Dear Girl Scouts of America,

Dear Girl Scouts of America,




The big deal about the change in the Girl Scout promise has long since been forgotten by most everyone. I have been a Girl Scout Leader for six years-plus and I believe what Girl Scouts stand for. They are an asset to the community we live in, but the subtle change in the girl Scout promise has been on my mind for some time. While the actual wording of the promise remains the same, its premise does not.

I would like to quote the words of Mary Rose Main, the Girl Scout National Executive Director, that I found in my leader’s manual; “At a time when many organizations and institutions are being challenged on their membership requirements and core values, Girl Scouts must be united and consistent in voicing support for the Movements traditional, contemporary, and enduring values.” I believe the movement has done just the opposite of this comment. It has given in to the values of this world. Girl Scouts, in trying to conform to the world, accepting all religions, has allowed each girl to decide which “god” she will call on in her promise. For example if her god is Allah, she would replace the name of God with the name of Allah. I believe when Girl Scouts was founded, it began as a movement founded on the belief in the Christian God. World Book Encyclopedia says, “Girl Scouts are united by a believe in God and by the Girl Scout promise.” They were united by a belief in one God, not many gods.

What concerns me, is that in allowing this very subtle change, the Girl Scout movement has turned its back on Christianity as its model. Although Girl Scouts is non-sectarian, we had a common belief in One God, the Christian God. Now with the New Age Movement coming in to play, with their belief in the Luciferic Laws, (Satan, Lucifer is their God), what is to keep someone from this religion from replacing our Holy God’s name with the name of Lucifer? What if that person served in a leadership capacity? Or what happens when an atheist who believes in no god but herself tries to join?

Girl Scouts have opened themselves up to the world and this world has many gods. There is only One True God, the Creator of the Universe, and the Father of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I believe that every word contained in the Bible to be the infallible Word of God. I Timothy 2:5,6 states, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” I John 2:22, 23 says, “Who is a liar but whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ? That one is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father, but whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

I would like to plead with Girl Scouts of America to consider Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” If we conform to this world, accepting whatever ‘gods’ it may have, we cannot teach our girls the true meaning of their promise,



On my honor I will try

To serve God and my country

To help people at all times

And to live by the Girl scout Law





If we are going to allow a belief in many gods maybe the promise should read,





On my honor I will try

To serve my god and my country

To help people at all times

And to live by the Girl Scout Law



As it is, the promise subtly hides behind an untruth.





Sincerely,



Kimberly Hartfield

Leader Troop #17

Hattiesburg, MS



Mrs. Mary Rose Main,



I will be resigning my position as leader of troop #17 as of May 1996. It is my strong belief that I must stand up for my belief in Jesus Christ. I can no longer support Girl Scouts in my heart because of their position on this matter. I will miss my girls greatly but have explained to them how I feel and they understand that I am standing up for what I believe. I pray that God (the Father of Jesus Christ) will convict your hearts on this matter but I know now that Girl Scouts is no longer a Christian movement but a worldly organization. I will turn my energies to girls of the Christian faith and do my best to carry out the great commission to those of other faiths. I cannot be a witness to the Lord if I continue to stand behind Girl Scouts of America. I will stand up for Jesus!