Buzzsaw Checkerling
2017-10-11 17:58:53 UTC
by David Crary
October 11, 2017
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- Embracing a historic change, the Boy Scouts of America
announced Wednesday plans to admit girls into the Cub Scouts starting
next year and to establish a new program for older girls using the same
curriculum as the Boy Scouts.
Under the plan, Cub Scout dens the smallest unit will be
single-gender, either all-boys or all-girls. The larger Cub Scout packs
will have the option to remain single gender or welcome both genders.
The program for older girls is expected to start in 2019 and will
enable girls to earn the coveted rank of Eagle Scout.
The Boy Scouts board of directors, which approved the plan unanimously
in a meeting at BSA headquarters in Texas, said the change was needed
to provide more options for parents.
"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, the BSA's chief scout executive.
"The values of Scouting trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and
reverent, for example are important for both young men and women,"
Surbaugh added.
The announcement follows many months of outreach by the BSA, which
distributed videos and held meetings with the Boy Scout community to
discuss the possibility of expanding girls' participation beyond
existing programs, such as Venturing and Sea Scouts.
The Girl Scouts of the USA criticized the initiative, saying it
strained the century-old bond between the two organizations. Girl Scout
officials have suggested the BSA's move was driven partly by financial
problems and a need to boost revenue.
In August, the president of the Girl Scouts accused the Boy Scouts of
seeking to covertly recruit girls into their programs while disparaging
the Girl Scouts' operations.
"I formally request that your organization stay focused on serving the
90 percent of American boys not currently participating in Boy Scouts
... and not consider expanding to recruit girls," wrote GSUSA President
Kathy Hopinkah Hannan in a letter to the BSA's president, AT&T Chairman
Randall Stephenson.
The Girl Scouts, founded in 1912, and the BSA, founded in 1910, are
among several major youth organizations in the U.S. experiencing sharp
drops in membership in recent years. Reasons include competition from
youth sports leagues, a perception by some families that they are
old-fashioned and busy schedules that prompt some parents to despair of
meeting all their children's obligations. For some families, scouting
programs that welcome both boys and girls could be a welcome
convenience.
As of March, GSUSA reported 1,566,671 youth members and 749,008 adult
members, down from just over 2 million youth members and about 800,000
adult members in 2014. The Boy Scouts say current youth participation
is about 2.35 million, down from 2.6 million in 2013 and more than 4
million in peak years of the past.
Buzzsaw: I don't have a problem with this. The only thing is... just
don't call a girl a "Boy Scout" and vice versa.
______________
"Nikki Haley is the 29th and current United States Ambassador to the
United Nations."
October 11, 2017
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- Embracing a historic change, the Boy Scouts of America
announced Wednesday plans to admit girls into the Cub Scouts starting
next year and to establish a new program for older girls using the same
curriculum as the Boy Scouts.
Under the plan, Cub Scout dens the smallest unit will be
single-gender, either all-boys or all-girls. The larger Cub Scout packs
will have the option to remain single gender or welcome both genders.
The program for older girls is expected to start in 2019 and will
enable girls to earn the coveted rank of Eagle Scout.
The Boy Scouts board of directors, which approved the plan unanimously
in a meeting at BSA headquarters in Texas, said the change was needed
to provide more options for parents.
"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, the BSA's chief scout executive.
"The values of Scouting trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and
reverent, for example are important for both young men and women,"
Surbaugh added.
The announcement follows many months of outreach by the BSA, which
distributed videos and held meetings with the Boy Scout community to
discuss the possibility of expanding girls' participation beyond
existing programs, such as Venturing and Sea Scouts.
The Girl Scouts of the USA criticized the initiative, saying it
strained the century-old bond between the two organizations. Girl Scout
officials have suggested the BSA's move was driven partly by financial
problems and a need to boost revenue.
In August, the president of the Girl Scouts accused the Boy Scouts of
seeking to covertly recruit girls into their programs while disparaging
the Girl Scouts' operations.
"I formally request that your organization stay focused on serving the
90 percent of American boys not currently participating in Boy Scouts
... and not consider expanding to recruit girls," wrote GSUSA President
Kathy Hopinkah Hannan in a letter to the BSA's president, AT&T Chairman
Randall Stephenson.
The Girl Scouts, founded in 1912, and the BSA, founded in 1910, are
among several major youth organizations in the U.S. experiencing sharp
drops in membership in recent years. Reasons include competition from
youth sports leagues, a perception by some families that they are
old-fashioned and busy schedules that prompt some parents to despair of
meeting all their children's obligations. For some families, scouting
programs that welcome both boys and girls could be a welcome
convenience.
As of March, GSUSA reported 1,566,671 youth members and 749,008 adult
members, down from just over 2 million youth members and about 800,000
adult members in 2014. The Boy Scouts say current youth participation
is about 2.35 million, down from 2.6 million in 2013 and more than 4
million in peak years of the past.
Buzzsaw: I don't have a problem with this. The only thing is... just
don't call a girl a "Boy Scout" and vice versa.
______________
"Nikki Haley is the 29th and current United States Ambassador to the
United Nations."