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On a drive out to a weekend Boy Scout campout, I couldn’t help but wonder about the Boy Scouts announcing that they will let girls among the ranks. Girls can join Cub Scout packs starting in 2018, and later they will announce plans that will allow older girls to achieve the coveted Eagle Scout Rank.
Should the Boy Scouts allow girls into the ranks? Absolutely. In fact, the Boy Scouts have had mixed-gender groups for a long time with their older youth “Explorers” programs.
As a Boy Scout myself, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout. It prepared me for a significant number of life’s challenges. I believe it’s a great program where kids learn and benefit from the experiences scouting offers. There is no reason to exclude girls from those benefits.
The reaction on social media has been all over the place. Some are for a more inclusive organization. Others think that the idea is crazy. The Boy Scouts cited surveys in their announcement that say families are stretched thin. Time and money are tight, and families are looking for activities where the whole family can participate.
The reaction from the Girl Scouts has been anything but scout-like. Several news organizations reported that the Girl Scouts statement to ABC News was: “The Boy Scouts’ house is on fire. Instead of addressing systemic issues of continuing sexual assault, financial mismanagement and deficient programming, BSA’s senior management wants to add an accelerant to the house fire by recruiting girls.” Yikes, not the civilized congratulations you might expect from a professional and international organization that focuses on youth development.
The Girl Scouts reinforced their position in a blog post by stating that “the benefits of the single-gender environment has been well-documented.” The blog post fails to credit any research backing up that statement. They also failed to list any specific and tangible benefits. This stance is surprising given that gender equality has been such a hot topic since the 1960s.
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I recently watched the movie “Battle of the Sexes.” In 1973, 90 million people tuned in to watch a male and a female tennis player in an exhibition tennis match. It wasn’t just about tennis. It was about equality. Back in those times, the women players were paid less than male counterparts, despite selling as many tickets to the matches. For the male Bobby Riggs, it was about exploiting the hype of male vs. female to sell tickets and make money. For the female, she was fighting to show the world that women are just as capable as men. In the end, the female player Billie Jean King won and sent Bobby Riggs packing in defeat.
As a society, we have come a long way since 1973. Women now serve increasingly equal roles as men in the military. Women have even started to join the special forces which are some of the toughest jobs in the military to get. Women have made great strides in business, holding positions that in 1950 they could not. Women have been astronauts. Girls have been on high school football teams. The list goes on and on.
If women can participate in organizations such as the U.S. Military, why not the Boy Scouts? After all, Robert Baden-Powell, who wrote “Scouting for Boys” and who established the Boy Scout Association, also wrote “Girl Guides” which helped establish the “Girl Guide Movement” (the U.K. version of the Girl Scouts). His intent was never to exclude girls.
When the Boy Scouts formed between 1907 and 1910, there was a societal expectation that genders would have separate groups. Boys were encouraged to strictly act like “boys” and eventually become husbands and be the provider to the family. Girls were expected to be “girlie” and to learn how to be homemakers and wives.
Those expectations are outdated. Of the men and women who marry now, many share the family chores and responsibilities. Both men and women change diapers. Both men and women take out the trash. The “gender” line has all but disappeared when it comes to running a home and a family.
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There is no real difference between a man and a woman chopping wood, pitching a tent, or learning essential life skills such as swimming or balancing a checkbook. Both sexes are capable of getting the job done.
So if girls and boys can do the same things and learn the same skills, then why separate groups? A mixed-gender organization has the benefits of a more diverse set of viewpoints and a bigger selection of skills.
Having both genders involved also involves moms, dads, and siblings in the organization. On a typical campout, more family time can be had instead of pulling Dad and Son away from the family for an entire weekend. The whole family can build memories instead of just son or dad.
The girls will become better salespeople too. Let’s face it; Girl Scout Cookies are not all that hard to sell. It’s much harder to get people to fork out money for overpriced popcorn.
The mistake that the Boy Scouts made when they announced the addition of girls to the ranks is they didn’t change the name of the organization. The Boy Scouts should change their organizational name to be gender inclusive. Maybe “Youth Scouts” or “The Scouts” would work. By keeping the organization “The Boy Scouts” and including girls, they are confusing people as to the organization’s goals and mission. If the purpose of the Boy Scouts is to be a whole family scouting unit, then they need to change the name.
The great thing about all this hubbub is that for the girls that want to join the Boy Scouts, they will be able to. Those that want to be a part of the Girl Scouts can participate in a Girl Scout Troop. Freedom of choice is in the hands of the girls. For the girls that enter the Cub Scout packs and eventually move into Boy Scout ranks, I applaud you. I look forward to the day of the first female honor court for whoever achieves the rank of Eagle Scout.
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Photo credit: Getty Images