What Is Girl Scouts All About?

Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland's CEO Tammy Wharton tells us all about the Girl Scouts and what they do now. Also hear from girl scout Jasmine about her experience and future career goals.

Episode Transcript

(00:17):
It's kind of curious to see Hannahif you had a Girl Scout song in
there, because Hannah does a greatjob our producer of picking out music to
whatever segment this coming up. AndI'm so excited for this. Debbie and
we were talking before he went intobreak. Debbie was not a Girl Scout.
You're a Brownie, a brownie andthen you quit, and then I
who's a quitter? I was?I didn't go on, but man,

(00:40):
I love I love what you guysdo. And I buy your cookies.
That counts that kis buy Girl Scoutcookies. So in the studio right now
is Tammy Wharton, President and CEOof Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland. And
you've brought Jasmine, who is aGirl Scout. See she didn't quit like
because you don't ever be a quitare like me. So Tabby Tammy,

(01:03):
We're going to start with you.Girl Scouts originated in nineteen twelve in Georgia,
and I wasn't around that. AndI'm glad Jasmine you probably weren't around
that either, were you. Nowhave you learned about nineteen twelve at all
in school? Not? Really?Just kidding? So if you look at
how it originated one troop of GirlScouts in Georgia. I think it was

(01:26):
Savannah, Georgia where it started.It was Savannah, Georgia. It's the
birthplace of Juliet Gordon Lowe. Andit started over just an idea and it's
amazing that the idea sprouted to onepoint seven million girls. And Debbie have
to tell you, you said youwere just a Brownie. We have Daisy
Girl Scouts, Brownie Girl Scouts,so you really were a Girl Scout because

(01:47):
all levels up to twelfth grade.We serve kindergarten through twelfth grade, and
all the levels are considered Girl Scouts. And we were an inclusive organization.
We bring everybody in if you wantto support Girl Scouts. And how it's
too late from me, I can'tanswer that for you, but for joining
Girl Scouts, it's never too late. Oh I love it. Thank you.
How's it changed through the years,Like, seriously, if you think

(02:08):
of the year nineteen twelve, canyou just imagine it's just envisioned in our
minds and on our heads what thatfirst original troop was like, what it
was all about, things that theydid compared to now, the opportunities that
Girl Scouts have and the lives thatthey touch in their own lives, how
they change. Well, Girl Scoutshas changed a lot over the years,

(02:28):
and yet there's still some themes thatkeep going throughout. It's always been about
building girls of courage, confidence incharacter, and some of the first Girl
Scouts were climbing trees and doing thingsthat we're not what you would expect of
girls. And that's what we're doingtoday. We have girls that want to
be rocket scientists, we have girlsthat want to go into the in demand
jobs. And so while the activitieshave changed, the themes have not as

(02:53):
far as building those girls and givingthem opportunities with carrying adults so that I
always like to say, so girlscan learn how to fail, which is
first attempt in learning. And sothose themes carry through. You know,
we talk about courage, confidence incharacter. Girl Scouts is known for cookies,
camping, and crafts, and unfortunatelysometimes that's not the best theme for

(03:14):
getting people to come into Girl Scouts. But again, you heard me talk
about the rocketry a lot of theSTEM fields. One of our new projects
is about building a STEM immersive campusthe end man jobs, getting more women
into construction. They have to startsomewhere, and by teaching them or letting
them come and experience activities, they'reable to think that these could be some

(03:36):
of the careers of the future.So that's where it's changed. You know,
women today, girls today don't haveto just think about being teachers or
nurses. You're going to hear fromJasmine in a minute, she's going to
be a doctor. And you know, we have another young lady who wants
to be the first girl to befirst African American girl to be on the
moon as an astronaut. And sothere's just so many activities for girls today.

