What is American Heritage Girls?
AHG is a scouting-like organization founded in the summer of 1995 their girls to reflect Christian values. The organization is fun, challenging, memorable, and God-honoring.
AHG’s mission statement is, “Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country.” All girls are welcome, regardless of race or status, as long as they agree to live according to the standards of the AHG oath and AHG creed. The oath states simply, “I promise to love God, cherish my family, honor my country, and serve in my community.” The creed declares, “As an American Heritage Girl, I promise to be: compassionate, helpful, honest, loyal, perseverant, pure, resourceful, respectful, responsible, and reverent.”
In the fall of 2015, the Rev. John Pallard, priest of Holy Spirit Church, approached the vestry with an idea of chartering an American Heritage Girls Group. The vestry agreed that this would be a great ministry.
From that point on, the Rev. Pallard was persistent in trying to find a troop that needed a charter. He and Debbie O’Donnell put a lot of prayer into whether to charter an AHG Group. One day, Debbie happened to be in the church office when Lisa Martin and Angela Messina came out of the priest’s office. Angela’s daughter had attended the school Debbie had worked at years before. The three women joined forces to create the AHG Board, which consists of Debbie O’Donnell (charter representative and troop shepherd), Lisa Martin (troop coordinator), Cheryl Brown (co-chair), and Angela Messina (troop treasurer). Their troop number is FL6013.
The group started with 12 girls and now has 22. The girls are put in units or groups by age. Pathfinders are 5-6 years old (typically in kindergarten); Tenderhearts are 6-9 years old (typically in grades 1, 2, or 3); Explorers are 9-12 years old (typically in grades 4, 5, or 6); Pioneers are 12-14 years old (typically in grades 7, 8); and Patriots are 14-18 years old (typically in Grades 9, 10, 11, 12). All the girls earn badges except for the Pathfinders, who receive beads.
The Holy Spirit group meets every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m-8:00 p.m. and now has three units with three leaders: Pathfinders, Tenderhearts, and Explorers/Pioneers. In the fall of this year, the group has two young women who will be moving up to Patriots.
The girls have enjoyed activities such as a Memorial Day celebration, a visit from Bishop Brewer, feeding the hungry, and helping with the First Responders dinner. Many other fun and service-driven activities happen throughout the year.
If you live near the Apopka area and would like more information on how to join Holy Spirit’s American Heritage Girls Group, please email AHGtroop6013@gmail.com for details.