Girl Scouts Why Not
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Your local Girl Scout troop is associated with WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) through “World Thinking Day,” celebrated February 22nd every year.  
Girl Scout troops provide financial support to WAGGGS through their annual membership dues, the annual Juliette Low Fund, and the annual Thinking Day Fund (details below).

This relationship between WAGGGS and the local Girl Scout council troops is disconcerting because WAGGGS promotes a campaign for “sexual and reproductive health services,” including “emergency contraception in order to avoid unintended pregnancies” and “accessible, affordable abortions.”  WAGGGS promotions of accessible abortions can be found on the WAGGGS website.  
The WAGGGS delegation for the Commission on the Status of Women advocates the following for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world:   “We demand access to comprehensive sexuality information, services and supplies for all all young people. We need it today - and today needed to be yesterday.”

The young people from more than 20 countries and every continent collectively demand their sexual and reproductive rights:

  • All young people must have access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and emergency contraception, in order to avoid unintended pregnancies.

  • Accessible, affordable and safe abortions should be made part of the minimum packages of sexual and reproductive health services.

  • All young people should have access to psycho-social health services for prevention of gender-based violence and violence against women.

The cohort of young people believe that decision makers attending the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women need to listen to the needs and demands of young people and promote their human rights including sexual and reproductive rights to ensure the health and well being of women, young people and all people worldwide.” 

We pray that you take the time to review the following connection of your local Girl Scout troop all the way to WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts). 

First, let’s review this through the celebration of “World Thinking Day” starting with the local Girl Scouts.
Every girl scout in each local troop celebrates “World Thinking Day” on February 22nd each year.  Girl Guide and Girl Scout troops all over the world participate in activities to honor their sister Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries.  The following is from the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Volunteer Zone page under "Girl Scouts around the globe” heading:  

  • World Thinking Day 2011: girls worldwide say…

  • GSUSA World Thinking Day 2011 Patch

  • Global Action Patch

  • WTD “Focus” Countries

  • WAGGGS World Thinking Day 2011 Patch

  • Girl Scout Program Links to World Thinking Day

  • World Thinking Day On the Air (TDOTA)

  • Centenary Celebration Day: April 10
1.  The following is from the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Volunteer Zone page: Now scroll down to the section heading “World Thinking Day 2011 Patch”, which states: "Each year on February 22, World Thinking Day, Girl Scouts in the USA participate in activities, games, and projects with global themes to honor their Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries … You can download the 2011 World Thinking Day patch requirements for each grade level.

2.  The following is from the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Volunteer Zone page: Now scroll down to the section heading “Global Action Patch”, which states: "The Girl Scouts Global Action Patch, developed in partnership with WAGGGS, is an exciting and enriching way for Girl Scout Daisies to Ambassadors to participate in realizing the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals."

3.  GSUSA also promotes the above information in #1 and #2 on their website.  Click on the following blue highlighted heading: Girl Scouts Global Action Patch The GSUSA website states, “The alliance between WAGGGS and the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals embraces WAGGGS mission …” 		4.  The following is from the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Volunteer Zone page: Now scroll down to the section heading “WAGGGS’ World Thinking Day Patch 2011,” which states, “To earn the WAGGGS’ World Thinking Day badge, you need to complete six activities including at least one fundraising activity.  (In the USA, make your contributions to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund.)”

5.  The following is from the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Volunteer Zone page: Now scroll down to the very bottom of the page to “World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts”, which states, "The World Trefoil is the unifying symbol of WAGGGS; Girl Scouts in the USA wear the World Trefoil pin above their Girl Scout pin."  For Girl Scouts to say they are not affiliated with the controversial international pro-abortion WAGGGS organization, it takes no further investigation than to look at the Girl Scout uniform.

6.  Also under the same heading as #5 (“World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) the last paragraph states, “The World Association offers girls and young women in Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting an international family, joined by common bonds of understanding, friendship, the Promise and Law and their aspirations to make the world a better place. WAGGGS provides projects and programs at an international level that enable Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to be responsible world citizens through teamwork, service and action in the community.  Discover more at www.wagggsworld.org
All Girl Scouts are encouraged to be actively involved in World Thinking Day 2011 on the local level in their very own troop as well as  nationally through GSUSA and internationally through WAGGGS.  In celebrating “World Thinking Day,” a Girl Scout is agreeing and standing for what WAGGGS is advocating on their website which is sexual and reproductive rights as quoted directly from the WAGGGS site:

    “All young people must have access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and emergency contraception, in order to avoid unintended pregnancies and accessible, affordable and safe abortions”
Next we will review the financial support of WAGGGS from local Girl Scout troops.  

Each Girl Scout in every local troop pays an annual membership fee of $12 that goes directly to GSUSA (Girl Scouts of USA); none of the membership money stays at the local troop or council level. 

1.  See the Girl Scout registration form

2.  Charity review of GSUSA from the Better Businesses Bureau issued June 2009 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, GSUSA program under the heading “Financial”: Source of Funds lists “Membership dues”: $33,214,000. In turn, GSUSA pays yearly membership dues to WAGGGS.  GSUSA has the largest membership in WAGGGS.

3.  Charity review of GSUSA from the Better Businesses Bureau issued June 2009 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, under the heading “Programs”: International services: $3,384,000.

To see how much your daughter’s $12 annual Girl Scout membership dues help financially support the pro-abortion World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) organization (tax returns are included for proof) please search our WAGGGS page.    

4.  The following is from the GSUSA website which states, “Girl Scouts of the USA supports international friendships through contributions to WAGGGS, including a donation every year from its Juliette Low Friendship Fund and Thinking Day Fund.”  Once on this website page, click on “Juliette Low World Friendship Fund". This will allow you to “Download the Most Recent JLWFF Annual Report”.  In summary, it states: each of the 106 local GS Councils and “14 USA Girl Scouts Overseas” locations make contributions to the JLWFF which is managed by GSUSA.  In turn, each year, the JLWFF contributes more than $100,000 to the World Thinking Day Fund which is managed by WAGGGS.  Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta is listed under the “Council Contributions level of $2001 – $4,999”.

 

     1)  International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) youth group advocates with WAGGGS for sexual and reproductive health (SRH). WAGGGS & IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) relationship is documented in 2 books: 

2)  Family Planning:  Meeting Challenges, Promoting Choices - The Proceedings of the IPPF Family Planning Congress,  New Delhi, October 1992.  

3  The International Law of Youth Rights (1995).  Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Abortion is a grave sin.  Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in this country.  If we knowingly contribute (through membership dues or other GS funds) to a group that partners with Planned Parenthood, aren’t we complicit in the sin of abortion?  OR … at the very least, aren’t we in some way giving our assent?  We understand the memories of Girl Scouts past and its impact on girls’ lives.  In recent history, the Girl Scout philosophies have changed dramatically … we’re not talking about a minor teaching of our Church.  It’s ABORTION!  GSUSA and WAGGGS have a long standing relationship with Planned Parenthood and International Planned Parenthood Federation.  Those organizations promote and advocate abortion and other philosophies that are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.  In other words … by your daughter being a member of Girl Scouts … you and your family are supporting GSUSA and WAGGGS’ partners like PP and therefore supporting abortion. Catholics need to give this serious thought.  It is not a simple matter of just keeping certain material out of your troop, it is about doing the right thing and teaching your family to do the same, no matter what the cost or how inconvenient it may be.