Can your child be in scouts and not go on the trips ?

Question

I know my fears are inappropriate and well I am a long way from this because my daughter is to young to even know what girl scouts is much less ask to be in it. With that said I don't want my daughter going off to camp especially really young. As a teen or pre teen maybe. I am afraid of child molesters and what not in the groups. I know the chances are low but there is still a chance. I want to know if and when the time comes can she join but not go on the weekend trips. Also are dads aloud to go or just moms

Answer 1

I'm a Girl Scout leader for my 3 oldest daughters. I have a hard time not being in control, so I figured my best option would be to be their GS leader. That said, there is always an option for parents to chaperone all field trips and camping trips we go on. There are background checks for all adults who want to be involved with the troup. When we went camping, most of the moms of the girls in my troop chose to go, a lot are just like me and not willing to take any chances.. that basically meant that each family had a tent and there were no random adults with girls. Fathers are welcome to join scouting with their girls, but we only have 1 father out of 41 girls in my troop and he only goes on day trips with us, not camping trips, although he'd be more than welcome to go camping with us, we'd just segregate the campsite a little bit.

Answer 2

I have a brownie troop of 12 girl scouts they are 7&8 year old. We have meetings twice a month. we do field trips to the zoo, bowling skating, parades, magic house etc. We try to go camping once a year. This is a mother daughter campout because the girls are so young. Some girls opt out on the camping either becasuse mom doesn't like to camp or they have other plans.
Sure your daughter can be a girl scout and not go camping. Camping is part of the fun though. In our council they have background checks on all the leaders and coleaders.
Men are allowed to go troop camping but, they must stay in there own tent and use a mens bathroom.
Your daughter can't join girl scouts until she is in kindergarden then she can be a Daisy girl scout at age 5.
You should become a leader then you wouldn't have to worry about other takeing her camping you could go camping too;-)

Answer 3

Girls scouts is usually all females, at least when i was in girl scouts.
If she can't go on all the trips she will miss out on alot of the whole experience and more than likely will not be able to complete some parts of girls scouts as many things are done on the camp outs.
my advice is become the scout leader for your daughter age group there for she can always be under close watch and you will be around to enjoy the many things she will learn and will be able to help other young girls who's mother are not able to be there.

Answer 4

My grandson is in Cubs and was also a Beaver I think he has been in the Scout org. for about 4 years..When the kids are younger, I believe one parent had to accompany the child for the weekend or overnight trips.My son-in-law is now a Cub leader and you need a criminal background check and I think it is standard for any volunteer work anymore.Your concerns are valid although the risks are small ( I know no amount of risk should be there).I think when the time comes you should talk to the leaders and get a feel for them.I'm sure they will be happy to clear up any concerns you may have.Scouts and Guides are wonderful clubs for young people and it would be a shame to bypass it through fear.I think that with the media attention on such matters groups affiliated with children try their best to provide a safe environment.Nothing in life is 100% safe unless you live in a vacuum.Take care

Answer 5

My oldest (9) is a girlscout and she does not attend any activities without me. It has never been an issue, except one time, they planned a camping trip at one of the girlscout campgrounds and they only allow the troop leader and 1 other adult certified in first aid to go. So, she did not go but they were very understanding and said she could attend all the activities during the day. As far as men being involved in Girlscouts- yes they are permitted but I have not seen any. I only saw one at a Girlscout recruitment fair being held. I completely agree with you and do not think your fears are inappropriate because all one needs to do is turn on the news or read the newspaper and see that it is an epidemic (child molestation). I don't think you will have any trouble joining a troop.

Answer 6

My daughter's a BOY scout, and it still really isn't an issue - the few girls in the troop always share tents and nobody sleeps alone, there's no way any girl (or, indeed, any boy) would ever be alone with any adult.

In short, this isn't something you are alone in worrying about. The groups are all well aware of it too, and the entire setup is designed to ensure that no adult has any opportunities to get a child on their own. I wouldn't let my daughter go to any group where this was not the case. As it is, she's one of five girls in the troop, and I'm happy that she's as safe with them as she is with me.

Answer 7

You can do scouts any way you want. The absolute best solution to your concerns would be to be the leader yourself. And, leaders can be men or women, although, traditionally, for girl scouts -and- cub scouts, the leaders are more often women than men. Once you get up to boy scouts, the leaders tend towards being men, but even then, it's really up to the group to decide and, I think, anyone willing to volunteer & do the things that help the kids be involved in scouting, is welcome.

Answer 8

Parents are encouraged to go on the trips
so you should go if you are concerned. I don't have any
experience with Girl Scouts but I have two sons ages nine and six who are in Cub Scouts and family is a big thing
in Cub Scouts the family is involved in all the trips and activities (parents and siblings). In my son's Pack usually
all the parents go on the trips and camping trips.

Answer 9

Girl scouts are for girls/women only.

On all the trips I ever went on, there weren't any dads. Just moms.

The only time we ever came across a male, was when we were touring something and the guide happened to be a man.

A way to circumvent this whole situation is to be her girl scout troop leader.

You will be the one going on all the trips, because you organized them!

I wouldn't worry about "child molesters" because honestly, there are so many women around, men typically stay very very very far away!

Answer 10

*sigh*

Ok, PLEASE don't put your daughter in a program and then nit-pick about what she is and isn't allowed to do.

My mother did that to me and it was HORRIBLE. Frankly, I would have prefered to NOT bein the program than have mom censor everything.

Your child runs as much of a risk of being hurt/molested at a 1 hour troop meeting as she does from going away. So put it in perspective.

You can't control her every momment of life- you can only help her have the best life possible. Let her live, let her enjoy her life w/o worrying about things you can't control.