Many scouting enthusiasts welcome the opportunity to expand the reach of the Boy Scouts and recognize the value for both girls and the scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America announced on October 11 that girls will now be able to participate in the Cub Scout ranks and work to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
The decision has been met with mixed reviews from the BSA and the larger community. Many scouting enthusiasts welcome the opportunity to expand the reach of the Boy Scouts and recognize the value for both girls and the scouts. Other community members, most notably the Girl Scouts, think that the change is designed to increase enrollment.
Michael Surbaugh, the Chief Scout Executive for BSA, said in an official statement that “the values of scouting—trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example—are important for both young men and women.” This attitude shows how BSA leadership is working to respond to changing family dynamics and the needs of today’s youth.
The change in policy is expected to begin in 2018. Families will be able to sign up their daughters in Cub Scouts, a program serving those in grades one through five. Officially launched in the United States in 1930, Cub Scouts is a “family-oriented program designed specifically to address the needs of younger children.”
Michael Surbaugh, the Chief Scout Executive for BSA, said in an official statement that “the values of scouting—trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example—are important for both young men and women.”
The family-oriented nature of Cub Scouts makes it the perfect program to introduce the benefits of scouting to both boys and girls. The BSA also recognizes the utility for parents to be able to include all of their children in a beneficial leisure activity. The change will allow busy families to participate more, including taking on leadership roles as den or pack leaders.
Today the BSA opens a new chapter in our history w/a unanimous vote to welcome girls to Cub through Eagle Rank. https://t.co/CYl8tU1yJJ
— Mike Surbaugh (@BSAchief) October 11, 2017
Boys and girls will be part of the same Cub Scout pack but will meet separately in dens for activities. The Girl Scouts criticized the change, stating that “the benefit of the single-gender environment has been well-documented by educators, scholars, other girl- and youth-serving organizations.” BSA’s new policy seems to recognize this benefit and take it into account when developing a plan to include girls in its programs.
Although this change has received a lot of attention, girls have actually been able to participate in scouting activities since the early 1970s. The Exploring and Venturing programs offer opportunities for career exploration, mentorship, and adventure for both boys and girls. Allowing girls to participate as Cub Scouts brings them into the inner circle of scouting.
The Boy Scouts program, a continuation of the Cub Scout model for boys ages 10 through 18, will also open its doors to girls and allow them to pursue the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout starting in 2019. Just as the change to the Cub Scout program, the Eagle Scout path will also “maintain the integrity of the single gender model while also meeting the needs of today’s families.”
Providing a path for girls to attain the rank of Eagle is an important step towards gender equality and opportunity. The Girls Scouts offers a comparable award, the Gold Award, but it still does not carry the same weight as the rank of Eagle.
The Exploring and Venturing programs offer opportunities for career exploration, mentorship, and adventure for both boys and girls.
Critics of the new policy argue that the Girl Scouts should remain the primary outlet for girls to develop their own potential and participate in their community. President Donald Trump responded to the change by tweeting “Strange, I thought that’s what the Girl Scouts was for???” His question was shared by many in the community who wonder how opening up Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts to girls will impact the future of the Girl Scouts.
We're the BEST leadership organization in the world for girls and no one can do what we do. Diversity is our strength. 💪💪🏽💪🏿 https://t.co/FW8cAkVzct pic.twitter.com/Y5vFc5gzJZ
— Girl Scouts (@girlscouts) October 11, 2017
It remains to be seen how the new policies are implemented and received. For now, including girls is a concrete step forward for the Boy Scouts of America. The world can always use more conscientious, responsible, and productive individuals.
