American Heritage Girls: Leaders Wanted!

From the Pastor:    American Heritage Girls: Leaders Wanted!

       When I was young my mother and older sister were involved in Girl Scouts. That was back in the days when my age was in the single digits and the idea of being in a house filled with Girl Scouts was about the worst thing that I could imagine. So whenever the Scout meetings were held at our house I managed to escape and go somewhere—anywhere—just to avoid catching cooties. I remember fondly escaping with my dad, who wanted about as much to do with the Girl Scouts as I did, and going to get a milkshake or rootbeer float at Lum’s and passing time until it was safe to return home. Oh, those were the good ol’ days! As far as I remember, the Girl Scouts were not yet the off-the-rails crazy group supporting every type of sexual immorality imaginable as they do today. How the mighty have fallen. Once the Girl Scouts leadership decided to pervert their once moral program to such a degree that it was impossible for any God-fearing mother to enroll her girls in it, a non-Catholic Christian group was born: the American Heritage Girls. Mothers still longing for the fantastic experiences they once had in scouting to be available to their own girls without having an immoral agenda pushed on them flocked to the new organization. Soon enough, inquiries from Catholic mothers became so numerous that a Catholic branch of the AHG was born. We are blessed to have one such group here at Epiphany.
       Liesa Gonzalez was the mother who spearheaded the founding of our AHG Troop and has worked tirelessly (note: that does not mean that she doesn’t get tired!), with the invaluable assistance of other female adult leaders, to give the girls a very good Catholic Scouting formation. In the earlier years of Epiphany, we were a small enough parish that when a family first joined us, Liesa was able to quickly meet the mother of any little girls and invite them to join. The personal invitation, as you all know so well, is the best way of getting not only new girls to join but also their mothers to volunteer as adult leaders. But now we have gotten large enough that it is hard to tell who is new, let alone find a time and place to get to know them. So I am putting this impersonal invitation out, not because it works as well as a personal invitation, but rather because I HOPE it works at least well enough to spark some interest in joining AHG. Women: do you have any previous Scouting experience, whether as a girl scout, a troop leader, or in AHG? Would you be willing to assist even if (maybe even especially if) your girls are “all growed up” and too old to be scouts themselves? It seems that the mothers of the girls already involved in AHG are busy making new future-AHG girls and find it difficult to be too active when nursing a newborn and caring for a dozen (it seems) others!
       In case you are not sure what the difference is between Girl Scouts and AHG, let me give you a taste. Here’s an article’s headline found on girlscouts.org “Joy’s Gold Award Project: Supporting Transgender Youth.” On the other hand, here are some quotes from the AHG Statement of Faith and membership policy:
   AHG Statement of Faith. American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered leadership and character development ministry. Within the local AHG Troop, the primary statement/profession of Christian beliefs, faith, and/or doctrine is that belonging to the Church/Organization [this means that our troop adheres fully to the Catholic Faith]. As with any of its ministries, the Church/Organization will endeavor to ensure the Troop appropriately reflects these beliefs. Furthermore, all Charter Organizations and Adult Members must concurrently adhere to the Christian principles stated in AHG's Statement of Faith: We believe that there is one Triune God – Father; Jesus Christ, His one and only Son; and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe each person is created in His image for the purpose of communing with and worshipping God. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Who enables us to live Godly lives. We believe that each individual is called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We believe God calls us to lives of purity, service, stewardship, and integrity.
   AHG Membership Policy. Girls: Biological girls identifying with their biological sex at birth, 5–18 years of age, 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 and whose legal guardian submits a membership application and payment of fees. Adults*: Biological women and men identifying with their biological sex at birth, 21 years or older, of any color, race, national origin and socioeconomic status who agree to live according to AHG’s Statement of Faith, Oath and Creed and receives the approval of a Charter Organization’s appointed Charter Representative after the submission of a membership application, successful background check, payment of fees and completion of AHG’s KEYS to Child Safety Training. Young Adult Members*: Biological women identifying with their biological sex at birth, 18–21 years of age, who aged out of the AHG program and follow the same membership process as an Adult Member.

       If you wish to enroll your girls or become an adult leader, please contact Liesa. And forgive the impersonal invitation! [email protected]

With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka

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