(04:00):
Again, the activities changed, butthe themes are still about building our
leaders of tomorrow. Love that jvery well said. Let's see yeah,
absolutely, Jasmine. Let's turn toyou for a second. How long have
you been a girl Scout? Howold are you? First of all,
I'm ten years old and I've beena Girl Scout for three years. For
three years, why, what wasthe first reason that you thought I want
to be a Girl's help? Becausewell, I wanted to be a Girl

(04:23):
Scout because I feel like it helpsbooster confidence and girl scouts. Let's be
let's meet be my unique self.M. That's awesome, Jasmine, you
have a question for you. She'sso good at asking questions. I just
feel like this, first of all, I want to say when you said
to express the confidence to reach outbeyond what is the typical girl job.

(04:46):
Okay, So Jasmine, for you, you talking about I want to be
a doctor? Has Girl Scouts encouragedthat in you? Yes? So,
like a week ago something, meand my Girls Scout troupe went to visit
a veterinarian dermatologist who at our ownshow that I was called Pop Goes the
Vet And it was fun like seeinglike how like what she did and possibly

(05:09):
thinking that's maybe what I want todo one day. Oh wow. So
getting those experiences through Girl Scouts opensyou up to a whole new world that
if you don't you don't know whatyou don't know? Right, So you're
getting to do these that's amazing.I think it's neat how it has changed
but stayed the same. I'll tellyou what I in my mid fifties,
Jasmine, and you can think backhow many years that I was in elementary

(05:31):
school when I was in the GirlScouts, But some of my favorite memories
were going camping with my friends whowere also Girl Scouts, and we would
meet right at our school initially,and then we would meet at other places.
But I remember to this day thisis how important I thought Girl Scouts
were in my own life. Fourteenninety five. I remember that troop number.

(05:51):
I don't know if that's something thatjust gets instilled with you, and
I think I remember Girl Scouts honor. I wonder if it's changed. Can
you say it with the Girls Scoutshonor is on my honor. I will
try to serve God and in mycountry, to help people at all times,
and to live by the Girls Scoutlaw. I think that's been the
same as you guys were saying that. I'm thinking Girl Scouts Honor. I'm

(06:15):
holding up three fingers exactly, GirlScouts Honor. I will try, and
then I remember it. I forgotthat. I remember. It's interesting because
we just had a national convention downin Orlando, and we contemplated whether to
take Try out of it and hada long discussion about how important it is
for girls to try, because toomany places they have to be perfect,
and here in Girl Scouts they haveadult caregivers and adults helping them along the

(06:39):
way and all the activities so thatagain they can fail, but they can
also then pick themselves up and learn. So that's the reasoning why we hold
up three fingers when we do ourGirl Scouts honor. So God, community
and country is what those three fingersstand for. Now. I don't know
if I ever learned that when Iwas a Girl Scout, we always held
up three fingers. But I canmake up whatever you want. You know,

(07:00):
maybe you could say, you couldsay anything you want. It's from
my troop for I love that though, but it is and we truly are
an organization that wants to we say, make the world a better place,
and it starts with our communities.And you know, we teach our girls
about projects or we encourage them todo the highest awards where they're giving back
to their communities in different ways.And when they get to the Gold Award,

(07:21):
it's an eighty hour project that needsto continue on after they're done.
It doesn't just do a project andthen stop. But what's so important about
that is you have God number one. And there's so many organizations today that
are trying to erase God. They'retrying to take God away. I love
the Girl Scouts is keeping God rightforefront one of the top most important things,

(07:44):
and really that's what And we're aninclusive organization. So there are other
other individuals, higher spiritualities and stufflike that, so people can replace God
with whomever they're higher spiritual person oris. But I think that that's important
because we do want to be inclusiveand we realize and recognize that individuals come

(08:07):
from all different kinds of cultures andbackgrounds. And Girl Scouts was one of
the first organizations to be that inclusiveorganization and that happened back in the forties
and fifties. I love it too. And when you talk about God and
there and you also being inclusive,and you know there there are Buddhists who
you know, they believe in they'rein Buddha, you know. And so

