MomIsBoyScout

I haven't had a chance to come back until now.

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. They are very helpful!

As to the questions regarding APO being a co-ed fraternity, it is co-ed nationally. I understand that there are male only chapters at male only schools. Unless your son is at an all male college/university, the fraternity is co-ed. They just haven't invited women.

Thanks again everyone!

MomIsBoyScout

Our son "sorta" wanted to join scouts. I made one phone call, talked to at least 4 people, and he went to his first meeting that same day. They meet every other week, have a schedule through the end of the summer and he is loving it.

In contrast, our twin daughters DESPERATELY wanted to join Brownies/Girl Scouts. I made at least 12 phone calls and 4 e-mails (to the ENTIRE regional office), it took 5 weeks and a threat to take the story to the local paper to get a call back. That was 4 months ago--they have had three events (one was the Cookie Kickoff) and marched in two parades. There are no achievements and there is no structure, beyond the parades I've never had more than 3 days notice of one of their events. The last event they attended was dancercise--something they already had a pretty good grasp of by the age of 5. They loathe Brownies.

I'm not alone. My friends throughout the US have the same complaints. Even those who had a good experience in Girl Scouts are frustrated. My most significant memory of being in Girl Scouts, besides selling cookies, was being taught to make hospital corners. Seriously, I don't remember a single other meeting that I attended over the course of a year and a half. I quit and basically joined my little brother's Den, because my friend's mom was his Den Mother (so, did several of our friends).

My husband is a Boy Scout. I'm a member of Alpha Phi Omega. For the uniformed, it is a National Service Fraternity, essentially Boy Scouts for college kids (they went co-ed in 1974). I have served as regional staff for that organization and a was a former Den Leader. In other words I AM a Boy Scout and, yes I am, and always have been female.

The girls are aware that I am a member of APO and BSA, they know my friends, they've met the members of my old Den. They've also seen other Moms who are Den Leaders. My daughters are now begging to join Cub Scouts.

When my son goes to his meetings--we spend our evenings dealing with frustration and rage. All three of the children are mildly Autistic--highly functioning, but Autistic nontheless. Frustration and rage in Autistic children is rather like a nuclear bomb. It is impossible to explain to them that women can be Den Leaders, but little girls cannot be members

As I see it, I three choices for next year: become a Brownie Leader and create a program from scratch, become a Den Mother, so that my daughters can "attend as spectators" or give up on Scouts all together and find another organization where all of our children are welcome.

Am I wrong? What other options do I have?