Well, I just don't think my girls are destined to participate in Girl Scouts at SMS. I was going to be a Daisy leader. I had everything ready for my first meeting and had done a lot of research and meeting planning and was excited (as well as scared!) then Bridget attended a Brownie meeting.
My main motivation in agreeing to be Daisy leader was to get Bridget into the Brownies.
"Mom, you need to call Mrs. X." That was how Bridget greeted me when I picked her up from school.
"Why?"
"About Brownies. She didn't know I was coming to Brownies today!" she smiled.
"I didn't know you were going Brownies. What made you go to Brownie?"
"Mrs. Z came to the class and asked for all the Brownie. Since you are going to be a leader I went."
She was so excited. So I went home and called Mrs X and explained why Bridget went and to find out where I needed to send registration form and money. But, Mrs X explained to me that they already had their troop formed and it was too late. She had sent me an email 2 weeks ago and I didn't respond. What email? I didn't get an email. This same thing also happened 2 years ago when we transferred to SMS. Bridget was crushed because she loved doing Daisies at her old school. Last year Joe asked the principal about scouting and he said information would go at the beginning of school. Nope. No information.
I am already well aware that I am not a member of this elite clique. I am used to that. I have always been on the outside looking in. I am shy so that position, although painful at times, is okay. Bridget, on the hand, is outgoing and loves to be involved in everything. This is not easy for her. She does not like feeling left out. No one does, but it is especially hard for an energetic 8 year old. We both cried last night when I told her there was no room for her in school's 3rd grade troop. We cried about the unfairness. We cried about not getting a chance to be a Brownie.
I finally found a couple positives. Since Brownies meet on Mondays (which I didn't know until last night) she wouldn't have been able to do baton. Now she can. Now, I don't have to scramble to fit Daisy meetings into my schedule.
I have also contacted the Girl Scouts to find a troop in our area. I know there must a troop out there that welcomes ALL girls. Maybe I'm wrong. If I am, I may petition the Girl Scouts to change their mission statement and pledges. Some troop do not seem to follow them.
And I do forgive Mrs X. I'm sure she has her reasons for excluding girls. I didn't answer the email from her that I never received (and she never followed up on). That was my fault, I guess. I dropped out of being the Daisy leader because I didn't want to sit in meetings with her every month. That would not have been enjoyable. This way, when I run into her on field trips or at church I can politely nod and be on my way. I don't have to fake a camaraderie neither of us feels.