(08:30):
part of being a person of anyfaith is accepting one another and allowing them
to be their unique self too.So that's important. I read a number.
You can tell me, Tammy ifthis is right or wrong. But
across the world there's two point fivemillion members in the Girl Scout family.
So it's it's interesting because we dohave Girl Scouts overseas and we have one

(08:50):
point seven girl members, but wehave four fifty four million alum and so
Debbie, you're considered an alum.Oh I am today. That's what's important.
So I'm not sure where that numberscoming from, and I'm sure it's
a good number. But again there'sjust there's Girl Scouts everywhere. And to

(09:11):
your point you said, I don'tknow if it's unusual for people to women
who remember their troop number, butit is very usual for the friends to
stay friends throughout a daughterhood. Yea. And so whether you go all the
way through or not, we dobuild friends friends first and as well as
all of the activities that girls getto participate in. And Jasmine, you

(09:33):
want to be a doctor. Whatkind of doctor do you know at ten
years old? Exactly what you wantto do? Well kind of? I
want to be an optetrician, thisgynecologist. Oh my gosh, I didn't
know what those words mean. I'mstill it later, Oh my gosh.
But what a great example. Andthis is what being a Girl Scout is
all about. Do you think,Jasmine, you will continue to your senior

(09:56):
year of being a Girl Scout,being involved And what's the best, most
important thing you get out of it. I think the best most important thing
is like the fun opportunities and likethe confidence, and yes, I hope
and no, I will be agirl Scout until I gradually. That's what
I was going to ask. Ididn't know how long can you be a
girl Scout? So you can bea girl Scout. You can be an

(10:18):
adult girl Scout until the day youdie. But the activities that we participate
in are kindergarten through twelfth grade.Nice, okay. And men can be
Girl Scouts if they're eighteen and olderbecause we know that there's a lot of
fathers and caregivers out there that wantto support girls into their leadership journeys.
And so if you're eighteen or older, you can become a girl Scout.

(10:39):
Wow. I did not know that. Wow. And there's a lot of
dads out there, of girl dads, and you know, they have girls
daughters and they want to be participatingin what their daughters are doing. Well,
especially if they're a single dad.Let's say the mom passed away or
something like that, and they stillwant to be involved in Girl Scouts.
That's an awesome thing. When youguys come back, we're gonna talk Girl

(11:01):
Scout cookies because Girl Scout cookies,I mean, that's what people think of.
But I'm sure you guys will beback in studios sometime, and we
want to when you do come back, we're going to talk more about cookies,
because what's your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Jasmine, Let me drop,
Let me drop. Everybody's got Ilove the thin mint. I like the
docy does and I do like thethin mint, and I keep them in
the freezer. Yeah, then youpull them out and it's like, we

(11:22):
can bring the cookies. We'll bringsome samples when we come back. That
sounds good, But I just didn'twant to day's initial interview to be all
about Girl Scout cookies. I thinkit was so important to break into the
history of Girl Scouts, how it'schanged, and how there's still so many
members across the world. Jasmine,you are outstanding spokesperson for Girl Scouts.
Your mama is standing right over there. She's been beaming ever since you opened

(11:45):
your mouth talking, and we lovethat, and I understand why she's very
proud. And you're so articulate,like you can just you pronounce your words
and you just don't act afraid ofthe microphone so Scots Girl Scouts, Girl
Scouts Forever. If someone's listening andthey want their child or their granddaughter to
become part of this awesome organization,where do they go? Tammy, So

(12:05):
they go to GSOH dot org,forward slash join and they can learn more
about all of the activities that areinvolved in Girl Scouting, including the cookie
program, including you've got a phonein cookies. All right, Girl Scouts
of Ohio's Hartland, Thank you bothso much for coming in studio. And
yeah, next time we'll do thecookie thing. Yeah, maybe we'll just

(12:26):
let us know in advance so wedon't need anything all day and save up
for those. We'll be right backeverybody. Thank you so much. Thank you,