American Heritage Girls


Recently I signed up to be my local AGH Vice-Coordinator. I have been waiting impatiently for Mesquite to get an AGH started and finally it has happened! I am so escited to get to be a part of this wonderful expereince. So what exactly does a Troop Vice-Corrdinator do? Glad you asked, until I was asked to be one, I had no clue either!

Troop Vice-CoordinatorA registered Adult Volunteer who works along-side the Coordinator and serves as a Coordinator-in-training. The Vice Coordinator will perform the duties and have the powers of the Coordinator in the event of the Coordinator's absence, death or disability. She/He may perform the duties of the Troop Registrar or appoint one. The Vice Coordinator oversees all aspects of Troop registration for girl and adult members and maintains the Troop roster and Troop Advancement records (or may delegate these responsibilities). She/He serves on the Troop Board helping to establish Troop policies and procedures. She/He will have any duties and powers that are assigned by the Coordinator and Troop Board.

So why did I pick AGH for my daughter? Pretty simple actually.I wanted a faith based organization she could be a part of that was not going to water down Jesus and His morals, values and principals to suit societies twisted thinking of right and wrong. Here are a few things AGH stands for:


I. AHG Oath:

"I promise to love God,
Cherish my family,
Honor my country,
and Serve in my community."

II. AHG Mission:

"Building women of integrity through
service to God, family, community and country."

III. AHG Vision:
"American Heritage Girls is the premier national
character development organization for young women that
embraces Christian values and encourages family involvement."


IV. AGH Creed:
As an American Heritage Girl, I promise to be:
Compassionate - Understanding others in fellowship, empathy, kindness, and caring. Respect others' opinions and emotions.
Helpful - Willingly serve others.
Honest - Always tell the truth and keep my promise.
Loyal - True to God, family, friends, community and country.
Perseverant - Continuing to strive toward a goal despite obstacles.
Pure - Keep my mind and body pure.
Resourceful - Wisely use my time, materials and talents.
Respectful - Honor my country, be obedient to those in authority and courteous to all.
Responsible - Accountable for my own actions. Reliable in all situations.
Reverent - Faithful and honoring to God. Respectful to the beliefs of others.

V. Statement of Faith:

American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered leadership and
character development ministry.
The following Statement of Faith applies to all American Heritage Girls'
Charter Organizations, Adult Members and Adult Leaders.
"We believe that there is One Triune God – Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son, and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe each person is created in His image for the purpose of communing with and worshipping God. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit who enables us to live a Godly life. We believe that each individual is called to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love their neighbors as themselves. We believe that each individual is called to live a life of purity, service, stewardship and integrity."
I really appreciate that AGH clarifies there definitions so each girl knows EXACTLY what is expected of them and this leaves no room for other interpretations:
Clarity is further provided to the following terms:

Purity – An AHG member is called to live a life of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed, reserving sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage; marriage being a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.

Service
– An AHG member is called to become a responsible member of their community and the world through selfless acts, which contribute to the welfare of others.

Stewardship
– An AHG member is called to use their God given time, talents and money wisely.

Integrity
– An AHG member is called to live a moral life, demonstrating the inward motivation to do what is right, regardless of the cost  

AGH Levels are broken down into realistic grade/age levels.My daughter will be a Pioneer.

Pathfinder - Ages 5-6 and in Kindergarten
Girls earn necklace beads for attendance, participation and bible verse memorization while learning the four parts of the AHG Oath. They receive the Eliza Shirley Award for completion of this level.

Tenderheart - Ages 6-9 and in grades 1-3
A Tenderheart earns Achievement Badges in any of the six Frontiers of Skill and receives activity patches for participating in Troop activities or special events. They earn the Sacagawea Award for achieving the highest level of skill and service at this level. Service Stars are awarded for every 5 hours of community service.

Explorer - Ages 9-12 and in grades 4-6
An Explorer earns Achievement Badges in any of the six Frontiers of Skill and receives activity patches for participating in Troop activities and/or special events. They receive Service Stars for every 10 hours of community service. The Lewis and Clark Award is earned by those girls who achieve the highest level of skill and service in this age group. Explorers are allowed to participate in overnight camping events as well.

Pioneer - Ages 12-14 and in grades 7-8
A Pioneer continues to earn Achievement Badges, Service Stars and activity patches. The highest award level for Pioneers is the Harriet Tubman Award. These girls may also become Camp and Event Aides.  The Pioneer level is where girls really begin to show leadership skills by assisting their leaders with planning, organizing and staffing special events for AHG in the community or within their Troop. 

Patriot - Ages 14-18 and in grades 9-12
The Patriot is the highest program level in AHG. These girls plan and carry out activities with Unit Leaders who function as “facilitators”, allowing girls to make decisions on a regular basis.  As with lower levels, they too earn Achievement Badges, Service Stars and activity patches. Since the girls are older, they are required to demonstrate the highest level of skill in all areas. The level award for the Patriots is the Dolley Madison Award.

Patriot level girls may go above and beyond to earn the highest award of the American Heritage Girls,
The Stars and Stripes Award. This is the most prestigious of awards, and requires a great deal of time, sacrifice and devotion to achieve this award.
Have you ever wondered how the Level Awards got their names?  Each award is named after a person (or people) who have made a positive impact on our country.  Would you like to learn more about these namesakes?  Just click on a picture, and the level award namesake will introduce themselves.

Pioneer Dress Code:


* Official AHG long/short sleeve White mesh Polo shirt with AHG Logo on left sleeve


* Khaki pants or skirt with no logo.

* Blue sash and insignia








Program Emphasis:

Life Skill enhancement through multi-level achievement badge program.

Girl leadership opportunities at all levels of programming.

Developing teamwork and building confidence through varied outdoor experiences.

Character development through community service and citizenship programs.

Social development through organized Special Events.

Spiritual development through religious awards program.

Do you live in the Mesquite/Sunnyvale area? Looking to join a Christian club? Come check us out, we are Troop TX0595. we meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at Sunnyvale Baptist Church along with the Boy/Cub Scouts.  I look forward to seeing you there!

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