GLOW From the Male Perspective
______ by Evan Brengle
Way back in 2008 at a hub day during PST for the MAK 13’s, I listened to a presentation about
Camp GLOW. I remember thinking what a valuable project this seemed, and I enthusiastically
approached the table to sign up to help. I was politely told, however, that men could not work at the
camp. I absolutely appreciate and respect the several very good reasons for this: surrounding the
campers with positive female role-models and creating an atmosphere conducive for discussing
sensitive topics like health and gender roles, among others. As such, I was happy that I could still
support the program by helping to recruit girls from my town to attend the camp each year.
My participation in the GLOW project was limited to recruitment for almost my first two years as a
volunteer. Then, during the 2010 camp, the GLOW team began to promote the idea of Club GLOW
for girls to continue working with the GLOW themes after their return to their communities and to
spread the GLOW message to girls who weren't camp participants. Fortunately for me, several of
the girls from Kicevo were interested in forming a club. At the time, I was the only volunteer in
town, and Sarah Goldberg contacted me to ask if I would be willing to help the girls get a club
started. I was really excited to have this opportunity to further support such a great program, but I
was also a little concerned about unintentionally contradicting some of the principal GLOW ideas. I
mean, isn’t one of those ideas that women can do things just as well as men? Would my involvement
somehow confirm to the girls that they would not be taken seriously enough on their own?
When I initially contacted the girls, I made it clear that I was available to help them whenever they
needed it, if they needed advice
on meeting details or needed an
adult to help with certain
arrangements, but that they
were really the ones in charge.
While I tend to believe that this
is the best approach for almost
any youth development project,
I don’t think I have ever seen it
work so effectively with any of
my other groups. The five
returned
campers
worked
together to advertise the club,
to arrange times and locations
for meetings, and to plan and
present each lesson and
activity. Just prior to our first
Club GLOW meeting in
Kicevo, Marlys Shelby arrived
in town and a local English Club GLOW Kicevo members singing the Little Red Wagon song
teacher also became involved (Photo by Marlys Shelby)
5