From the Desk of Diane Tipton
President, Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital
Girl Scouts: What We Stand For
We are aware of ongoing campaigns to discredit the reputation of Girl Scouts and distract us from our mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character. Misinformation is passing as fact, and therefore, as the President of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, I think it is important to share with you the truth of where we stand on several sensitive issues.
The Girl Scout organization does not take a position on abortion or birth control and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program or our materials. We believe these matters are best discussed by girls with their families. Girl Scouts of the USA and the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood. We do not distribute or allow Planned Parenthood to distribute materials at our meetings. And, contrary to rumors, we do not make donations to this group. The fact is that as a charitable organization we do not make donations to any other organization. Please visit our Annual Report to see the money raised by corporations, grants, government agencies and SHARE contributors, supports our girls, volunteers, programs and camps.
Girl Scouts of the USA is one of the 145 Member Organizations of WAGGGS, which promotes mutual understanding and cross-cultural opportunities for girls around the world. There is value for Girl Scouts of the USA being a part of this global initiative for girls. However, the WAGGGS program is separate from our Girl Scout program, and your Girl Scout membership dues and cookie sales proceeds do not support WAGGGS. All dues collected from Girl Scout members are used to pay for services directly delivered to Girl Scouts in the USA and girls involved in USA Girl Scouts Overseas, our program for American families living abroad. 100 percent of the proceeds from the cookie sale stay in our Council to provide opportunities for all the girls we serve.
Our Council has not dealt with requests from families of transgender youth. Our focus remains on girls in kindergarten through 12th grade where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, and with the support of dedicated volunteers and parents, Girl Scouts gain the opportunity to test and build their potential as leaders. We continue to inspire girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism and service so that they may become happy and resourceful citizens.
Girl Scouts is the largest organization dedicated to serving all girls with over three million members nationwide and nearly 90,000 members here in the Greater Washington Region. Since 1912, we have a proud history of developing girls’ confidence and inspiring leadership—all in a wholesome environment. Girls discover their potential, have the opportunity to learn by doing, earn awards and recognitions, while gaining important leadership experiences.
We think that the best way to evaluate the Girl Scout program is not by hearsay, but by becoming an active part of our organization. We rely on committed volunteers; moms, dads and caring adults like you, who recognize the significance of girls’ leadership, friendships and future. We welcome you to join Girl Scouts, volunteer and stay involved in building girls of courage, confidence and character.
Thank you,
Diane Tipton
President, Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital
For additional information, please read the Girl Scouts of the USA FAQ page.
Thank you for your interest. The comment period on this blog is closed. If you have questions or comments please email: gstruth@gscnc.org. Thank you.
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