Looks kinda pricy ($50/troop, $30/girl), traditional values, open program, ages K-12 can all be in one troop.

No insurance available unless sponsored by a non-profit organization that will cover you.

I did like the idea that one of the badges was for chocolate. That alone would get me to join.

Stosh

I looked at their website, www.frontiergirls.com. They appear to be a new organization. Their uniforms resemble those of the American Heritage Girls, and although they are self-described conservatives, they don't appear to be quite as sectarian as AHG. They do indeed claim over 1200 merit badges, although I wonder how an advancement program that diverse can be effectively managed (there don't seem to be set "requirements" for the badges like the BSA has). Is there anyone out there that has any real-life experience with this group?

First things first: yes, CHOCOLATE is involved in several GS awards! Especially some that are outside the book. Look at VA Skyline Council's "Sweet Shoppe," for example. Mmmm. Anyway.

Don't know about Frontier Girls, except what their website says. But this June, I did have two of my teen Girl Scouts, including one of my daughters, participate in a very nice summer day camp run by our local American Heritage Girls. The ladies were terrific and welcoming -- even inviting my girls to wear their own GSUSA uniforms on a field trip. IMO, they demonstrated just what they stand for. We won't be joining them, because we're quite happy in GSUSA, but I'm delighted they are growing and doing well here. Some girls are scouting who otherwise wouldn't. That merits a thumbs up.

My basic attitude about the newer US scouting organizations for girls is a "Big Tent" view: there's plenty of room for all kinds of approaches to scouting. So let's not bad-mouth each other, but instead focus on getting girls outside, and opening the doors for some fun, some service and some learning.

I do admit that GSUSA has been getting groovier by the minute. Though I am a happy camper in general, yes, there are days when my eyeballs roll skyward and I fear they will get stuck. The never-ending jargon changes. The appeal to cool. The lousy Cadette handbook which suggests girls talk with a trusted adult if they "feel the need" to take drugs -- but which doesn't show any knots. The super-long footnote about God with its asterisk permanently glued to the Promise. The crummy electronic-only leader magazine. The wishy-washy, yackety-yack awards that don't spell out requirements. And so forth. Sure, I understand some of the complaints that ultimately led to separate groups. Heck, just compare scoutstuff.org and the GSUSA shop.

But three things keep me firmly on board: (1) there is NO organization I'm going to agree with 100 percent, on religion or politics or anything, 'cause frankly, I'm really opinionated and cantankerous and always think I'm right; (2) you can have an EXCELLENT, active troop for girls if you apply yourself, get trained, focus on developing girl leadership, and don't whine about silly stuff; and (3) GSUSA and my wonderful local council (GS of the Nation's Capital) have lots of resources for girls.

I'm very lucky to be involved with a diverse but dedicated group of scouts and parents. And, frankly, there are members in each of my GS troops who would not fit with either Frontier or AHG. I believe some would actually be unwelcome. But all have a home with GSUSA -- and YES, they learn real scouting, say grace at meals and have flag ceremonies.

Just 'cause I'm happy with GSUSA, though, and don't personally see a need for separate girl scouting organizations, I do wish Frontier & AHG well. STILL a free country!

Thank all of you for your responses.

You know, you have to admit that the Girl Scouts have WAY cooler t-shirts than the Boy Scouts.

Rats!

Just a quick note on Frontier Girls. First, the 1200 badges offered are for individual badges, but the actual written requirements are several hundred less. This is because many of the badges they offer use general requirements. For example, a girl can earn the piano badge, violin badge, flute badge, etc. all by using a single set of requirements under "musical instruments" and adapting them to each individual instrument. Other similar badge requirements are things like foreign language, where a girl can earn an individual badge for each different foreign language that she learns; sports for basketball, softball, soccer, etc. and many more. As for oversight, Frontier Girls does not require the rigorous certification process that the Boy Scouts do, but follow more of the Girl Scout model relying on Leaders and Parents to decide when requirements have been completed to their satisfaction. The great thing about Frontier Girls is that not only do they have all of the traditional style badges you may look for, but many eclectic ones as well such as Chocolate, Spies, Roller Coasters, Lego, and Food Presentation. They are also the only ones to dedicate an entire Area of Discovery to character badges such as honesty, responsibility, and kindness.

Frontier Girls is open to girls and volunteers of all faiths and focuses on patriotism, service to others, good character, life skills, leadership, and a love of learning. As for the cost, while it may seem pricey, the registration fee includes all handbooks, badge requirements, forms,sample songs, membership pin, etc. Basically everything a troop or individual needs to participate in the program except their uniform and awards.

Check them out at www.frontiergirls.com

FYI, most Girl Scout troops are not sponsored by churches or any any other organization. They simply belong to their local council. Unfortunately with the consolidation of councils, many troops have been left with no local support and are completely on their own,especially those in rural areas. In my own town, we used to have a Girl Scout store here as well as local training. Now the nearest facilities are 3 hours away and there is no local training at all.

Frontier Girls troops are individually owned and operated, but the main organization provides a ton of support via email and phone. A Powerpoint presentation on Frontier Girls is included with the troop start up materials as well as sheets that outline the benefits of owning a Frontier Girls troop for groups such as churches, schools and veterans groups. These and other included materials such as brochures help new leaders to find a supporting organization if they wish. A complete leader handbook is also included with troop registration and it includes everything from health and safety policies to sample troop meetings.

GSUSA is not set up the same way as BSA. There are no Chartered Organizations that own Scout units. The local council owns all of the Troops/Groups. Generally, each Troop is a specific school grade, or Girl Scout level. There are very few Troops that would include girls from different Scout levels.

Yep, not a fan of the big mega-councils, but I can understand the finances behind the move. I also would not be surprised to see BSA go that route eventually.

While the mega-councils are more spread out, and more impersonal, they are still broken down into much smaller Service Units (similar to BSA Districts). These Service Units should be providing support and training for it's Troops. Also, a Service Unit might be broken down even further into the area schools, with each school having it's own School Coordinator to help the GSUSA Troops in that school.

Like BSA, Frontier Girls, AHG, or any other group, the specific recruiting event for GSUSA is only as good as the person running it. While creating new Troops is always the push, it is usually not the FIRST thing done unless the area Troops for a specific level are all full and not accepting new members.