Cyclist Merit Badge-Girl Scouts 1920

Wow, Girl Scouts has changed a lot since I was a kid. well yeah that was a loong time ago

Moms/Aunts, is it something your girls do anymore?

The only time I see Girl Scouts nowadays is when I fall prey to the insiduous lure of cookies and mixed nuts. :cool:

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Are you sure that that "Rolling Along" badge isn't for cycling??? It has pictures of bicycles, after all (and no other wheeled vehicles).

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Since I couldn't find the exact requirements, I was basing things on the Google on-line book "Bicycling with Children: A Complete How-To Guide". It has

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The GSA does not have a badge or patch specifically for bicycling.

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It then lists the badges that it can be made part of, including "Rolling Along"

This thread has reminded me of the Dar Williams song "When I Was a Boy" (think that's the title). I too have observed what seem like gender differences in very young children, but as a kid, I was much more boyish than some of the neighbor boys, and some of them were more girlish than I. But even that statement assumes a certain pre-existing "boyishness" and "girlishness" that I don't know are completely justified. I don't have a clue about this, really--but I do like the song. :)

I won't forget when Peter Pan
Came to my house took my hand
I said I was a boy
I'm glad he didn't check

I learned to fly, I learned to fight
I lived a whole life in one night
We saved each other's lives out on the pirate deck

And I remember that night when
I'm leaving a late night with some friends
And I hear somebody tell me its not safe, someone should help me
I need to find a nice man to walk me home.

When I was a boy, I scared the pants off of my mom,
Climbed what I could climb upon
And I don't know how I survived,
I guess I knew the tricks that all boys knew.
And you can walk me home, but I was a boy, too.

Campfire USA and Spiral Scouts do not separate by gender. Older ages of Boy Scouts include girls. I don't know anything about Girl Scouts.

Karen

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Originally Posted by Thorn

From a historical perspective, this thread is interesting; from a currernt social perspective I find this thread disturbing. Within the US, scouting segregates by gender and discriminates (to the point of exclusion) by religion and sexual orientation.

I did a google search and discovered that there is apparently no equivalent cycling merit badge for girl scouts today. There was greater parity at the turn of the last century than today?

Not to pose a hundred rhetorical questions, but this just blows me away. Why don't we raise kids (generic term)? Why do we have "boy scouts" and "girl scouts"? Why are there two "Daring Book for..." books, one for each gender? We've come so far, yet have we?

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

boy isn't that the truth! raising kids is like herding cats...
and i know about herding cats from PERSONAL experience.

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They grow up in spite of us!

Hey, I've been teaching my 14 yo son how to crochet his last week!

Karen

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Originally Posted by Thorn

Since I couldn't find the exact requirements, I was basing things on the Google on-line book "Bicycling with Children: A Complete How-To Guide". It has

It then lists the badges that it can be made part of, including "Rolling Along"

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In defense of the people who write these things, there is a tendency to make the activities required for a badge/patch/bead as wide-open and welcoming so as to appeal to as many interests as possible. If they were too narrow, so many kids would just balk. Making the categories broad allows more custom tailored things fit inside. This is good for all the kids.

Karen