Girls will officially be welcomed into the ranks of Boy
Scouts of America in February of 2019. If you've been watching the news or
following social media on the topic, you'll know that there has been much
controversy surrounding this announcement from BSA. In this article, I hope to cut through a lot
of the drama, open a few eyes to the facts, and sprinkle a little of my opinion
on top. There you have it, a BSA sundae complete with whipped cream, a handful
of nuts, and a cherry on top. All the
usual fixings!
I wonder if the people waving the banner saying, "Girls are going to ruin Boy Scouts of
America", realize that girls have been, for quite some time, a part of
other BSA programs like Venturing, Sea Scouts, Explorers, Learning for Life,
and career-based programs. Clearly,
girls have not ruined any of these other BSA programs with their participation.
In fact, female volunteers have played a
large role in Boy Scout Troop leadership since 1988. Coming from a male-led
Scout Troop 32 in Warsaw New York, 1982 - 1988, I can bare witness that 30 years of female leadership has had no negative
impact on the scouting experience that my 13 year old son is a part of today.
Some other arguments you might find in social media are focused
on statements like, "The benefit of the single-gender environment
has been well-documented by educators, scholars, other girl- and youth-serving
organizations, and Girl Scouts and their families." This is a seemingly strong and much repeated
argument for BSA to reconsider allowing girls to join Boy Scouting. I have to admit, the thought of myself being
a 16 year old boy sitting next to a 16 year old girl at a troop meeting back in
1986 is rather appealing to me. Alas,
this still won't be seen, even in light of the February 2019 changes. Yes, girls are allowed into Boy Scouts (newly
dubbed "Scouts BSA"), but Scout Troops will still be organized in a
single-gender model. Meaning, existing
Boy Scout Troops will not see any girls joining their ranks. Girls joining Scouts BSA will have their own
girl-only troops, following the same guidelines as the boys in parallel
boy-only troops.
Some of you may have seen the letter to BSA that Kathy
Hopinkah Hannan, National President, Girl Scouts of the USA wrote, "I formally request that your organization
stay focused on serving the 90 percent of American boys not currently
participating in Boy Scouts..." This is a business statement between organizations. It is not a family statement and should not bare any weight in a family's decision to participate in either
Girl Scouts or BSA. When any additional option
that is favorable to even a small set of participants is introduced, there will always be attrition in existing organizations
as a portion of current and new membership gravitates to the new option. If Girl Scouting remains static and does
nothing, BSA opening Cub Scouting in
2018, and Boy Scouting in 2019, to girls will have a negative impact on Girl
Scout numbers and growth. This is simple
business logic. I fully encourage Girl
Scouts of the USA to reevaluate their current programs, offerings, and
activities to introduce new options that will attract new participants. I'd be very surprised if they weren't already
doing so. Being a century old
establishment means little when your offerings are no longer in line with the
needs of your participants. I also find
it hard to believe that any century old organization, like Girl Scouts of the
USA, that limits its participants to females, wouldn't have long ago realized
the risks if their business model had dependencies on a competing organization continuing
male-only participation in the last two of its programs that have not already
opened their doors to females.
A young girl, Sydney Ireland, 16 years old when she
petitioned BSA wrote, "I am
determined to be an Eagle Scout. It isn’t just a hobby, it’s access to some of
the best leadership training there is... Unfortunately for me and half the
country’s population, we are excluded from most of these amazing opportunities
for no reason other than that we are female. That’s why I’m calling on the BSA
to end the discriminatory ban against young women and girls, and allow all
children to participate in the Boy Scouts and earn the Eagle Rank." There is much truth in this. BSA is world
renowned for its leadership training which historically has only been
accessible to young men. In my path to
Eagle Scout over 30 years ago, it seemed common knowledge that achieving the prestigious
rank of Eagle Scout would not only instill me with leadership skills and experience
well beyond what most kids were picking up while pursuing other common hobbies
and activities, but additionally give me a distinct advantage in applications to
colleges, universities, military academies, and in job interviews. To me, a
resume with Eagle Scout on it speaks to a certain level of leadership, responsibility,
and personal commitment at an early age that is a rare find among our countries
youth. These are very desirable qualities in candidates being interviewed by
recruiters and hiring managers. If I had
a daughter, I would want the same opportunities, experiences, and benefits
imparted by becoming an Eagle Scout that I enjoyed in my youth available to
her.
If nothing you've read yet has swayed your opinion, then let's
get real for a moment and focus on what really matters. Family matters! Your spouse, your son, and your daughter are
all members of your family. Scouting is a
family activity. Since 1988, Boy Scout
troops have been comprised of both male and female adult leadership and boys
from the ages of 11 to 17. For the last
30 years, daughters from 11 to 17 have been excluded from this family activity.
In this day and age, where women have long
sense proven their equality in leadership, intelligence, and drive for success,
I don't think any parent would argue if I said that daughters are family too,
and deserve access to the same BSA leadership training, experiences, and career
advantages that the rank of Eagle Scout has bestowed to their male siblings for
over a hundred years. All I can say is, it's
about time!
Yours in Scouting,
Gene S.
Troop 366
Committee Member/Treasurer/Webmaster
Yours in Scouting,
Gene S.
Troop 366
Committee Member/Treasurer/Webmaster
