American Heritage Girls

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American Heritage Girls
American Heritage Girls.png
Headquarters Cincinnati, Ohio
CountryUnited States
Founded1995
FounderPatti Garibay
Membership52,000 (2020) [1]
Executive DirectorPatti Garibay
Website
americanheritagegirls.org
WikiProject Scouting fleur-de-lis dark.svg  Scouting portal

The American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christian Scouting-like organization for Americans. [2] The organization has more than 52,000 members (2020) with troops or individuals ("trailblazers") in all 50 states of the United States and for American expatriates in fifteen other countries. [3] [1] [4]

Contents

Their stated youth membership standard is that it is for "All biological girls of any color, race, national origin and socioeconomic status who agree to live according to the standards of the AHG Oath and the AHG Creed". Adult leaders must subscribe to a Trinitarian Christian statement of faith. [5] [6]

History

YearUnitsAdultsGirls
1995100 [2]
20052108,000 [2]
20114,51216,383 [7]
201330,000 [8]
20171,00043,000 [3]
201952,000 [1]

The American Heritage Girls was founded in 1995 by Patti Garibay and other parents from West Chester, Ohio to form a Christian alternative to the Girl Scouts of the USA after the Girl Scouts allowed individual Scouts and Scouters to use wording appropriate to their own beliefs for the word "God" in the promise and supposedly banned prayer at meetings. [9] The organization started with 100 girls. [2]

In June 2009, the AHG formed a partnership with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The Memorandum of Mutual Support recognized the common values and goals of both organizations and formally established a relationship, as AHG had been working with the BSA on projects and utilized BSA camps [2] especially with the BSA mixed-sex Venturing membership division. [10]

In May 2013, the AHG dissolved its relationship with the BSA in reaction to the BSA's new policy on gay youth, which removed the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation. [11] Also that month, American Heritage Girls joined the Faith Based Boys Coalition. [12] The Faith Based Boys joined with other groups to form an alternative Boy Scout program. A leadership meeting was held in Louisville, Kentucky on June 29, 2013, to discuss forming a new boys group. [13] The AHG cofounder Patti Garibay was invited to the Kentucky meeting as an advisor. [14] It was revealed in September that American Heritage Girls would be partnering with Trail Life USA, the new boys' Scouting group [15] which was modeled on AHG. [13]

Program

The American Heritage Girls program is divided into several levels based primarily on age. Girls participate in troop activities and work toward earning 80 badges, learn leadership skills, social and spiritual development:

Girls proceed through various ranks as they get older, each year girls moving to an older unit will bridge over to the new unit. Members can earn a religious award, such as the PRAY award or the REAL religious award. [8] Troops must do 3 community service projects per year. [6] The first award girls earn after joining AHG is their joining award, which gives them the opportunity to learn about flag etiquette, AHG history, the buddy system, and uniforms.

Pathfinder's uniforms consist of a pathfinder shirt, pathfinder necklace, closed toe shoes, and navy slacks or a skirt. Tenderhearts wear white polos, closed toe shoes, a navy neckerchief, a red vest, and navy shorts or a skirt. Explorer uniforms are a white polo, closed toe shoes, a red neckerchief, a navy vest, and khaki slacks or a skirt. Pioneers wear a white polo, a navy sash, closed toe shoes, and a khaki/navy/or black skirt or slacks. Patriots wear the same uniform as Pioneers, except for a red polo.

The American Heritage Girl program emphasizes life skill enhancement, developing teamwork & building confidence, social development, girl leadership, character development, and spiritual development. AHG ascribes to progressive programing, where everything a girl does will be appropriate for her age and ability. As a girl moves through the program, requirements for badges and other achievements will become more challenging.

American Heritage Girls have the opportunity to earn badges from 6 frontiers:

Pathfinders earn necklace beads for attendance, memorizing verses, and participation instead of badges.

In addition to badges, girls are encouraged to earn level awards, sports pins, service stars, and patches. In the last year a girl is in each level (3rd grade, 6th grade, 8th grade, etc.), they have the opportunity to work towards a level award. Pathfinders earn the Fanny Crosby Award, Tenderhearts earn the Sacagawea Award, Explorers earn the Ida Scudder Award (formerly Lewis and Clark),Pioneers earn the Harriet Tubman Award, and Patriots earn the Dolly Madison award. Level awards typically include earning one badge from each frontier, earning a service star every year, attending and planning special events, and a board of review.

Sports pins include sports such as bowling, gymnastics, martial arts, skating, tennis, and volleyball. Service stars award girls for serving in their community. Tenderhearts earn blue stars for every five hours of service, Explorers earn red service stars for every ten hours of service, Pioneers earn silver service stars for every 15 hours of service, and Patriots earn gold service stars for every 20 hours of service. AHG awards patches for troop activities, such as mother/daughter event, clean up day, pen pal, summer fun, fundraising top seller, respect life, food drive, father/daughter events, and camping patches.

As a Patriot, they are given the chance to work toward earning the Stars and Stripes Award, the highest honor achievable in the program. [2] It requires earning a minimum of 16 badges, earning the Abigail Adams Level Award (formerly Dolly Madison), performing a service project with a minimum of 100 hours of service that demonstrates leadership, leadership development, writing a life ambition/spiritual walk essay, earning a religious recognition, completing a mini-resume, and asking for and receiving reference letters. Girls must have earned the Abigail Adams Award, which you can earn at 15, and be more than 6 months away from 18 before completing the requirements and completing a board of review. [17]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Beckham, Michelle (July 9, 2020). "AHG Catholic Faith Awards Press Release" (PDF). americanheritagegirls.org. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hilty, Lindsey (June 30, 2009). "American Heritage Girls Gain Momentum". JournalNews. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Ross, Chelsey. "American Heritage Girls Reaches Troop Milestone" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Trailblazer Program | Experience Faith, Service & Fun". American Heritage Girls. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ "About AHG | Faith-Based Leadership Development Program". American Heritage Girls. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Coghlan, Heidi. "American Heritage Girls - Christ-centered scouting for girls of all ages". Parenting: Kids' Club. About.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  7. ↑ American Heritage Girls 2010-2011 Ministry Report (PDF). American Heritage Girls. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Connor, Tracy (July 28, 2013). "Wiccans, earth-lovers, do-gooders: There's a 'scouting' group for your kid". NBC News. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ Brown, Angela K (March 22, 2004). "Some Unhappy with Girl Scouts Form New Group". Associated Press.
  10. ↑ "Memorandum of Mutual Support" (PDF). Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Memorandum of Mutual Support - Dissolution Statement" (PDF). American Heritage Girls. May 23, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2013.
  12. ↑ Token, Jody. (May 2013) American Heritage Girls join Faith-Based Boys Coalition Archived November 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . American Heritage Girls. Accessed October 14, 2013.
  13. 1 2 Wiggins, Kimberly. July 16, 2013. Orlando group creates faith-based alternative to Boy Scouts Archived January 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . MyFoxOrlando.com (WOFL-FOX35).
  14. ↑ Butts, Charlie. (June 14, 2013) Christian girls’ group founder advises new boys’ scouting group Archived June 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . OneNewsNow.com (American Family News Network). archived Archived December 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine .
  15. ↑ Lohr, Kathy. (September 09, 2013) Trail Life USA, The 'Other' Boy Scouts Of America. National Public Radio.
  16. ↑ "Levels - American Heritage Girls". Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Stars & Stripes Award | Building Servant Leaders | AHG". American Heritage Girls. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
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