In My Spare Time

As if I don't have enough to do, I'm re-upping with the Girl Scouts. I loved my 7 years of Scouting as a kid, and my 3 years as a Scout professional. Now I'm playing with the Green Hat Society and getting ready to become a trainer again.

I sort of have some concerns about where Girl Scouting is headed. There is no emphasis on "troop team building" which could be a good thing for some girls, but I think we're missing a huge opportunity for most girls. I've always said that we might accidentally put ourselves out of business by teaching girls that they CAN be doctors, lawyers, rangers, pipe fitters, journalists, and astronauts, among many other things. And now that women are, they don't have time to be Scout leaders. Drat!!

So that begs the question why do Dads have time to be Cub and Boy Scout leaders and Moms don't have time to be Girl Scout Leaders? Studies show that even though women are working the same numbers of hours as men, they are still doing most of the housework. Trust me, it's hard work running a household. And it's work for which we do not get paid, nor can we count it towards our retirement benefits. Did I mention that it's WORK?

So, my gentle men friends, pitch in! Do the dishes without being asked! (By the by, 'doing the dishes' also means clean the kitchen up.) Do the laundry! (My Dad always did the laundry. It reached the point that he wouldn't let my Mom because he didn't like the way she folded stuff. My parents were soooooo cool.) Yeah, yeah, I hear ya whining that you do the mowing and shoveling of snow, but that ain't nuthin' compared to the daily needs of a household. Grab that broom, bro! Come on--the young women of this county need for you to pick up the slack. They need time outside just as much as boys do. They need to learn what it means to be decent, hardworking, giving young ladies. They need the support the Elder Aunties of the Tribe have for them and they need the time it takes to learn the lessons.

The Boy Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary even as we speak. The Girl Scouts will celebrate our centennial in 2012. Expect this Scout to be there every fun filled step of the way.