Re: Dad's Camping with Girl Scouts

I agree with Kevin Pate that fathers should not hesitate to get involved with
their daughter's Girl Scout activities. Much like Kevin, I initially assumed
that Mom would handle all the Girl Scout duties. Only after becoming very
active as my son's Cub Scout leader did I begin to realize that I was missing
some great times with my daughter too. Since only one mother liked camping, I
began volunteering as an additional adult on campouts. The girls soon dubbed
me "Mr. Dan Man" and I would not trade the memories of the fun we had for any
of my BSA activities. (Ours was not a rough & ready outdoor troop but we sure
could cook, sing and perform inspired original skits!)

I remember well when I convinced another dad to come along on what was to
become our final camporee before the troop sadly folded as the girls hit high
school age. His daughter was having a troubled adolescence and fought
constantly with her parents (two nice people in a non-broken home). Frankly I
was always a little surprised that this whiny, bad attitude young lady
continued to attend Girl Scouts but she obviously found something of value in
the program. On this campout, out of doors and away from their usual
environment, father and daughter seemed to really connect. One of the best
photos I've ever taken is from that event with this girl, by our campfire
sporting a goofy grin, applying a huge bear hug to her surprised dad. When I
later presented a copy to the girl's mother, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Even I, at 6' 6", 2xx lbs. get a little misty at the memory of that Kodak
Moment. The father later confided to me that he wished he had gotten involved
in his daughter's scouting years before. But all is not lost. Against all
odds, that girl was one of only two to join another troop and continue
scouting into her high school years.

The moral is that scouting can be a great experience for the kids AND for
adults, both male and female in any combination. It can even be the one
common denominator that gets a whole family through the most difficult period
of a young person's life. I join Kevin in urging fathers not to miss those
few fleeting years with their daughters.

Dan Jett
ASM Troop 14
Palo Alto, CA
Pacific Skyline Council

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