Basementdweller Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 Old Whitepine, seems to think that the BSA would shrink if girls were allowed to join scouting. Locally, My old Pack would double in size.....from just the sibs joining. Not sure how it would impact the Boy Scout program..... Thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packsaddle Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 More than double I'd estimate in this area. Not only would the direct effect be a doubling but a LOT more boys would join as well who wouldn't have considered scouting if it weren't for the girls. It would be a really interesting effect. I'm thinking it would be a good effect. This would work GREAT for the cubs as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattlePioneer Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 When I do Cub Scout recruiting in schools, girls are more aggressive about join than are boys, and disappointed when told they can't join. However, I think there are good reasons for keeping Cub Scout dens boys only. A parallel American Heritage Girl program to offer a Scout like program for girls alongside Cub Scouts would be a better choice, in my view. I'm looking at having a single committee which would organize Cub Scouts and AHG units together, sharing program where it's practical and desirable to do that. The Chartered Organization for both units would be the same. Recruiting for both Cub Scouts and AHG could be done together for example. That's my current preference which I'm investigating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nike Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 We'd have to split our pack. And, the girls don't necessarily want to be in groups with boys. If you watch them at school, they split up on the playground at recess all the time. Boys also play and learn differently than girls. At our family campouts and outdoor pack meetings, the girls usually go off and do their own thing during free time. During activities they are usually right in there. Co-ed works for some, but for a 100 years, we've gone single sex in America. It would be nice if BSA and GSUSA could bury the hatchet and confederate. Each would leaven out the extreme aspects of the other. And the girls would get neckers again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rismith Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 ...we would more closely resemble scouting as it exists in most of Europe and internationally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00Eagle Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I think the biggest obstacle is the girl scouts. By virtue of their charter, they claim sole monopoly on female scouts. Hence we have venturers, not venture scouts. In other countries, they're Girl Guides, not Girl Scouts, so the scout associations faced no legal obstacle to going co-ed. If we could pick some neutral name for girls, we could go co-ed on a voluntary basis. Cubs is easy, just call them wolf cubs again instead of cub scouts. The program's already about the family and we allow siblings to attend family camps and other events. Leave it up to the CO: all boys, all girls, mixed pack with single sex dens, mixed pack with mixed dens, mixed pack with single sex dens at one age level and mixed at another. For boy scout age, pick a non-encumbered name. it's hard to find one, can't use guides (since GSUSA is part of WAGGGS), venturers and explorers have already been used by BSA. Pathfinders might be doable but that's also used by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Pioneers might be doable as well but has Communist associations. Say pathfinder is the term. Let the CO's pick: all boy scout troop, separate all girl pathfinder troop, mixed troop with separate patrols, mixed troop with mixed patrols, the sky's the limit. Camps are already sued to females on staff and some advertise as "venturing-friendly." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlyn_LeRoy Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 If the GSUSA and BSA agreed to merge or have joint units in some way, would these units include or exclude gays and/or atheists? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadenP Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 SP You can't recruit in the schools for the AHG since they are a religious based and focused program, it violates the the Constitution. Merlyn That is an interesting proposal. The fact is that allowing girls in the scouts would boost membership considerably, especially in Cubs, and probably in boy scouts as well, Venturing is already there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattlePioneer Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Hello Baden P, Oh I bet I can! I'd be doing joint AHG/Cub Scout recruiting and I'd just invite the girls right along with the boys. We have a rocket launch sign up night scheduled for September 12th. Bring you parents and have a great time building and launching rockets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadenP Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 SP If you try doing that in a public school it would be your first and LAST time, and the school district would probably ban you permanently. Don't believe me, just try it and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 We have co-ed units from Mexico at our counicl scout fair every year in San Diego... I think it would be a good thing. Doesn't seem to affect the scouts from south of the border. Most of Europe already operates this way. No sure about Canada, but I do know USA is in the minority not being coed. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 Seattle.....I disagree with your promoting AHG along with Cubs.........As pointed out If your caught promoting a religious affiliated program you will probably never be allowed in again and possibly get all of scouting removed from the schools...... I wonder if the school system is made aware if you would be allowed in?????? Please don't interject AHG into the discussion regarding the BSA. Most think it would be a good thing... But how do you think it would change????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwazse Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 SP, as long as you are above board with the superintendent, they will probably find a way to help you promote that passes legal muster. Our school district allows groups to promote via fliers and such so long as a disclaimer is at the bottom "this activity is not endorsed or supported by the school district." This gives me the latitude to put that our crew is chartered by a local church, which is a real plus for most parents in our community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwazse Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Oh, about the coed thing ... There will be some families that would like the one-stop-shop. (I certainly did with venturing.) But plenty of other families will do it the way their folks did. The'll shuttle their boys and girls to their respective unisex units. I figure only a steep rise in gas prices may change that equation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBob Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I'm for it. The girls are physically bigger than the younger guys, so they could hold their own. Working on projects together as Scouts might actually help their social interactions at school. If BSA and GSA merged, we could sell COOKIES instead of popcorn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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