Episode 47: A Calling to Heritage with Patti Garibay

Patti discusses leaving Girl Scouts USA to start a Christ-centered alternative, how to avoid mission drift as an organization, and what we can do about the disconcerting rise in mental health issues among teen girls.

Share:

Episode 47: Patti Garibay

Summary

What does it take to leave an organization your family has been involved with for generations? On this episode of Refining Rhetoric, Robert interviews Patti Garibay, the founder and executive director of American Heritage Girls, an adventure program that encourages Christ-centered leadership and character development for girls ages 5–18. In their conversation, Patti discusses leaving Girl Scouts USA to start a Christ-centered alternative, how to avoid mission drift as an organization and stay fast to your core values, the significance behind the American Heritage Girls’ oath and creed, helping start Trail Life USA, and what we can do about the disconcerting rise in mental health issues among teen girls. Stick around after the interview for our “Current Events Discussion” and “Classical Crypto” segments, where this week Robert explores the possibility of reaching the national debt ceiling and whether on-chain metrics and the upcoming Bitcoin halving are valid predictors of a crypto bull market.

Quote

“I love what someone said to me recently about their experience in American Heritage Girls. They said, ‘It provided me with a framework for adulting.’ Girls today are very afraid of going into adulting. And so, we as parents need to be intentional in helping them prepare for that. [American Heritage Girls] . . . provides that framework so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel as a parent.”

Patti Garibay

Topics

  • Intro to Patti Garibay [0:48]
  • What values and lifelong skills are girls in the American Heritage Girls programs learning? [1:43]
  • Stories of American Heritage Girls members developing these values and life skills [3:43]
  • What it takes to earn the American Heritage Girls’ Stars and Stripes award [5:56]
  • All-girls organizations vs. coeds [7:15]
  • The largest false cultural narrative being taught to young women; why we can’t ignore the conversation around gender identity [8:30]
  • Why a Christ-centered character-development organization for girls is needed [11:40]
  • How to avoid mission drift and stay fast to core values [14:59]
  • Writing the book Why Curse the Darkness When You Can Light a Candle? about Patti’s experience leaving Girl Scouts USA to start American Heritage Girls [19:54]
  • The significance of the American Heritage Girls’ oath and creed [24:16]
  • Receiving criticism for standing up for moral issues, not political issues [25:17]
  • Growing internationally [28:03]
  • How American Heritage Girls is responding to the rise of mental health issues among teen girls [29:50]
  • Stories of parents involved in American Heritage Girls [33:37]
  • Farewell to Patti [36:33]
  • “Current Events Discussion:” The national debt ceiling [39:26]
  • Ad: Practicum 2023: Register Now! [43:59]
  • “Classical Crypto”: Should we expect a crypto bull run? [46:00]
  • Outro [51:10]

Mentions