When Will You Wonder Why?

Written by Leah at Penn Laurel Council

            She waits at a booth in front of the department store. She smiles at a wide-eyed toddler who passes. Her uniform - blue vest and khaki skirt - is full of pins and patches of the past, and her mind is full of visions for the future. As she trades Thin Mints for three dollars with a gentleman, she gives him a week of happiness in a box and promotes the values and traditions of American women. She projects her dreams, her goals, and her accomplishments. She is a teenager, she is a student - she is a Girl Scout. In a world of media and children growing up too fast, her peers belittle her. But why? Because she cares for the public? Because she knows the skills that will help her to be successful? Why, I wonder, in today’s world of negativity and angst, is this young woman who encourages those around her, and upholds her personal values and confidence denounced?

She is honest, fair, and compassionate, and she lives her life helping others. Yet, I must still wonder why, if she were to step into her middle-school classroom in her uniform, she would be ridiculed. She would be teased. Why? Well, everyone knows that Girl Scouts are not “cool”. After all, why would anyone want to be helpful? Why would they volunteer in the community? Why on earth would anyone want to better themselves with the skills to be confident and successful? Do you ever wonder why it is that Girl Scouting is so belittled in the eyes of pre-teen adolescents? Is it the uniform? Is it the time and effort that a young girl puts into her troop? Or could it be the traditional values that are so quickly fading from the media and hype of the ever-changing American society? I wonder why it is that it is acceptable for a family to turn on the television, Thursday evening, Eight o’clock, FOX, and watch “The OC” as a lesbian couple shares an intimate moment on the beach. Why it is acceptable for a family to turn on the television, six O’clock, FOX, and watch “The Simpsons” to see a family sitting at the dinner table using language that most would find intolerable, even in a movie. Why can a young child go to a local electronics store video game aisle and take a look at “Grand Theft Auto”, in which a driver picks up a prostitute, uses a few choice words, and then shoots a passer-by. So what? Adolescents today are viewing more provocative material than teens of the ‘80s and ‘90s. But why? Perhaps the value change could account for the nearly 32% decrease in scouting enrollment in some areas. I wonder why young females, mostly of adolescent age, are missing out on their potential, and denying themselves the opportunities that Girl Scouting offers. More often than not, girls are enrolled in scouting until they reach middle school. Aaahh - middle school, a time of peer pressure, heavier schoolwork, puberty, and more freedom.   I wonder how media and propaganda have managed to take over the scene of today’s youth and denounce the traditional American values that Girl Scouting represents. 

Through her badge work, she learns about healthy habits, exercise, and sports of different countries. But all too often, I catch myself wondering why a Girl Scout’s work is shadowed by a fellow classmate’s performance under the lights of a football field. Parents, teachers, and other adults that should be encouraging her service and praising her accomplishments are far more mystified by their hotshot seventh grade star than their Girl Scout.

The adult volunteer pool is lacking in America, as parents simply become “too busy” with work and entertainment. Usually, a Girl Scout troop relies on one or two parents who take charge. It has become increasingly difficult to turn out parents who are willing to sacrifice the time and effort to better the lives of their daughters and their neighbors’ daughters. Where does that leave the girls? I wonder how the youth of today will become the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow, if they do not have anyone to support and encourage their work. Parents are becoming too obsessed with sports and work to realize that their daughters, “the future of this country“ are missing out on great opportunities to succeed simply because there is no one to support them.

I wonder why values, volunteering, and encouragement are slowly moving out of the social scene and being replaced with provocative and misleading focuses. Society is changing its values, and focusing on the media and excitement of sports. Parents are losing track of time and denying their children the encouragement and praise they deserve. Have you taken the time to wonder why? Parents, volunteers, and support from the public are all necessary for America’s youth to succeed. Perhaps the next time you see a proud Girl Scout wearing her uniform, you will wonder why she is; you’ll flash her a smile and congratulate her for being independent, for setting goals, for upholding her personal values, and for standing up against her classmates who so easily ridicule her service and appreciation for community and family; and perhaps that is when you will stop wondering why she is a Girl Scout, and you’ll simply congratulate her for being so.