I didn't. As a child, I was envious of the classmates that wore their Girl Scout uniforms on days they would have meetings. It never occurred to me to ask my parents about how I could join.

Years later, I did become a leader and for both my DD's. Both troops received the Silver Award and my two DD's both received the Gold.

I was a Brownie, then Girl Scout and never quite "got" it. Nothing about it that I enjoyed. Hated having to sell cookies, but the one positive thing I can say about it was I learned how to make change. Can't tell you how many clueless clerks I have taught to count change in the same way.

I was in a Church youth group for two years between the ages of 13&15. I enjoyed it. We didn't really do anything other than sit around talking and sharing a snack. I have tried getting my daughter in a Church group and although there's a lot of Churches in my town there's no groups. At least none I've found.

Yes, Girl Scouts and I really enjoyed it and the comradery.

Girl Scouts and the Campfire girls.

We did not have Girl Scouts in my small town, but we did have a youth group of the two combined churches. It was fun, had a lesson, refreshments and once a month, we went to nearly town to roller skate.

Not when I was a youth. But many years later I was a Girl Scout Leader.

Yes! Brownies and then Girl Scouts. I still have my old badge sash. Loved camping out with my friends and going to the camp in he summer.

When I was in high school we had we had a couple of youth groups. One at church on Sunday nights. The other churches had them too, and being from a small town, it wasn’t unusual for us to visit back and forth between each other’s groups. We also had a couple of groups that met at school. One was called Tri-Hi-Y. It was a Christian-based group for girls iirc. We did service projects in town. All this kept us out of trouble I guess.

Camp Fire Girls and Young Life.

A church group that my best friend's mom was a leader. We sang, had a lesson from the bible, worked on projects and had a mother, daughter banquet every year. Sometimes there would be a convention with many different churches and that was always fun. Many lasting friendships were made.

Briefly in a church group called GA. It wasn't very active....although I had fun when I did go....didn't do anything special that I recall. Just some girls I went to school with. My mother used to make me go to Vacation Bible School. I hated that. I was happy to spend my summers reading and riding my horse. The other group met at night, so no conflict with my other interests.

Yes,a bible youth group and girl guides.

My own kids attended the local bible camp when they were younger,and now,their kids,my grands, are coming here to my place for a cpl of weeks in July for the same bible camp.

Girl Scouts, then as a teen Civil Air Patrol. Later I was a Brownie Leader for my DD.

I gave Boy Scouts a try when I started middle school, as a way to meet new kids. I found the boys who were attracted to Scouting weren't ones I had a lot in common with. I think I lasted about 6 months. Our kids weren't into these groups either, they wanted to do sports of all kinds and that kept them busy enough. Or maybe I somehow dissuaded them based on my own experience, I don't know.

Church youth groups weren't particularly numerous or popular where I grew up as I can recall. Same where I live now, except for those in families who are VERY religious. We weren't (and still aren't) and my friends at the time didn't seem to be either.

There were no Girl Scout, Brownie, or Campfire Girl groups around when I was a kid. I really would have liked to be a Girl Scout. I did belong to 4H, which I loved! Loved the meetings, learning about our animals, learning to bake. Also loved showing our projects and animals at the county fair.

Growing up on a farm, my summers were always busy, lots of chores in addition to the 4H projects. I loved to read, too (still do!), and frustrated my mother to no end. She fussed at me because every spare moment, I always had my nose stuck in a book (her words). :^)

Oh, and I did go to Vacation Bible School, too. And yes, I loved it. I especially remember the Flannelgraph storyboards that the teachers used to tell Bible stories, so neat! That was for the younger classes. I often wonder if VBS teachers use things like that now a days, or what VBS is like now, it was so many years ago that I went. . . . . . .

Rusty

ETA, I was a Cub Scout den mother when my boys were Cub Scout ages. Those were quite the experiences! And fun, too.

I belonged to a youth church group. Our leader was a young school teacher and she always had fun things planned. Several times in the winter we would go to Grayling on the other side of the state for tobogganing. We would spend the weekend with other church families. In the summer we played baseball alot with the girls against the boys. That was always fun!! When we played other churches we all played together. I remember VBS .

