American Heritage Girls
| American Heritage Girls | |||
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| Headquarters | Cincinnati, Ohio | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Founded | 1995 | ||
| Founder | Patti Garibay | ||
| Membership | 43,000 (2017) | ||
| executive director | Patti Garibay | ||
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Website ahgonline.org |
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The American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christian-based Scouting-like organization. The organization has more than 43,000 members (2017) with troops in all 50 states in early 2017, plus Americans living in twelve other countries.
All girls are eligible for membership while adult leaders must subscribe to a Christian statement of faith.
The American Heritage Girls was founded in 1995 by Patti Garibay and other parents from West Chester, Ohio to form a Christian alternative to the Girl Scouts of the USA after the Girl Scouts allowed individual Scouts and Scouters to use wording appropriate to their own beliefs for the word "God" in the promise and supposedly banned prayer at meetings. The organization started with 100 girls.
In June 2009, the AHG formed a partnership with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The Memorandum of Mutual Support recognizes the common values and goals of both organizations and formally established a relationship, as AHG had been working with the BSA on projects and utilized BSA camps especially with the BSA mixed-sex Venturing membership division.
In May 2013, the AHG dissolved its relationship with the BSA in reaction to the BSA's new policy on gay youth - which removed the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation. Also that month, American Heritage Girls joined the Faith Based Boys Coalition. The Faith Based Boys joined with other groups to form an alternative Boy Scout program. A leadership meeting was held in Louisville, Kentucky on June 29, 2013 to discuss forming a new boys group. The AHG cofounder Patti Garibay was invited to the Kentucky meeting as an advisor. It was revealed in September that American Heritage Girls would be partnering with Trail Life USA, the new boys' Scouting group which was modeled on AHG.
Cherish my family, Honor my country,
The American Heritage Girls program is divided into several levels based primarily on age. Girls participate in troop activities and work toward earning 80 badges, learn leadership skills, social and spiritual development:
Girls can proceed through various ranks. As a Tenderheart, members can earn a PRAY award by making a pizza with crust, cheese and sauce to learn about Holy Trinity. Troops must do 3 community service projects per year. The first award girls earn after joining AHG is their joining award, which gives them the opportunity to learn about flag etiquette, AHG history, the buddy system, and uniforms.
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