The Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood

Mariellen Rechtin and her daughter Marta had great experiences as a Girl Scout troop leader and scout. But that experience changed after Mariellen began learning of the Girl Scouts of America’s involvement with the UN Population Fund and their connections to Planned Parenthood. The feminist and liberal direction that the Girl Scouts curriculum had taken was concerning to Mariellen and several other parents. She voiced her concerns to the Girl Scout council but was ignored and asked to resign as a troop leader. As a result, Mariellen and her daughter left girl scouts.

Two other Girl Scout mothers, Kate Hein and Mary Meyer, became concerned about the Girl Scouts new direction and ties to Planned Parenthood. They too pulled their daughters out of scouts and began searching for more family-friendly alternatives. Their daughters are now enrolled in American Heritage Girls and Little Flowers. Little Flowers is a parent-led group that mainly consists of families who left Girl Scouts. The curriculum focuses on learning about virtues, doing crafts, family activities and service projects.

Patti Garibay founded American Heritage Girls in 1995 as an alternative scout group that placed more emphasis on faith and family values. Today there are over 14,000 girls involved in AHG. This growth is a testament to family desires for Christ- and family-centered guidance for young girls.

Before getting involved in Girl Scouts or another organization, parents need to be sure the values of the group are in line with what they want their girls to be. These organizations will greatly impact the women they eventually become.