There are some tough truths to swallow when we look at the unique challenges girls face. From the confidence gap and hesitancy to pursue careers in STEM, to the inequity in pay or positions of power – there are some discouraging statistics that tell us that girls have to rise above certain obstacles that boys do not and that we have a long way to go toward true equality. The light at the end of the tunnel for me is that I am a part of an organization that is invested in changing these odds and helping girls succeed and become confident and courageous leaders.
Girl Scout council – Heart of the South – decided Girl Scouts as an organization needed to be thought leaders in addressing these challenges and created the Stand Beside Her Movement. It’s a call to action to mentor, support, and develop women and girls; to end comparison and competition and create more collaboration and support for one another. This movement has grown with more and more councils participating every year, including Girl Scouts River Valleys.
National Stand Beside Her week is quickly approaching (October 25-31), and it’s a great time of the year to talk about what sisterhood and support looks like in your troops. Looking for a ideas of what to do? Here are a few ways to start the discussion with your girls:
- Participate in one of the troop activities created by Stand Beside Her.
- Take the pledge to Stand Beside Her.
- Work as a group to shoot a video and enter to win the “I Stand” Video Contest.
As a side note, all these pictures of troop meetings, new Girl Scouts doing the Girl Scout sign, and “proud new troop leader” statuses lately are getting me choked up and increasingly sentimental. Thank you for being a part of Girl Scouts and investing time with girls. I hope you are enjoying it as much as they are (if not more!).
Yours in Scouting,
–Brianna
Brianna Belmore – As a Troop Support Specialist turned Communications Specialist at River Valleys, Brianna loves connecting with volunteers and spreading the word about the awesome things happening throughout the council. In addition to being socially savvy and design inclined, she enjoys knitting, cross-stitching, and puzzling with Netflix going strong in the background. Brianna’s a self-proclaimed rooftop patio enthusiast and loves exploring the Twin Cities with friends and family.
