RIL Younger Girl Scouts
By Charlie Groth
In this program, you will learn more about your own Unitarian Universalist faith and values. The program helps you to think about what the Girl Scout Law means and how the values of Girl Scouting relate to your religion. The program is organized into 12 parts, one for each of the 10 parts of the Girl Scout law, plus a beginning and a conclusion. Each part of the program has a few requirements you can fulfill.
Each requirement has three components:
Explore
. . . asks you to complete a short exercise or find out something (research). For example, you might need to ask someone questions (an interview) or look up something in a book or on the Internet. There are Web links and hints here to guide you to resources. It is also okay if you use other sources for your research.
Think
. . . asks you to think about what you learned or experienced and then answer some questions.
Express
. . . gives you lots of options for showing what you learned and what you think about what you learned. You get to choose how to express yourself! For example, if you are asked to “explain” or “describe” or “list,” you could express yourself in many different ways:
- Write a paragraph or list in your journal
- Make a video or audio recording
- Draw a picture
- Compose a song
- Create a photo or other collage
- Perform a skit or role play
- Make a sculpture
- Share your thoughts in a conversation with a friend, family member, or your advisor
Some girls like to collect their expressions in one place (such a notebook, folder, electronic folder, or box) so they can share them later.
Remember, whichever method of expression you choose, you don’t have to do it perfectly—this is not a school assignment. You also don’t have to have a super clear and definite answer for every question; it’s okay to hold a few different ideas at once, to have questions that lead to other questions, and to form your ideas as you express them. You can choose your method based on what you’re most comfortable with, what you enjoy the most, what you’d like to try, what fits a particular requirement well, or what fits your situation at the moment (for example, if you’re on a long car trip without a notebook, you might want to do a requirement by talking it out with the others in the car). You don’t have to use the same method every time, and you don’t have to do something different every time either. It’s up to you!
Support for the Program
Explore other Religious Recognition Awards for UU Scouts
Advisors and Other Adult Support
Have your parent(s) (or other caregiver[s]), advisor, and religious professional (i.e. DRE or minister) read through the Religion in Life Program for Girl Scouts Supplementary Information for Adult Leaders
Requirements Checklist
Use the Religion in Life for Girl Scouts Requirements Checklist (doc) to keep track of your progress. You can keep track on your computer or another electronic device, or print a paper copy of the form and keep it in a safe place. You can also print the paper version of the entire program (pdf) and use the checkbox before each requirement as a check-off box and/or to scribble in dates as you plan.
The links below will enable you to dive into the Religion in Life program: