Sunday, Mar. 14, 1999

Envisioning a bright future for a baby girl

Child will have many female role models

By SYLVIA R. LONGORIA
Staff Writer

   Six-year-old Bethany Kroeger looked at Laura Carmen Canales and couldn't believe how tiny the newborn's toes and fingers were.
   Laura, born at 12:13 a.m. Friday, was the first baby delivered at Christus Spohn Hospital South on the 87th anniversary of the Girl Scouts' founding, which is how Laura's parents became recipients of a basket full of gifts on behalf of Bethany and 30 other Troop 6011 Brownie Girl Scouts.
   When six of the girls presented their gifts, Laura was barely 12 hours old. But Bethany, a student at St. Pius, already had high hopes for her.
   "I want her to be a Girl Scout. And then I want her to be president." She paused and then added: "No, I want her to be the best president ever."
   Well, Bethany, could be on to something. Many women in positions of power and influence are former Girl Scouts -- Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, "Today" co-host Katie Couric, Jane Pauley of "Dateline," former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and Attorney General Janet Reno. Also, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and former first lady Nancy Reagan to name a few.

Female for president

   But it's another former Girl Scout making headlines today -- Elizabeth Dole, who last week announced her presidential campaign exploratory committee.
   "She happens to be the right political female figure at the right time," says Judith Anne Mitchell, who teaches history of women in America at Phoenix's Paradise Valley Community College. "She's a very viable candidate, adept politician and intelligent woman. If she handles things right she can literally redefine the presidential ticket in terms of gender."
   Diana Ivy, director of the Women's Center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, said that because of the Clinton scandals "whoever comes in will be under pressure to be the moral leader of all time. They've got to come in as a Girl Scout or Boy Scout."
   Ivy sees Dole as "the most interesting, strongest, realistic candidate in a long time. By realistic I mean she's got a real shot and there's no tokenism feel to it."
   To turn that shot into success, Mitchell said, Dole's appeal must transcend gender, race, class and ethnicity. "Win or lose she'll have made an impact," she said.

Overcoming obstacles

   Perhaps by the time little Laura is old enough to chart her course, the country will have evolved enough that gender or skin color will be of no consequence when assessing candidates.
   "But for now there are still barriers to break," Ivy said. "Women know they can achieve whatever they want. But there's always that little voice that gets reinforced by the culture and makes them think, `Maybe I ought to settle for the second top job. Maybe I should get a little more experience or maybe I'm really not qualified for the top job.'
   "If I were whispering in Dole's ear, I'd tell her not to settle for the No. 2 job. I would tell her not to become a symbolic presidential candidate -- that is, just throwing her hat in the ring so that she can get noticed and become somebody's vice president."
   Dole isn't the first and by no means the last to buck the status quo.
   "Women need to take the risk, take the heat and step out there," Ivy said. "There are a lot of groundbreakers out there and she is a big one and an important one. She will make a difference and has in fact already made a difference."
   Sylvia R. Longoria can be reached at 886-3718 or by e-mail at longorias@caller.com