KC archdiocese says no to Girl Scouts, but Wichita keeps relationship

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is severing ties with Girl Scouts, but the same doesn’t hold true for parishes in Wichita.

Saying Girl Scouts is “no longer a compatible partner in helping us form young women with the virtues and values of the Gospel,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City issued a statement Monday saying he had asked parishes to either immediately stop hosting Girl Scout troops or eventually graduate scouts in the program.

American Heritage Girls, a Christian organization, is suggested as an alternative for parishes starting this fall.

The debate about Girl Scouts and the Catholic Church goes back at least to 2013, when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth began discussions with Girl Scouts of the USA.

That committee did not support or oppose Girl Scouts but left authority over scouting support decisions to local bishops.

Wichita

In Wichita, several parishes and Catholic schools have Girl Scout troops meeting in their facilities. The Catholic Diocese of Wichita also lists Girl Scouts among scouting options for parents to consider.

“At this point the Catholic Diocese of Wichita does not plan to change the relationship between our Catholic schools and parishes and the Girl Scouts organization,” the Diocese of Wichita said in an e-mailed statement on Monday.

Nicole Klaus, who leads the Daisies and Brownies troops at the Church of the Resurrection in Wichita, said it was “a little bit sad” to hear the Archdiocese of Kansas City was severing its relationship with Girl Scouts.

Klaus’ daughter loves camping and playing with her friends in Girl Scouts. Klaus was a scout as a child and wonders whether American Heritage Girls offers the same opportunities for camping and travel.

She’s grateful that parishes in Wichita can maintain their relationship with Girl Scouts for now.

“I don’t know what the future will hold, but for now, I know my daughter’s enjoying it,” Klaus said. “I think it’s nice she’ll be able to continue to enjoy that with her Catholic community right here.”

The controversy

Naumann wrote that he based his decision on the national Girl Scouting organization’s contribution to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, “an organization tied to International Planned Parenthood and its advocacy for legislation that includes both contraception and abortion as preventive health care for women.”

Catholic teachings oppose the use of contraception and abortion.

Girl Scouts of the USA does not have a position or develop materials on sexuality, birth control or abortion, according to its website. It also does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood.

“We advocate values driven behaviors and a promise to serve God and Country in our Promise and Law,” Joy Wheeler, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, wrote in a statement.“We also promote faith based programming for girls and their spiritual leaders.”

Girl Scouts is one of 145 member organizations of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which does training and education across the world but says on its website that it “does not always take the same positions or endorse the same programs as WAGGGS.”

In a guidance document issued in 2014, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recommended that Catholic troops not participate in the world association events or wear their world association pin.

This story was originally published May 1, 2017 at 5:19 PM with the headline "KC archdiocese says no to Girl Scouts, but Wichita keeps relationship."