Just remembered that we used to play against the boys club from a nearby town that had a summer camp at one of our lake's. After the game , probably in the evening , we went out to their club and they had square dancing. That was a lot of fun also and you got to meet different boys. :)

I was a brownie and girl scout. And went to camp, both overnight and day camp. I remember whittling at girl scout day camp and cutting my finger - I think it's the only time I've ever fainted. ;0)

Outside Playing: I still have my badge sash too.

I went to meetings in junior high for the community church that I don't recall as very active. A halloween party and bobbing for apples once - by that age I wasn't too excited about being at a co-ed party and sticking my head in a wash tub of water in front of boys.

In high school I belonged to a group called Sub Debs. It was a 'step below' a similar group the girls with more money participated in. I don't remember the group doing a lot, monthly meetings and a pepsi party or two. We had a coat drive to collect coats for grade school children, I do remember working on that.

Brownies, Girl Scouts, and Luther league.

I was a Bluebird and a Campfire Girl. As an adult I was a co- leader in DD's Brownie troop. DH and I were Cubscout pack leaders. Wore a whole bunch of different hats. DH even took on a den of Webelos who didn't have a den as well as being Packmaster.

Our kids were in YMCA Indian Princesses and Guides with DH. Again he was highly involved. He also pitched in when DD's Junior troop was working on a project his mechanical/building skills were useful for. DS didn't like Boy Scouts after Cubs and DD lost interest in Girl Scouts after around a year of Cadettes.

It saddens me to see what has become of these programs. Especially Girl Scouts. They took all the fun out of it IMO. DD was going to put DGD in Daisies and backed out at the last minute when she started to see what the program became. She is thinking of introducing her to 4H instead this year. If DGD wants to join Brownies she can but only if she asks. Not going there intentionally.

Son-in-law was looking forward to doing Indian Guides/Princesses with the grandkids. Sad they had to end it. DD especially has fond memories of those days.

I participated in Bluebirds (Campfire), 4-H, and Girl Scouts. In my small town, we joined whatever group a couple of moms had the interest and energy to start. I think the Girl Scout group lasted the longest, but the Bluebird experience had the biggest impact on my life because I finished my first sewing project so that I would have a blue skirt to wear to meetings. That led to a lifelong sewing obsession.

Yes, Brownie and Girl Scouts. Quit in 5th grade, it was boring. As a freshman, Youth for Christ came into our area, and It was fun, sent a positive message, and I met many new friends. Then went to YFC camp in Colorado for 4 summers. It was a blast.

Yes, both. In various groups as we moved around and have been a leader too. DH was in 4H, that hasn't been mentioned yet I do not think. What I found in the 80s when I was attempting to be a Brownie leader--young girls are very busy, over scheduled and have little time for such groups anymore. From what I see in my students, that hasn't changed. Sports rules. It is unfortunate because as dragonflywings pointed out many skills, hobbies LIFE LONG loves are discovered and explored in these groups. They would last beyond high school.

Boy Scouts. I learned swimming and boating while in Boy Scouts. I'm at home in a canoe or kayak.

Little League baseball. I played from age 6 to 13 for Little League and 14-16 in high school.

Watchme, what I liked about being a leader in Girl Scouts was the flexibility of choices. The books were easy to follow and you also had the freedom to adapt and be creative as well. Not sure what is happening now.

After being a social worker with young teens and having to come up with ideas from scratch, a guidebook certainly appealed to me and made things easy!

I volunteered for many of the GS roles in my community. I also helped train new leaders.

IMHO the success is all up to the leader. Not everyone is able to both facilitate the group and understand what will work and not work with your group of girls. It is definitely a skill set.

Elmer, in my town Girls Scouts, were more popular than Boy Scouts. Back then, again don't know about current times, BS was more rigid in how they did things. By middle school, when you tried to join, most likely the troop was winding down and members were moving on to other things.

