MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Verna Simpkins on the new Girl Scouts patch to honor Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen.
Girl Scouts across the country will track the first all-women's crossing of Antarctica this fall when Minnesota native Ann Bancroft and Norwegian Liv Arnesen attempt the 24-hundred mile feat in November. The Girl Scout project, aims to encourage the girls to set their goals high. This expedition also inspires a new Girl Scouts patch which promotes health and fitness.
SPEAKER 1: We know that many girls will not go to an [? Antarctica, ?] but girls do have-- they have their own dreams, so we want them to use it as an opportunity to set their goals, to think about what they want to accomplish in life, and use some of the planning, some of the skills that these two women use to get to this particular point in their lives. We want them to look at that, as opposed to just looking at the expedition itself. What it takes to accomplish to reach your goals. So goal setting will be a big piece of the activities that we ask girls to do.
SPEAKER 2: What are some of the other things that they have to do to earn the patch?
SPEAKER 1: OK, they're going to actually-- they're going to learn about technology, about nutrition, first aid, weather survival, the training and conditioning that's involved, and even doing an expedition of this nature, the geography. They learn a lot about Antarctica, and the conditions that exist, that these women have to prepare for in advance.
SPEAKER 2: What if, for example, the women don't finish the expedition successfully? What will that teach the girls?
SPEAKER 1: It will teach the girls that they should still follow their dreams. If they have a goal-- we don't all always meet all of our goals in life, but if we set out and try hard, we will accomplish. There's a lot of valuable lessons that the two women will learn, regardless of whether they actually accomplish the feat.
SPEAKER 2: Now, is this patch available to all of the Girl Scout Councils throughout the United states?
SPEAKER 1: Yes, we're really gearing it more towards our 9 to 18-year-olds, but we're trying to provide some information for our leaders of our younger girls to be able to adapt some of the activities for the younger girls. We also, as a part of our program here at Girl Scouts, we work with the National Science Foundation. And I think it's every couple of years, there is a Girl Scout who actually goes to Antarctica. We have a selection process for that. So this is sort of also ties in to something that we've already been promoting through girl scouting, even though only one girl gets to do it. And we've also tracked that girl's experience too. So now they'll have a chance to see some adult women do an expedition.
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