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Girl Scouts Plan Changes To Boost Involvement
New Program, Uniform Changes Slated
UPDATED: 2:47 pm CDT July 7,
2008
MADISON, Wis. -- A world-famous organization for girls is getting a facelift, changing its image a bit in hopes of getting more girls involved.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportThe Girl Scouts have a long tradition of camping and cookies and building leaders -- something the group members are proud of.But they noticed in recent years that more girls weren't sticking with the program. So starting this fall, the organization will have a new look and new approach to keep more girls involved, WISC-TV reported.Girl Scout Melanie Ramsey just returned from India, taking the trip of a lifetime. It's a journey she took with the Girl Scouts."It was amazing," Ramsey said. "If I had gone with my family, we would have had no idea where we were going."She said that a lot of people have no idea about the Girl Scouts because they're going places too. This year, the 81-year-old group for girls is introducing a plan to attract more girls to the program."Girl Scouting is evolving because we move at the speed of girl and I will tell you that moving 3.5 million girls is not always the easiest thing to do," said Barbara Wiers, who's a member of the Girl Scouts' Black Hawk Council.While they will keep the Girl Scout traditions -- like camping and of course, the cookies --.officials now aim to help girls find what they like and then apply skills to their future goals with the girls as ambassadors. The leadership journeys will try to break the belief that Girl Scouting really isn't cool."That older girls can't be Girl Scouts, that it's really lame," said Girl Scout Carmen Roman. "People think it's really lame but it's really awesome.""I would not be who I am today if I wasn't in Girl Scouts," said Ramsey."They're having these experiences that are amazing and when they talk to other girls who say, 'Oh, you're still a Girl Scout?' They say 'Yeah, I'm still a Girl Scout! And here's why!'" said Wiers.From India to Madison and across the country, the program is still focusing on leaders, but changing its image without losing what makes Girl Scouting so special for the girls involved."I would not know what a Girl Scout cookie tastes like, and that would be a mistake!" Ramsey saidAnother thing that is going to change this fall is the uniforms. They're scaling back on the famous green in exchange for more modern white shirts and khaki pants. Officials said this is something that will fit better into girls' wardrobes.Madison troops are a part of the Black Hawk Council, which is also changing its name this fall. Those details are still being worked out, officials said.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportThe Girl Scouts have a long tradition of camping and cookies and building leaders -- something the group members are proud of.But they noticed in recent years that more girls weren't sticking with the program. So starting this fall, the organization will have a new look and new approach to keep more girls involved, WISC-TV reported.Girl Scout Melanie Ramsey just returned from India, taking the trip of a lifetime. It's a journey she took with the Girl Scouts."It was amazing," Ramsey said. "If I had gone with my family, we would have had no idea where we were going."She said that a lot of people have no idea about the Girl Scouts because they're going places too. This year, the 81-year-old group for girls is introducing a plan to attract more girls to the program."Girl Scouting is evolving because we move at the speed of girl and I will tell you that moving 3.5 million girls is not always the easiest thing to do," said Barbara Wiers, who's a member of the Girl Scouts' Black Hawk Council.While they will keep the Girl Scout traditions -- like camping and of course, the cookies --.officials now aim to help girls find what they like and then apply skills to their future goals with the girls as ambassadors. The leadership journeys will try to break the belief that Girl Scouting really isn't cool."That older girls can't be Girl Scouts, that it's really lame," said Girl Scout Carmen Roman. "People think it's really lame but it's really awesome.""I would not be who I am today if I wasn't in Girl Scouts," said Ramsey."They're having these experiences that are amazing and when they talk to other girls who say, 'Oh, you're still a Girl Scout?' They say 'Yeah, I'm still a Girl Scout! And here's why!'" said Wiers.From India to Madison and across the country, the program is still focusing on leaders, but changing its image without losing what makes Girl Scouting so special for the girls involved."I would not know what a Girl Scout cookie tastes like, and that would be a mistake!" Ramsey saidAnother thing that is going to change this fall is the uniforms. They're scaling back on the famous green in exchange for more modern white shirts and khaki pants. Officials said this is something that will fit better into girls' wardrobes.Madison troops are a part of the Black Hawk Council, which is also changing its name this fall. Those details are still being worked out, officials said.Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
