Rotary Program: 10/01/03

Program Chairperson: James Brown

Speaker: Jane Kaput, Development Director of the Wilderness Road Council of Girl Scouts of America.

There are 25,000 Girl Scouts between the ages of 5 and 17 that are served by the Wilderness Road Council in 57 counties of Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. They are supported by more than 5,000 adult volunteers and 45 professional staff members who provide the role-models and mentors for learning the values that will last a lifetime. Studies have shown that girls that participate in scouting are more likely to read books, perform better in school, make better moral decisions about lifestyle choices, choose truthfulness, go to college, and are more likely to be successful in a career. They tend to have better self-esteem and therefore are less likely to become an adult who participates in criminal behavior, abuse drugs, or have children living in poverty and violence. And scouting is just plain fun. Meeting every week with an adult who models wholesome values and learning to work together to serve the community can be lots of fun. Even the sale of girl scout cookies and candy can be a learning experience that the girls take with them the rest of their lives. One such young lady named Ericka started as a girl scout when she was a fifth grader and credits scouting for where she is today. She is a graduate student at the University of Kentucky and she says she is still very actively involved in scouting as a member of the Board of Directors. She just got back from a trip to London, England last month and wants to help other young girls all over the world be everything they can be. Programs such as “Go Girls”, a violence prevention program, “Rainbows”, a program that teaches the value of differences in race and culture and “Pickles”, lessons to help girls learn coping skills are but a few that help girl scouts grow into responsible and successful adults. These programs take place in schools, community centers, and wherever there are girls and some volunteer adults who care about them. 40 % of today’s girl scouts receive financial assistance for membership and participation in the programs. Barriers of race, culture, lack of family support and income are now broken down to allow girl scouts to serve who would not have been able to just a few short years ago. Wilderness Road Council now has about $125.00 per girl to spend for summer camps, programs and events, but could do so much more if the resources were greater. Product sales and support from United Way can only provide a part of the support needed. Each of us must do more to help make sure the resources are there and that the programs that help make these girls become successful and productive adults continue from generation to generation. You or your organization can sponsor a troop, donate funds to the Council, or purchase items on their wish list by logging on to www.gswrc.org or email them at gswrc@gswrc.org. The address to contact them is Girl Scouts - Wilderness Road Council, 2277 Executive Drive, Lexington, Ky. 40505 or you can call for more information at 1-800-475-2621. Submitted by J. Morgan Chapman.