ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 20, 1993                   TAG: 9310200182
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SCOUTS CONSIDER LETTING MEMBERS ALTER PLEDGE

In a bow to diversity, the Girl Scouts are considering letting their members replace the word "God" in the scout pledge with the supreme being of their choice.

While Girl Scout officials insist they will not change the pledge, which begins, "On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country . . . " they say they are concerned that girls raised in Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, pagan or other religious traditions may feel excluded.

So, at a national Girl Scout convention in Minneapolis on Saturday, 2,000 delegates will vote on whether to allow any girl to replace the word "God" with whatever spiritual force reflects her own beliefs.

"We are not throwing God out of the Girl Scouts," spokeswoman Sandra Jordan said. "We're just concerned with making the Girl Scouts as inclusive as possible." - Newsday 


 by CNB