The Girl Scouts of the Philippines Senior and Cadet Planning Board (SCPB) is the highest elected board of Senior and Cadet Girl Scouts who represent all age level troops within a council at their respective local city to help in planning and implementing of Girl Scout activities. Below SCPB member, Queen, will share her experience being part of this important group!
Way back in October 2020, in my 9 years as a Girl Scout, marked the beginning of my full-fledged role, not just a Girl Scout, but a Girl Scout part of the decision-making body at the local level. I was elected by my fellow Girl Scouts from Manila Girl Scout Council as their Chairperson to the Senior and Cadet Planning Board.
Together with my fellow SCPB officers, our responsibilities are anchored on taking up matters of concern common to troops at the council level, then lobbying for and against solutions deemed advantageous and for the ‘common good’,
thereby improving the troops’ program. The responsibility to lead and serve as part of the Senior and Cadet Planning Board entails greater service and role of youth participation in consultation.
As SCPB officers, we practice consultation by cooperating with the troop leaders of the Council Board in the creation, implementation, and promotion of special council-wide projects; and discussion and evaluation of Girl Scouting programs in the light of the needs and interests of girls at the local-level thus, serving as a localized girl-led advisory council.
Being part of the SCPB, we develop girl-adult relationships as we take part in creating and facilitating girl-led projects and programs in our council. Prior to becoming an SCPB, I was a timid yet a girl filled with high ambition to experience the feeling of empowered participation. With being part of the SCPB, I am set off with a purposeful mission to provide inputs then, become part of effective creation and conduct to improve as well as spearhead ideas in and of policy-making, implementation steps, and interventions necessitated for better decisions and its outcomes at the council-level.
In an interest to be guided and educated by the Girl Scouting Movement, as SCPB, I am to do the same thing—for young girls to not be afraid to express their most meaningful part—to be seen, validated, loved, and finally, discovered and honed by the movement to be part of meaningful youth participation.
Through this, we could hope for a world of equal youth participation, where meaningful participation of every girl is upheld in a validated, equal, and free manner.
Cadet Girl Scout Queen