Arcy, I agree. if you want something to work, you have to be able to adapt. From middle school forward, we met at night and in my home. Scouts did not conflict with sports, drama, etc.

My biggest success story was when I was asked by the athletic director of the elementary school if I could change my scout meeting day. It seemed the 15 girls in my troop impacted the numbers they needed fora special sports program that they were trying to implement. The girls had a chose, and they chose GS. Being the team player that I am, yes I changed the day.

I was a member of a Boy Scout troop that was run by the husband of a high-school teacher, who was a professional photographer. The group was primarily interested in camping and was affiliated with Boy Scouts primarily so that we could use their campgrounds, and didn't participate in any of the rest of the traditions of Boy Scouts. For instance I cannot recall a single member earning a merit badge, and instead of the usual uniform color, our group decided on black uniforms (because we would look cooler) At some point though the entire troop was expelled from the Boy Scouts, and group continued from some time as an unaffiliated activity group after that.

Brownies, Girl Scouts, until 14-15 when I thought I was too cool and sophisticated for that. Funny thing is, after so many years have rolled by, I vividly remember the GS trips/activities; much more vividly than whatever sophisticated stuff I was doing at 14 (applying mascara???)

I was a Brownie and then in Girl Scouts until middle school (called junior high back in those days) when we moved to another town. I enjoyed it. The same group of girls for both that we had grown up with since kindergarten!! And even had a couple of 'reunions' after high school!!

Like morz8, I did both day camp and overnight camp and our troop also had a couple of camping trips (I remember my parents coming, as my mom was the only one that had taken first aid and CPR classes. If you knew my parents, you would be astounded that they would actually "camp out". LOL!!)

I liked selling the cookies......I remember filling my wagon with boxes and visiting the entire neighborhood. Only one flavor back in those days..... a melt in your mouth shortbread that the current cookies do not even come close to!! I earned a bunch of badges as well.

I was also a part of a coed church group when in high school, however it was more of a social gathering rather than a religious focus. We met once a week for dinner, had the occasional dance or mixer and did some community service projects. I think it was intended to keep teens off the streets and out of mischief :-) And it worked!

Girl Scouts, 4-H, church group and Rainbow Girls. Loved them all.

I was a Bluebird, Camp Fire Girl, and member of a youth group at our community church. My first 'date' was when a boy from the Episcopal church invited me on a hayride with his youth group. The Methodist church in our town also had an active youth group.

I know I've said in other posts that I didn't know many Catholics when I was growing up in a suburb of Chicago. No Baptists, no Jews. The country club was 'selective'. At the same time, DH was raised Catholic, and he was prohibited from wearing his Boy Scout uniform in his church. (Another world, eh?)

My neighbor and I went away to a Camp Fire camp for two weeks when we were about 10. No cabins -- tents on wooden platforms. Privies. Bathe in the lake. My more pampered friend spent all her time writing letters home, begging her father to rescue her. Four years later our mothers took us to Europe. We met in various places over the summer and sailed back to NYC on the same ship.

I was a Campfire girl for much of my childhood but don't really have fond memories of the experiences. My mom decided I should go to camp at 7, which I wasn't ready for. A barely knew one girl and I was the most miserable I've ever been in my life, crying every day. Mom told me years later that she felt badly not to realize it wasn't the best idea for this tender soul.

I came to exchange emails with TrinityTexas (not sure that was her correct gw name,) because we both grew up in Portland and loved, loved Campfire Girls mints, which we had to sell; they were made by a chocolate company in Portland that had the best chocolate I'd ever had. I still miss that girl and her kind words!

I belonged to a church youth group in my early to mid teens. We went to church camp for a week every summer. It is hard to believe now how we earned money so everybody could go.

