The sib forwarded an article from The Economist (sign up required) on Girl Guides in the UK. Not surprisingly, they have faced similar challenges and responded in similar ways to GSUSA: keep activities and uniforms current, be sure the promise reflects contemporary language. They, too, are critically lacking in adult leadership:
It is the adults, not the children, who are deserting. Girlguiding UK reckons it needs another 8,000 leaders, (called Brown Owls by the Brownies) to give places to everybody who wants to join. It blames the pressures of modern life for the shortage. More people are bringing up children single-handedly, or are in families where both parents work. The proportion of women in the workforce has risen from 42.5% in 1971 to 53.4% in 2004. That makes it harder to find time for good deeds. Ironically, that same lack of free time is another reason why the Guides remain popular: frazzled parents like the idea of someone else taking care of their children one night a week.
I trained troop leaders in basic outdoor skills at That Other Camp yesterday. Perhaps it was the beautiful weather (at last), but I found everyone more receptive than at past trainings to practicing firebuilding and cooking lunch together. The afternoon session brought up some interesting conversation on the increasing number of parents not ready to cut the apron strings: parents who won't send a child on a troop camping trip (with girls and adults known to the kid, and, one hopes, her parent), much less to summer camp. As a follow up, a leader invited my comment on a situation she's having. She added that she thinks that the current generation of parents includes an enormous number of people who won't be receptive to Girl Scouting's core value of girl planning -- and girl doing, as it were. Fewer people want their daughter to have a share in the chores, keep up with her own towel at camp, etc. That makes me nervous.
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I also find it disturbing that the few children I know can not accomplish simple household tasks or do any 'dirty work'. At a holiday party cleanup, I handed a dirty, soaked dish towel to a child who lived in the home and asked him to "put this where ever it goes". His confusion was astounding. He wandered around the kitchen a while and then thought of the clothing hamper upstairs. His mother then proceeded to take it from him and toss it in the washing machine only steps from the kitchen.
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