I’m not your typical Girl Scout Leader: I’m 23, finishing my masters in arts journalism, rather heavily tattooed, and spend too much time with the cat, listening to vintage Dolly Parton records.

Unfortunately, I’ve reached that point in my life where everyone in the neighborhood knows me as the ‘Girl Scout Lady.’

Last time I was at the dive bar down the road, a local coffee shop owner shook my shoulder and cried “Girl Scout Leader!” while seamlessly slipping through the crowd.

My car (which is Hello Kitty themed, by the way) is stuffed with Girl Scout cookies, random craft supplies, and has the occasional cigarette butt on the floor.

It’s all worth it, because every other week for 3 straight hours, I convene with a room of girls (first graders through eighth graders) and we discuss a multitude of topics, like our feelings, nature, Bernie Sanders, or colors, and work on meaningful projects like making our own zines and writing a play, or converting the unused horseshoe pit next door, into a butterfly garden.

My Troop is a little different from other Girl Scout Troops…here’s why.

1. We are an urban troop.

The contemporary idealized Girl Scout™ is a rough and tough camper ready for outdoor adventure at any time, but when you live in the near south side of Chicago, safe and proper outdoor space is difficult to find, let alone use.

That isn’t to say we don’t work outdoors. (I have to quell a riot every time the weather is nice enough to be outside!) We operate in partnership with the Chicago Park District, our Garden Journey is working on creating a butterfly/meditation garden on the property, and we are well on our way to a camp trip this summer, with the money we’ve raised from cookie sales.

2. Parents aren’t (always) Troop Leaders.

Troop #20186’s alternating-weekly meetings are conducted by local volunteers. While we have dedicated parent volunteers (hi Heidi!) and amazing community support, the bulk of the programming and coordinating is currently done by three hippies in their mid-20s who are all struggling to make rent.

This means that the Scouts are learning from role models in their community, thus expanding their social network beyond family and school. Leaders are unique authority figures compared to parents or teachers and this dynamic allows Scouts to explore the world and their selves with a sense of autonomy they may not exhibit at home or school.

3. Anyone can be a Troop Leader.

Troop #20186 had two dude Troop Leaders for about a year (why you aren’t still volunteering after moving away infuriates me, Nate!) Currently, we’re down to one groovy guy who is a great masculine role model for our Scouts.

The founding Leader of Troop #20186 moved to Denver, Colorado in July 2015, eventually becoming a professional Girl Scout, recruiting for the organization (who do you think got me involved?!) It was a match made in heaven, but unfortunately, this means she can’t directly volunteer for the organization as a Troop Leader.

It does, however, mean she patrons me for design work (I do all of Troop #20186’s promotional material and bulk of the photography.) We collaborated to make these flowchart flyers to attract non-traditional volunteers, like members of the LGBTQIA community, and men. See below to see if you can become a leader.

4. We hate the cookies.

More so the Leaders than the Scouts, these days. But, two of our three leaders have dietary restrictions that mean NO GIRL SCOUT COOKIES whatsoever. Girl Scout cookies do have gluten-free and vegan options, I haven’t been able to enjoy a Girl Scout cookie in about two years.

We will occasionally, and begrudgingly snack on them intermittently during booth sales–but that’s more of a survival tactic than a sweet tooth craving.

In addition to a palatial dislike, I’m at the point in the cookie season where I’m sickened by the sight of cookies: I have 20 cases in my car, parents constantly asking about their orders (sometimes fuming), and politely hocking them in local Bridgeport businesses. And it goes until March 28th.

I see so many viral articles about pairing your selected cookies with an adult beverage, but I’d rather just have an adult beverage, and then another, maybe another.

5. It’s fatally corporate and capitalistic.

The Girl Scouts of the United State of America (GSUSA) operates in a hierarchical structure with a CEO and staff of 400 headquartered in New York City, along with a governing body of 40 members, known as the National Board of Directors.

Below the national structure are councils, which cover a certain geographical location, according to their official website. For example, Illinois has five councils, two of which overlap with Indiana and Iowa. Within those councils are smaller geographical compartments called Service Units, (or ‘Neighborhoods’ or ‘Associations’) and below that are the Troops themselves.

This structure isn’t out of the question for many traditional corporations, but the corporate system relies heavily on the work of unpaid volunteers to facilitate Service Unit and Troop meetings, and work directly with Scouts.

Our two product sales during the year (candy and magazine subscriptions in the autumn, and Girl Scout cookie sales in the winter/spring months) provide us with operational funds, like snacks, supplies, transportation, etc. But for every $4 box of Girl Scout cookies sold, we receive .65¢.

That’s right, for every box you buy, less than a full dollar goes directly to the Troop.

In addition to getting lowballed, each Scout receives “incentives” for the number of items sold.

While these are lovely little prizes to the Scouts, this model leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Plus, I’m the one left to explain to each Scout why she didn’t get a certain toy and another Scout did. I believe in rewards for a job well done, but sales gimmicks aren’t appropriate for young, impressionable minds.

Troop #20186 specifically tries to combat these corporatist ideals with grass root strategies. Booth sales are only held at local businesses (never chains.) We use this face time to connect with community members and tell them about our Troop goals and accomplishments within that community. Product sales are meant to improve our interpersonal skills first and foremost, with a minor emphasis on business and organizational skills. We accept donations, monetary or physical. And, we always make thank-you cards for the people who donate their time or space to us (here’s looking at you Rev. Hines, Jackalope Coffee & Tea, and Jamie!)