We sold fresh cooked peanuts every Saturday as our fund raiser. These were raw shelled peanuts, bought by the 25 pound box. On Saturday mornings we gathered at my house where my Mom supervised the operation. We boiled the nuts in oil, then drained and salted them. Some orders wanted 'extra dark', some unsalted or lightly salted. Then we weighed and bagged them according to the orders we needed to fill. We delivered most of the orders, but some orders were picked up. We bagged extra to sell on the street corner. Small town, there was only one street corner to sell on, but we did very well. Of course this was a pretty messy operation. Everybody pitched in to clean up Mom's kitchen before going home. I can't imagine kids being involved in that kind of operation today. Probably laws against it.

I loved 4H and have great memories of my time in it. I loved raising and showing sheep, cooking and sewing.

My mother was the Leader of our local Girl Scout group, so of course I was a member of the brownies and Girl Scouts. When I had children I was the den mother to the boy scouts which my son was a member. Also, a Brownies and Girl Scout leader which my girls were a member. It is more work than you can imagine. It is like a full time job and overtime, with no pay and very little thanks.
What use to annoy me the most was when mothers would drop their children off as if I was the town babysitter and then when it was time for the kids to go home "no show" mammy would never come to pick up their child. It was left to good ol' me to take them home. Our group would let out at 7:00 pm. and sometimes it would be 11:00 pm. before I got home with my own children who were in the group that I had. I had to go home, get my children ready for bed, and then get myself ready for bed. Get up the next morning at 5:00 a.m. to get kids and me off for the day. I really felt bad for those kids that were from families who did not care about them. I often wonder how they are doing now that they are all grown up. I hope they are doing well, and maybe, just maybe I made a difference in their life. I sure tried.

Wonderful stories, everyone. Well, sorry thistle about the kids whose parents failed to pick them up on time. Sends a sad message to the kids.

I think these groups do so much to enhance children's growing-up years meeting other children often not from school, new experiences which they might not otherwise have. And if the leadership is good, all the better!

Forgot to say that DH coached and assisted when our DS played Little League. (I was the woman with the big, bulky video recorder.) Darling boys -- and most of the parents were OK, too! Two of 'our boys' have died as young men. One had hemophelia and devloped AIDS from transfusions. One had a stroke. We had one tense perfectionist who had an *ulcer* at age ten! Our DS has gone on to coach or assist with his own DS's teams. (NO 'traveling teams' for our kids, thanks anyway.)

I ended up being one of those kids after my dad died. My mom went to work and couldn't leave to pick me up after piano lessons. I would wait in the teacher's den and watch the afternoon movie until Mom got off from work. I always had friends parents that gave me rides for everything else. I realize now how lucky I was, we lived on a farm in the country! Not really convenient for those parents. Thank goodness I got a Hardship drivers license when I was 14!

As a child, I did not belong to any group since there were none. I was in an isolated farming community and there were a total of 5 occupied houses in the section of land in which we lived. The income was low and the population density too low to support much of a group. When we were not in school, we worked on farms. Community activities centered around churches and schools. When I entered high school, through the urging and encouragement of the music teacher, I became a member of the school band.

Much later in life when my 2 boys were growing up, I was the Advancement Chairman to a local Boy Scout Troop. My boys soon dropped out since they did not form any friendships and had other interests. I stayed on for 15 years and I, with other leaders, had the privilege of shepherding 10 boys through their Eagle Scout projects. Only 5% of Boy Scouts complete the Eagle Scout requirements before they either age out or drop out. Boys are dismissed from Scout Troops at age 18 although they can take up other activities in the Scout organization.

Brownies and Girl Scouts, but the troops weren’t good.

I'm a big fan of Eagle Scouts. I know what it takes. Good for you Jem.

Yes Jem...you helped a lot of boys. And even tho yours dropped out they may have benefited from what they did with the troop.

I was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout for a couple of years. Didn’t like all that badge stuff and dropped out. Was in a church youth group also for a couple of years - also boring.

I was very surprised that SIL had little interest in Cub Scouts with DGS1 as he was an Eagle Scout,

I was a Girl Scout for a few years.

I was a Rainbow Girl till I was 18. It was my favorite. We had Balls and wore lovely gowns. Taught you a lot about grace and respect. We also worked for our community. Worked with the elderly, and handicapped a lot. Fond memories.