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HEALTH
AND FITNESS
SERVICE PROJECT
2004 - 2005
NEW! Check out the 'shape UP!' program from GSUSA!
What is this program?
Each year, Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay selects an issue of
particular importance to our girls as the focus of a council-wide
service project. Our focus for the 2004-2005 program year is Health
& Fitness.
As always the project has three main components:
- Education – for girls, their families and the community.
- Service - to others in the community
- Visibility– for Girl Scouts’ commitment to important issues
Why Health & Fitness?
Health & Fitness was chosen as this year’s topic because:
- Physical activity is not only crucial in helping girls stay
physically healthy, but also very important in their social and
emotional development.
- Girls who regularly get enough exercise, do better academically, are
more able to handle stress and have a more positive self-image.
- Fitness is fun!
How do we
participate?
The core of the project is the Building “U” Patch Program. Those
planning to participate, please
download the registration form and patch application
(PDF, 72KB) to sign up
for the project and order your patches before Feb. 15, 2005. Patches
will be mailed to troops in mid-April.
What about those other related programs, like Walking in Juliette’s
Shoes, Folic Acid Woman, Biden Breast Initiative, etc..?
There are several related programs that will enhance your group’s
experience, should you elect to use them. They are all fun and
educational. Troops, Service Units and individual girls may
participate in as few or as many of the related Health & Fitness
programs or activities as they wish. There is no minimum requirement
of related or supplemental programs.
A Message From
Juliette
In 1912, when Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts, she
encouraged girls to “eat well and get their heart and blood in
working order.” Since then, Girl Scouts has offered generations of
girls innovative programs in sports, nutrition, and health. Doing
this has sometimes meant breaking with tradition: in order to play
basketball, for example, the nation’s first Girl Scouts traded in
their long skirts for bloomers. Today, 92 years later, we remain as
dedicated as ever to providing girls unlimited opportunities in
sports and fitness and in supporting them in learning to “eat well.”
Research indicates that girls today want to be active, fit and
healthy. In the Girl Scout Research Institute Report The Ten
Emerging Truths (2002), girls 11-17 expressed a strong interest in:
- Self defense (57%)
- Exercise and fitness (48%)
- Sports (41%)
- Cooking (36%)
- Healthy eating habits (36%)
The latest study states that because girls’ self-image is determined
not only by their self-perceptions but also by their perceptions of
others, it is imperative that adults in girls lives be positive,
honest, supportive, and clear about their own personal issues in
discussions of health, beauty and self-image. Girls and young women
need to strengthen cultural beliefs and practices that enhance
self-esteem and self-concept. Along with that is the need to
strengthen female identity, with broader options for role
definition, identification, achievement and ideals of feminine
attractiveness. It is important to acknowledge and encourage girls’
abilities, such as their creativity and intelligence, not just their
appearance. Weighing In—GSRI 2004
Download this information in booklet form.
(PDF, 686KB)
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