Four young ladies whose family resides in Simpson County joined a fairly new organization, American Heritage Girls (AHG), just over a year ago.
Dixie, Becky, Melanie, and Lorena McCoy are members of Troop #MS1271 that meets at The Pointe Church on Star Road in Brandon, MS.
The four girls are the daughters of Jason and Melissa McCoy. Twin boys round out the family. Melissa has been a homeschool mom for many years. They discovered AHG watching Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey when the organization aired an episode to honor the 25th anniversary of AHG.
Dixie, a 10th grader, “fell in love with the mission,” she stated, as did the whole family. “My favorite part was ‘building women of integrity,’” Dixie added.
American Heritage Girls is a completely God centered organization for girls ages 5-18 and was started in the mid 1990’s in northern Ohio. There are more than 1,000 troops across the United States and in 15 countries. There are ten troops in Mississippi. They have a mission statement, vision statement and an oath that states “I promise to love God, cherish my family, honor my country, and serve in my community.” All three are found on the AHG website https://americanheritagegirls.org.
The five age levels are Pathfinder (5-6); Tenderheart (6-9); Explorer (10-12); Pioneer (12-14); and, Patriot (14-18). According to Dixie it is girl focused and church based in that each AHG troop is chartered within a church. Additionally, awards are associated with each named level including the Fanny Crosby, Sacagawea, Ida Scudder, Harriet Tubman, and Abigail Adams awards.
Dixie held a Fashion Show for girls ages 5-12, on August 13 to complete her Abigail Adams award. Seventeen young ladies wore sweet modest dresses as requested for participation. It was not a contest so there were no prizes, but each girl received a certificate and flower. A $5 participant entry fee was required. Proceeds of $400 were raised and given to the Mississippi Baptist Children’s Village.
For more information about American Heritage Girls and their locations visit their website https://americanheritagegirls.org.
