The Boy Scouts of America announced on Wednesday that girls will soon be allowed to become Cub Scouts and to earn the coveted rank of Eagle Scout, the organization’s highest honor.
"We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children," said Michael Surbaugh, chief executive of the Boy Scouts.
The scouting board of directors voted unanimously to make the historic change in an organization that has been primarily for boys since its founding more than 100 years ago.
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Starting next year, young girls can join Cub Scout units, known as dens. Local scouting organizations can choose to have dens for girls and dens for boys. "Cub Scout dens will be single-gender — all boys or all girls," the organization said in a statement.
A separate program for older girls will be available in 2019, the Boy Scouts said, enabling them to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
The Boy Scouts said the moves reflect the changing nature of American life, adding to the appeal of a scouting program that can serve the entire family.
Boy Scouts listen as President Donald Trump speaks during the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia, July 24, 2017. Saul Loeb / AFP-Getty Images
BSA said it commissioned two nationwide surveys that showed parents not involved in scouting had high interest in getting their daughters signed up for both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
Related: Boy Scout Leaders to Discuss Offering More Opportunities for Girls
Girls are now part of four scouting programs — Venturing and Sea Scouting, geared toward outdoor activities; Exploring, a career-oriented mentoring program; and STEM, focusing on science and math. But those programs have not offered a path to Eagle Scout for girls.
Earlier this year, the National Organization for Women urged the Boy Scouts to admit girls to the entire program, supporting the efforts of a New York teenager, Sydney Ireland, to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, as her older brother did.
"I just want to do what the Boy Scouts do — earn the merit badges and earn the Eagle Award," she told NBC News. "The Girl Scouts is a great organization, but it's just not the program that I want to be part of. I think girls should just have the opportunity to be a member of any organization they want regardless of gender."
In the past, the Girl Scouts have been cool to the idea of admitting girls into the Boy Scouts, citing research that showed many girls learn best in an all-female environment.
"We are unparalleled in our ability to build great female leaders who contribute to society at every level," said Andrea Bastiani Archibald, a psychologist who helps guide the Girl Scouts.
cxqals on October 11st, 2017 at 21:49 UTC »
As a former Girl Scout myself, I don't know how I feel about this exactly. But I do understand why GSUSA is against it, beyond just money and enrollment numbers.
I work as a counselor at a Girl Scout camp now, but I used to work at a coed camp. The way girls act in mixed groups is often different from how they act in single gender groups. I'm sure it's similar for boys.
Female campers at the coed camp didn't speak out as much and they didn't share their opinions as freely, mostly because they were too nervous or shy to. They tended to gang up against girls who were "weirder" or more tomboyish. Those girls sometimes found a place among the boy campers, but were often never entirely included and felt alone.
At my current camp, even the shyest campers become very talkative and while some cliques do form, everyone ends up with a friend. More than that, they all seem much more spirited and willing to be themselves entirely. It doesn't matter if they're more "feminine" or more sporty, they all genuinely try to get along and have fun together. They speak out more about what they want to do.
Mixed groups do have different dynamics, and that's something that BSA will need to take into account going forward.
A lot of people have mentioned GSUSA being "out of touch", and while they do have a lot they could improve on, I don't think many of the people saying that have had recent, in depth contact with the Girl Scouts.
Your experience with Girl Scouts largely depends on your troop leader, the exact same way your experience with Boy Scouts will vary from troop to troop. I personally had a bad experience with my own troop when I was younger because we only did cooking and art badges, but even then, the local council still sponsored outdoor-oriented events too. Going to Girl Scout camp, where I got to spend a week or more in an open platform tent, learning wilderness skills and whatever else I had signed up to learn, was a much better experience for me than my first troop. When I got older, I moved and was able to join a different troop that did more camping oriented activities.
I have a friend whose troop saved their cookie money and went to Europe for a month, and another who opted to go on a canoeing trip in Canada. It's different for everyone.
More than that, Girl Scouts teaches a lot of important skills and values. At camp, everyone is responsible for their own mess, and when we do cookouts, the girls prepare the food and collect firewood themselves. They get to pick several activities they want to do at the beginning of each week. Counselors are also taught to stress sticking together and helping other girls, as well as all people, and understanding those who think or act differently from yourself. They also have a massive focus on trying to get girls interested in STEM right now.
One person's experience in Girl Scouts doesn't define Girl Scouts as a whole.
vurpine on October 11st, 2017 at 20:50 UTC »
Will they allow 33-year-old women to join?
Whelp, I'm too late. I wanted to join the boy scouts so badly back in the day!
GreatNegotiator on October 11st, 2017 at 17:45 UTC »
Can boys become Brownies or girl scouts?