“Well behaved women seldom make history.” – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Anyone who knows me, knows I am missing some punches on my “man card.” For example, I couldn’t care less how much torque your motor has or how to properly secure a load. So it’s only appropriate that I ended up with two daughters. But lucky for them, I want them to grow up with courage, confidence and character; or as a favorite meme states “I want my daughter to be kind, but know that she can throat punch someone if she needs to.”

On most days, my parenting style can be likened to Tom Hanks baseball coaching style in A League of Their Own. I have the best intentions, but cannot understand the emotional spectrum females were equipped with. So, how exactly do you raise that strong, independent, inquisitive, questioning, intelligent girl?

While I may not know the answer yet, I know an organization that may: the Girl Scouts. Full disclosure, I am the type of parent who is trying to expose my kids to the opportunities available to them and let them choose their own path. My oldest was eligible to become a Brownie this year for the first time, and I made a strong case for Girl Scouts, but she chose piano and soccer. So that makes ME the only Girl Scout in my house.

That’s right, I joined the Girl Scouts of Sierra Nevada Board of Trustees last year. There is an unfortunate stereotype that Girl Scouts is a mother/daughter activity. For the fathers of daughters, if you want to spend quality time with your enigma making some powerful memories, then I highly recommend what the Girl Scouts have to offer. Yes, you might have that uncomfortable feeling when you’re the only dad and a kid birthday party, but you’ll not only get over that feeling, the moms will begin to embrace you being there.

I mean, take a look at these local Mega Cookie Drop photos and all the fathers helping unload 12,000 cases of cookies! That’s 144,000 boxes of cookies or approximately 77,000 pounds of cookies.

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You knew I had to talk about the cookies.

My name is Luigi and I’m addicted to Thin Mints. “Hi Luigi!” My sobriety will be tested by these Schedule I Controlled Substances as they hit the stands in front of your local supermarket today. Find your fix here.

Each box of cookies sold raises $3.85 for LOCAL Girl Scouts! So yes, you are making a difference with each sleeve of cookies you eat in a single sitting. But how else can you get involved? Unloading cookies, while extremely helpful, isn’t making memories with your lovely daughter.

So what activities can you do with your daughter? Well, Girl Scouts is all about the positive reinforcement model by giving out badges. I know my daughter loves this type of reinforcement as she gets “bear claws” for good behavior at school and can spend them however she wishes. So help your daughter (or her troop) get a badge! You can design a robot, build a race car, be a scientist, go for a hike, teach first aid, take photos, work out, draw a picture, make a movie, pretend to solve a mystery, climb a tree, design a website or simply make dinner with them. That is just a small sample.

Lastly, did you know the Girl Scouts have a full on Summer camp just 90 minutes away from Reno? This year there is a “He’s With Me” camp where you can experience camp side by side with your daughter. Not everyone may have a father in their lives, so she can bring a grandpa, older brother or favorite uncle. What are you doing July 12-14?

Stay tuned for the Podcast – Jonathan, myself and Jessica Mahon (from Girl Scouts) are putting together. We’ll talk more about some of the great programs Girl Scouts have to offer. In the mean time, please take a moment and go to the local Girl Scout page and familiarize yourself.