Girl Scouts Keeps Girls Actively Engaged in Their Faith Communities

HALFMOON, NY (03/28/2013)(readMedia)-- On February 14, 2013, the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York (GSNENY) hosted a Faith-Based Roundtable with a diverse group of religious leaders from Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and Amsterdam, to discuss the creation of new and innovative faith partnerships between the Girl Scout Council and their faith communities. According to Lisa Austin, CEO at GSNENY, "The Roundtable was a huge success, with much interactive dialogue that produced a host of wonderful ideas that will pave the way for exciting new faith partnerships, aimed at keeping the congregation's girls actively engaged in their faith communities."

These newly-formed faith partnerships are building upon the already-existent Girl Scouts' National My Promise, My Faith (MPMF) awards that encourage girls in grades K-12 to experience faith journeys through an exploration of the many common principles and values that are shared by the Girl Scout Promise and Law and their own faith teachings. The MPMF awards were purposefully designed to complement the faith communities' own religious recognitions. Therefore, girls can earn their religious recognitions from their faith institutions while, at the same time, they earn their My Promise, My Faith Award with the Girl Scouts -- strengthening the inherent connection between their faith and the Girl Scout Law. (Information on the religious recognitions of many faith organizations can be found at: http://www.praypub.org/partner_gsusa.htm.

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Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York serves 11,000 girls and 5,000 volunteers throughout 15 counties: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren & Washington. Services Centers are located in Albany, Queensbury and Plattsburgh with an administrative office in Halfmoon.