Due to our anti-oppression philosophy, we must participate in product sales in order to democratize our operation, as we (both the Scouts’ families and Leaders themselves) can’t afford exorbitant participation costs.

6. No uniforms required!

Again, the contemporary ideal of the Girl Scout™ is an adorable girl dressed in an unflattering green and tan uniform.

While some Troops require uniforms during certain events (booth sales, community service projects, etc.) Troop #20186 has no uniform requirements. Most of our Scouts wear uniforms to school, and many of our projects involve physical activity and getting a little messy, so it doesn’t seem fitting to wear a polyester-blend, light-colored outfit during our meetings. We also encourage each Scout to act like a Girl Scout even when they’re not at Girl Scouts.

That isn’t to say certain Scouts don’t embrace the uniform! Some Scouts go all out, while others prefer a DIY approach like ironing their patches to a denim vest, like a mini riot punk.

A uniform doesn’t make the Scout, the Scout makes the uniform.

7. It ain’t all about the badges.

Speaking of uniforms…

At the midpoint and end of every Girl Scout year, Troop #20186 hosts an “Accomplishment Ceremony.” We gather in a circle and pass out sale product prizes (see above) and the patches or badges they’ve earned, as well as a little gift or memento from the Troop.

There’s a slight difference between patches and badges. Badges are rewarded on the completion of a curricular activity based on a skill (pottery, art, baby-sitting, First Aid etc.) and while usually done with other Scouts of the same grade-level, they can be completed at home. Troop #20186 requires the Scout to give some sort of presentation or example to their fellow Scouts to demonstrate their new skill.

Patches are rewarded based on participation, rather than learning. For example, the largest patch in the above image is a Tarzan on Ice patch, I received for going to see Tarzan on Ice. Patches are given for parades, product sales, and camping, amongst thousands of other things.

8. Not just arts & crafts time (but there are a lot of arts & crafts!)

Troops are meant to be “girl-led.” That means the Scouts decide what topics they want to focus on, how they will approach them.

When I was in Girl Scouts during the late 90s and early 00s (as a Brownie) we met every week after school, but mostly just colored themed print-outs that went along with the season or holidays.

Now, as a Leader, I use the Scouts’ natural artistic inclination to get them excited about projects.

Our typical meeting begins with a healthy snack, (a fruit + a veg + something crunchy + something sweet is our go-to formula) we say our Promise & Law (see below) and then break off into our grade-level groups (Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Ambassadors, Seniors) reconvene for a troop activity (we are currently working on our Mental Health Awareness Patch compiled by the International Bipolar Foundation) and mixed-level Journey time (the Garden Girls and Book Worms) before we end with our Friendship Circle & Song.

We tend to visualize or brainstorm using crayons and markers, in between writing up proposals for community projects, filling out forms for badges or planning events, or even as a way to transition between one part of our 3-hour long meeting, to another.

9. We don’t believe in ‘God.’

The Girl Scout Promise has the word “God” in it, but according to the official Girl Scout manifesto on religion, we are a secular organization, and the word “God” may be interpreted to mean whatever that particular Scout wants to.

To quote one of my Daisies, ‘I’m a heathen.’

I have no religion, but we encourage the Scouts to participate in a healthy spiritual experiences, usually connected to nature in some way (I already told you, we were hippies.) We are extremely respectful of their own cultural and personal religions, but don’t enforce any organized religious observances.

I did have to vehemently veto a Service Unit field trip to a church (in full uniform?!) as I don’t think it’s an appropriate place for Scouts to gather, as there are far more local opportunities for us to demonstrate our commitment to the organization, each other, and our community, than participating in an archaic church service.

10. All of the Scouts get along!

I quit Girl Scouts in 3rd grade when another Scout and her mother (the Troop Leader) wouldn’t stop bullying me (I now have a word for it.)

The last straw was at a holiday parade in our suburban town of Manteno in Illinois. I had braided the front portion of my hair on either side of my face, and wrapped green and gold ribbon around them, to allude to candy canes. The fellow Scout in question, told me they looked dumb and that I should take them out so our Troop wouldn’t look stupid. I cried, and walked in the parade and immediately after, told my mother that I was done with Girl Scouts forever. But I was the one that got in trouble, as the Scout in question told her mother is was me who had been bullying her.

It wasn’t until a friend of mine approached me in 2013ish (see item #2) to chauffeur some cookies and chaperone a few field trips, that I was wrangled in again.

Surprisingly, we have never had a problem with Scout-to-Scout interaction. The key in this lies in our multi-level Troop. Many Troops will be wholly divided by grade-level, and because many of them operate out of churches and schools, the Scouts already spend a ton of time together, which can breed a culture of cliques.

Troop #20186 doesn’t divide up solely by age; we separate based on interests and abilities, while staying connected with everyone else. We have 1st graders working with 3rd graders and 8th graders who are best friends with 4th graders.

The accepting atmosphere between these Scouts is something that I have taken for granted recently, but have begun to tout it as a special attribute of our Troop dynamic.

If we can’t work together, how will we better our world?

As I stated above, every Troop is its own special star in the huge constellation that is the international organization of Girl Scouts. This list only reflects Troop #20186 and my personal experiences, but hopefully will be an inspiration to other Troops and adult volunteers looking to inspire and support girls, in a quirky-hippie-intersectional-feminist kind of way.

If you have questions for me, please reach out. If you’d like to buy some cookies, support our Troop, or volunteer with us, contact me at [email protected] You can find random photos of us doing Girl Scout stuff on Instagram using the tag #girlscouts20186.