First Thoughts: Children's Organizations

My group for part three is focused upon children's organizations.   We have selected four organizatons which we feel could possibly be our "case study:"   The 4-H Club, The Boy Scouts, The Girl Scouts, and Adventure Scouts.    Their websites are http://www.4-h.org/, http://www.scouting.org/About.aspx, http://www.girlscouts.org/, and http://www.adventurescoutsusa.org/.   In looking over their sites, it seems as if each group is focused upon setting a positive example and helping to influence the development of children, either boys, girls, or both.   The methods in which they go about doing this, however, are different. The 4-H club was formed as a group targeting youth in rural areas and helping them to become civically engaged, interested in their communities and technology, and to help spread new agricultural technology to their communities in positive ways.   Today, the group has spread to both suburban and urban areas, though they continue to focus upon rural youth.  They have programs helping to get kids interested in school, as well as educational services, and group activities.    I found it interesting how many U.S. representatives, senators, and state reps./ senators have been former members of the 4-H club.  They seem to be doing something right!  The Boy Scouts of America have a very intense webpage.  There is not an information section.  There are series of PDF files under the heading "fact sheets."   This seems very representative of the group.  They are one of the oldest children's programs in the United States, helping boys to "be prepared,"  with survival skills and community service.    Girls Scouts were formed by Juliette Low as a way to get girls involved in their communities outside of their house by teaching first aid, volunteering, and other skills.   Today, as a former Girl Scout myself, I am not sure if the Girl Scouts prepares girls as well for community and civic engagement, so I am not sure if I want to focus on this group.   We went on a lot of field trips, but I am not sure how much Girl Scouts developped a sense of service in me.   The Adventure Scouts seem interesting.   I had gone to high school with a girl who was in them, and she enjoyed them a lot. However, in looking at their site, I am not sure if they are exactly what we are looking for.   They emphasize FUN by putting it in all capital letters, but don't ever explain their methods of getting kids involved in the community or being responsible citizens, they simply say that they encourage those two ideas in FUN activities.  What interested me most about them was that they emphasized that they are "the only non-discriminatory scouting group in the United States."  That could be an interesting fact to look into further.   Voila!  My first thoughts on the children's organizations my group is looking at.