I am looking for ideas for the Girltopia Journey. I have read thru the Leader Guide and I am still having trouble wrapping my brain around this one.

I got an e-mail from the Girl Scouts' online store the other day announcing the new Journey books. Here's what just came out, if anyone is interested:

Daisies: 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals!
Brownies: A World of Girls
Juniors: Amuse
Cadettes: Media
Seniors: Mission: Sisterhood!
Ambassadors: Bliss Live It! Give It!

My daughter just came home from her Girl Scout meeting, and brought home with her the book for the Breathe Journey for Cadettes. I just skimmed the book, and I can tell by looking at it why the girls think it feels like school. My daughter says she'll "suffer through it" so she can earn her Silver Award.

My daughter's troop did the Amaze as Juniors and they absolutely hated and and we had 2 girls quit because if it. Too much like school work and the girls didn't want to talk about all the "touchy-feely" topics and the bullying/peer pressure-they get all that at school with teachers covering that in the classroom. They want to help others, make crafts, earn badges...let's get back to basics. They are working on finishing up their Silver Awards this year and they are doing the old version of the requirements. They are all cringing at the thought of the Gold Award and having to do another journey book. Also, as a sidebar..at the IP level some of the Activities are extremely difficult to do. For ecample-the car sense IP...we called around to see about the girls watchign a tire being changed and an oil change being done-in this day and age-it is a liability and safety issue to have minors in the service area where the cars are being repaired, I could not find anyone who would do this for us. We did manage to get the IP done, but with difficulty. I wish the Girl Scout would keep things like this in mind when designing badge and IP requirements. Also the community service requirements have posed problems as well. Not all girls can volunteer or get part-time jobs in some of the areas...they need to think things through...lets get back to basics!

i couldn't agree more, i think these journeys are supposed to make things easier to plan. however, national really hasn't thought this through very well. i have talked to leaders who are also teachers and they cannot understand how to teach the journeys. girl scouts needs to get back to the basics, being self-sufficient young women who can cook a meal over an open fire, ride a horse, sew on their own badges, try a little bit of science and do it yourself projects, then build from there what kind of woman they want to be. where's the camping and field trips? the only field trips my daughters will take if the journeys have anything to do with it will be their community service to fulfill the last requirement for a patch.

welcome to the forum!!!

I was just told last week that my troop had to start doing the Journeys. Even though this is supposed to be a transitional year we are not to do any of the old program. This announcement comes now in October when the girls have already picked out what they want to do for most of the year and I've scurried around and found the badges they wanted to earn. My girls tried a Journey two years ago and hated it. I do not relish telling them they HAVE to do that and nothing else. I probably won't have a troop after that.

How will they "know" of you are not doing the Journeys program? Are you going to tell? And what can they do to you if they find out? Lose a troop of girls and a dedicated leader? Keep it to yourself and order the Try Its while you still can.