It was the beginning of summer when the idea began to grow. I had already had my Girl Scout new leader orientation, and I needed an internship for my Women's Leadership Certificate. My original plan was to lead a Girl Scout troop by myself, but my advisor wanted me to involve more people than that. This is how I came to start Campus Scouts at Brenau.

Campus Scouts, in my own words, is when a group of students on a college campus join together to lead a troop (or troops) of girls in an underserved area in conjunction with their local Council.

I was a Girl Scout for 12 years and I credit Girl Scouts as the first organization that molded me into the leader that I am today. As a women’s college student and avid feminist, I definitely believe in the importance of empowering girls when they are young; it gives them the confidence to question and challenge the status quo, and it is the only way that we will be able to make a positive change.

Inequality is a learned behavior. If we teach our children inequality, it is going to continue to be an issue. However, if we teach our children how to combat that hate, then we can begin to improve as a society. The earlier that they learn, the sooner they can start questioning the status quo. I find that sometimes children can be the voice of reason — they have not yet had the hate that society often perpetuates embedded into their minds. Without this hate, it is easier to teach them what is right without it being difficult for them to understand.

Girls and boys are taught to be different; I do not believe that there is something genetic that makes girls and boys as different as society would have us believe. I’m not discounting the idea that there are some legitimate differences. I just don’t think that they are as important and “make it or break it” as they are portrayed and perceived.

I think that Campus Scouts is a good way to teach girls that they can do anything. They can be leaders; they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to. The point that I’m trying to get across is very similar to the one in the new Barbie commercial, which features young girls in various leadership roles (a college professor, a soccer coach). It implied that their time spent playing with the dolls was enough to make them realize that they can do anything regardless of what society tells them they can do. I think this is exactly what Campus Scouts accomplishes, but to a greater extent, considering it can put the girls in real leadership positions, as well as build a network of other girls to support them.

My chapter of Campus Scouts has helped our local Boys and Girls Club to provide 30-something first and second grade girls with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. It gives the girls a chance to experience Girl Scouts, something that they might not normally have the chance to do — seeing as the area is underserved by our council, and they might not otherwise have the time or money to put into being a Girl Scout outside of their normal routine. Girl Scouts is an opportunity that should be available to all girls, and I am proud to have been able to give that experience to just a few girls; I can only hope that it impacted their lives in a positive way (and will continue to do so in the coming semesters as I continue my work with them).

Campus Scouts not only serves the community, but it helps the students who are leading the troops to become better leaders. Students who help with Campus Scouts will learn how to delegate, how to plan, how to work with children, how to manage time, how to work on a team and many more valuable skills.