Dear Girl Scouts,
“Right is right, even if no one else does it.” This is one of my favorite Juliette Gordon Low quotes, and one I return to frequently as I think about how to navigate some of the more difficult issues that affect us as a Girl Scout Movement. Many of us have been following with alarm the news around the current administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that has separated more than 2,300 children from their parents. Throughout Greater Atlanta, I’ve heard from troop leaders, Service Unit Directors and parents asking where Girl Scouts stands on the administration’s current immigration enforcement policies and expressing concern about the distress that the news has caused for our girls, who wonder whether they, too, could be separated from their parents.
Girl Scouts recently joined together with 14 of the nation’s largest and most influential human service nonprofits in calling on the current administration to halt its “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Together with our peer organizations, we have asked the administration to immediately stop this wrong and immoral policy and to take immediate steps to restore connections between separated family members. Girl Scouts stands in solidarity with our four former first ladies and honorary National Girl Scout Presidents, all of whom have spoken out on this humanitarian crisis.
As a nonprofit organization, Girl Scouts is nonpartisan and always will be a place that is welcoming for all members – regardless of political affiliation, immigration status, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or gender. But we remain firmly grounded in our values, as embodied in the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and will take a stand when we see injustice in the world. For our members who are moved to action by this issue, I encourage you to use our G.I.R.L. Agenda toolkits, which offer activities and resources to help girls lead positive change through civic action. We have also published a new Raising Awesome Girls blog post offering parents and caregivers tips to address this difficult and frightening issue with their girls.
Thank you for all you do for Girl Scouts, and for translating our values into action as we help lead our girls though challenging times.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Amy Dosik
