P.R.A.Y. Girl Scout News Bulletin

November 2004

 

Welcome to the November 2004 P.R.A.Y. Girl Scout News Bulletin.  This Bulletin is how we share information about the religious awards programs and ways to strengthen relationships with the religious community.

 

The Magic Combination:

Girls who are active in Girl Scouts AND their Faith Community

 

Vivianne Frye-Perry, Chair of the Protestant Committee of the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis, organized a “Living Our Promise” Walk with 80 Girl Scouts October 16, 2004. This was the first time that the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis had ever sponsored such an event. Vivianne reports that the Walk was a success and one of the reasons for its success was the excellent behavior of the Girl Scouts. “There is just something special about girls who active in both Girl Scouts AND their faith community,” states Vivianne. “The girls were attentive and engaged, and yet all the time polite and respectful.” This observation is more than just opinion.  Research has shown that young people who are active in both a civic youth organization and a religious institution make better moral decisions than if they were members of just one organization (Girl Scouts: Who We Are, What We Believe). These girls will have less at-risk behaviors and possess more assets. This is a strong case for Girl Scout Councils to continue to collaborate with faith communities.  (See related articles on our website: Building Assets through Religious Awards, Assets and Religious Awards)

 

Ten Commandment Hikes

Ten Commandment Hikes are interfaith and cross-cultural events. Hikers visit ten different houses of worship to hear a brief talk about that faith, its worship space, and an explanation of one of the Ten Commandments. Participants gain greater understanding of other religions and are introduced to the religious awards programs. If your community is interested in sponsoring a “Ten Commandment Hike,” the P.R.A.Y. web site provides some sample resources to help you organize such an event. These resources include a promotional flyer, sample letters, checklists, registration forms, planning outline, etc.  Click here to view these resources.

 

Statistics Show Girl Scouts are Active in Religious Institutions

Based on the New Directions online survey research, statistics show girls who are members of GSUSA are more active in religious institutions:

 

·        50% of girls overall 11-17 surveyed belong to church or religious groups

·        48% of non-members 11-17 surveyed belong to church or religious groups

·        52% of Girl Scout members 11-17 surveyed belong to church or religious groups

 

Statistics also show that older girls are more likely to be active in religious institutions. Here are the age break-outs of Girl Scout members surveyed who belong to church/religious groups:

 

·        50% of girls 11-12

·        51% of girls 13-15

·        59% of girls 16-17

 

·        Overall, girls 16-17 year old are more likely than girls 11-12 and girls 13-15 to attend church or religious groups 

 

(55% of girls overall; 59% of girls 16-17 who are Girl Scout members)

 

 

P.R.A.Y. Offers New God and Country Email Bulletin

P.R.A.Y. now offers a new God and Country Bulletin featuring the Protestant religious award program. The first issue was sent via email in September 2004 and contained information on the curriculum revisions, new application process, Spanish translations, and new PowerPoint presentation. To view this bulletin, click here: New God and Country bulletin.  To sign up to receive this bulletin, please email Jennifer at jenniferh@praypub.org with your first and last name, email address and a note that you would like to sign up for the God and Country Email Bulletin. 

 

P.R.A.Y. Board Members Receive God and Service Award

Ellyn Schleiffarth, CEO of Girl Scout Council of Mount Magazine Area in Ft. Smith, AR, received an honorary God and Service Award in recognition of her years of service to the P.R.A.Y. organization. Ellyn served as President for five years and it was during her office that P.R.A.Y. went from an operation board to policy-based governance, revised the P.R.A.Y. Bylaws, and adopted a new Board of Directors Policy Manual. Ellyn was honored with the God and Service Award at the P.R.A.Y. Annual Meeting, October 1, 2004.

 

Ruthe Workcuff, volunteer and troop leader in Girl Scouts of Mid-Continent Council in Kansas City, MO, was presented with the God and Service Award for her years of service on the P.R.A.Y. Board of Directors. Serving since 1991, Ruthe has been involved with chaplaincy, Christian Education, and served as Vice President. Ruthe declined another term on the board in order to devote more time at the local level working with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop.

 

Councils stocking God & Country Books in Council Store

An increasing number of Girl Scout councils are stocking the God and Country Protestant religious award booklets. Store managers have cited several reasons for doing so:

 

·        To encourage girls to grow stronger in their faith;

·        To promote family values;

·        As a service to Girl Scouts and their families;

·        To make leaders aware of these programs;

·        As a service to the religious community.

 

The following councils currently stock the God & Country booklets.  If your council would like more information about stocking our books, please contact Joan at joanw@praypub.org or call (800) 933-7729 to request information on our trade discount.

 

Adirondak	Heart of Florida	Rhode Island
Apalachee Bend	Hoosier	River Bluff
Appleseed Ridge	Indian Waters	River Trails
Arizona Cactus Pine	Joshua Tree	Riverland
Audubon	Lone Star	Rolling Hills
Black Diamond	Magic Empire	San Diego Imperial
Cannon Valley	Michigan Trails	San Fernando Valley
Catawba	Mid Continent	San Jacinto
Central Kansas	Middle Georgia	Scranton Pocono
Citrus	Monmouth	Seal of Ohio
Congaree	Monterey Bay	Shawnee
Connecticut Trails	Mount Magazine	Sierra Nevada
Council	Nations Capital	South Central Alabama
Cumberland Valley	Niagara	Spanish Trails
Dogwood Trails	Northeast Georgia	St. Croix Valley
Five Star	Northern Lakes	Sunflower
Foothills	Northwest Georgia	Talus Rock
Freedom Valley	Ocean County	Trailways
Gateway	Orange County	Tres Condidos
Glowing Embers	Paisano	Ulster
Golden Plains	Penn Laurel	Wagon Wheel
Goldenrod	Penn's Woods	Woodlands
Great Rivers	Piedmont
Great Valley	Pine to Prairie
Gulf Pines	Pine Valley