kacordy

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.

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