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively, in the last two years.

Despite this obstacle, Miller said the organization will continue changing the lives of girls and making a positive impact in the community. "It’s beneficial for everyone to take a look at what we’re offering and get involved," she said. "They won’t be sorry."