Setting Straight Recent Girl Scouts Rumors

If what you're hearing or reading from some media news outlets or on the Internet about Girl Scouts promoting Planned Parenthood makes you want to toss your cookies, please wait.

For the record, “the Girl Scout organization does not take a position on abortion or birth control and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program or our materials,” Diane Tipton, president of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, wrote in a Jan. 22 post on the GSCNC CapiTalk blog.

“We believe these matters are best discussed by girls with their families. Girl Scouts of the USA and the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood.

“We do not distribute or allow Planned Parenthood to distribute materials at our meetings. And, contrary to rumors, we do not make donations to this group. The fact is that as a charitable organization we do not make donations to any other organization. Please visit our Annual Report, the money raised by corporations, grants, government agencies and SHARE contributors, supports our girls, volunteers, programs and camps.”

Some have tried to use Girl Scout of the USA's membership in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts as proof of an affiliation with Planned Parenthood, but in her blog post,  Tipton points out that the WAGGGS program is “separate from our Girl Scout program and your Girl Scout membership dues and cookie sales proceeds do not support WAGGGS.”

Furthermore, “all dues collected from Girl Scout members are used to pay for services directly delivered to Girl Scouts in the USA and girls involved in USA Girl Scouts Overseas, our program for American families living abroad. 100 percent of the proceeds from the cookie sale stay in our Council to provide opportunities for all the girls we serve.”

You can read the president's complete message  here.

Here is what Girl Scouts have supported since 1912, when the group was founded: “developing girls’ confidence and inspiring leadership — all in a wholesome environment. Girls discover their potential, have the opportunity to learn by doing, earn awards and recognitions, while gaining important leadership experiences.”

Here in Herndon and Reston, local Girl Scouts have their own history of acquiring leadership skills while serving the community at the same time.

Girls from kindergarteners to seniors in high school have sewn fleece blankets for the homeless, planned menus and served meals at local community centers with underserved populations, held blanket drives for Reston Interfaith's Embry Rucker shelter, created a resource booklet for low-income families, created programs at the Nature House in Reston, – and much, much more. Sometimes their families use their own funds to pay for these projects, but many troops and girls opt to put aside some of their cookie money toward community service.

In addition, many Herndon and Reston troops participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Gift of Caring program and choose a recipient to whom customers can donate boxes of cookies. Recipients of these donated boxes have included local fire and police stations; U.S. service members overseas; wounded soldiers and their families at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, among many others; the USO Lounge at Dulles Airport; the Orphan Foundation, now known as Foster Care to Success; and many more.

We thank you for your continued support of our girls and their efforts to serve our local, regional, national and global communities!