OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE: Girls as Youth Members, All Programs

[Gwaihir]

Interesting Op Ed piece by Sylvia Acevedo, a rocket scientist, entrepreneur, executive and lifelong Girl Scout, is CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA

 

https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2017/10/24/girls-star-in-girl-scouts-supporting-players-again-in-boy-scouts-sylvia-acevedo-column/790244001/

 

Some quotes - 

 

"We believe strongly in the importance of the safe, all-girl, girl-led and girl-friendly environment that Girl Scouts provides. "

 

"At Girl Scouts, girls aren’t the ancillary tag-along or supporting player — they are the central character."

 

"strong female role models show them they can be anything they want to be."

 

Interesting that if a current member of Boy Scouts posits the same thoughts (change out Boy for Girl and Male for Female) then that person is perhaps a conditional scout or not embracing of change.  Possibly not demonstrating the Oath and Law sufficiently

 

Look up Feminist scholar Christina Hoff Sommers' War Against Boys

[NJCubScouter]

Why do they need to develop a new girl's program?   If the girl's are going to be eagles why can't the girl's just use the existing boy's program?

 

Step 1: Come up with a name for the Girl's program.

 

Step 2: Girls can use the existing Boy's program materials with no changes.

 

Step 3:  Make a Girls application form

 

Step 4:  Start forming Girl Only Troops

 

Done 

 

Well, I am hoping that is exactly what they do (although, I don't think they will need all of your Step 3, just a slight change to the existing youth application form.)  And since they have announced that girls will be eligible for Eagle, that suggests (at least to me) that the rest of the advancement program, ranks, requirements, MB's, the whole thing, goes with it, so I think there is a good chance that they will do exactly that.

 

Then, you ask, why does it take a year to announce this and then another year to implement it?  That's above my pay grade.  Maybe it is a public relations maneuver. (Which may backfire.)  Maybe they want to look at all of the BSA publications and see if anything needs to be changed to make them gender-neutral.  (My guess is that there will be some changes that need to be made, but not an overwhelming number.)  Maybe they want to lay the groundwork with the CO's and potential CO's before the program actually goes into effect, and/or maybe have a "pre-admission" recruiting program, so that on Day 1 there are actually troops in place, with charters and leaders and youth members and meeting rooms and camping schedules, maybe some equipment, maybe a bank account, maybe a troop flag, maybe some training already done, maybe the handbooks and leader books and program helps and etc. already in the hands of those who need them, the whole nine yards, all ready to go.  (Rather than everyone standing around saying "Ok, what do we do now?)  Maybe they understand how big a change this is and want time to think about how to best present it to the existing membership and the public.  Maybe they really haven't been able to agree on a name yet.  Or maybe none of these, or all of these, or some combination, and/or others that I haven't thought of.

Edited October 26, 2017 by NJCubScouter

[NJCubScouter]

Or he could answer with the company line, "Like the GSUSA, the BSA believes in the value of single-gender programming while reaching the entire family.  So, we've decided to make our program of character development available to girls while maintaining the benefit of single-gender programming."  Try not to roll your eyes while saying it......

 

I volunteer for free, but being an advocate for someone else is something I charge for.   

[Tampa Turtle]

The University of South Florida are 'The Bulls'; the women's teams are called "The Lady Bulls". Yeah it is stupid but there you go.

 

I am glad I got my email from our CE today reminding me that we are not going 'co-ed'. I suspect some are reading these boards. I tried explaining the proposed  'separate but equal' scheme to some Mom at High School the other night...before I could finish the words "separate but parallel" Troop she shouted out "NO!". Gonna be a tough sell.

 

Then again she seemed confused because she thought boys can now join Girl Scouts if they wanted because we came to some new agreement...

[EmberMike]

I kind of expected someone to ask about it at our Den meeting Tuesday night, but it didn't come up. We had a campout the weekend right after the new hit, it came up among a small group of parents and leaders for all of about 30 seconds and that was it. So far, it's been mostly business as usual at our pack. We've had no inquiries from any interested girls (as far as I know) and no info from the district office on what to do if we get any girls asking to sign up. So the stance seems to be we just keep doing what we've been doing until we have to do something different. 

 

Oddly enough I feel like there's more talk about this outside of the organization than in. I had a lengthier conversation with family members outside of scouting about this than I did with anyone in the pack. 

 

I also see a lot of the same "RIP Boy Scouts" type of comments online that we say with the last 2 big membership policy changes. I have a feeling that despite the public belief that yet again it's end-times for scouting the US, I think we'll still be here in a few years. 

[Jameson76]

Well, I am hoping that is exactly what they do (although, I don't think they will need all of your Step 3, just a slight change to the existing youth application form.)  And since they have announced that girls will be eligible for Eagle, that suggests (at least to me) that the rest of the advancement program, ranks, requirements, MB's, the whole thing, goes with it, so I think there is a good chance that they will do exactly that.

 

Then, you ask, why does it take a year to announce this and then another year to implement it?  That's above my pay grade.  Maybe it is a public relations maneuver. (Which may backfire.)  Maybe they want to look at all of the BSA publications and see if anything needs to be changed to make them gender-neutral.  (My guess is that there will be some changes that need to be made, but not an overwhelming number.)  Maybe they want to lay the groundwork with the CO's and potential CO's before the program actually goes into effect, and/or maybe have a "pre-admission" recruiting program, so that on Day 1 there are actually troops in place, with charters and leaders and youth members and meeting rooms and camping schedules, maybe some equipment, maybe a bank account, maybe a troop flag, maybe some training already done, maybe the handbooks and leader books and program helps and etc. already in the hands of those who need them, the whole nine yards, all ready to go.  (Rather than everyone standing around saying "Ok, what do we do now?)  Maybe they understand how big a change this is and want time to think about how to best present it to the existing membership and the public.  Maybe they really haven't been able to agree on a name yet.  Or maybe none of these, or all of these, or some combination, and/or others that I haven't thought of.

 

You have noted the heart of the matter - so that on Day 1 there are actually troops in place, with charters and leaders and youth members and meeting rooms and camping schedules, maybe some equipment, maybe a bank account, maybe a troop flag, maybe some training already done, maybe the handbooks and leader books and program helps and etc. already in the hands of those who need them, the whole nine yards, all ready to go.

 

That is the real crux of the situation, who is going to do all the training, recruiting, etc.  Actually starting new troops (not including outreach council setup troops) is not that common.  Yes there are new leaders that need to be trained, but starting from scratch is not the norm.  

 

There will likely be much standing around and wondering, then they will want to head down the street, or within the same CO to join or "sister" with an existing troop.  Maybe that is the actual plan, I feel there is much hope for the best and the assumptions that current volunteers will just work it out.  For many current troops not sure how that will be in reality.  Troops are usually (right or wrong) their own social units.  Scouts gravitate to the one that meets their needs and is comfortable.  You upset that social order and suddenly you may not have a troop.

 

On the Cub side most packs have enough challenge to effectively staff dens, much less double up the dens for co-ed operations.

[HelpfulTracks]

The phrase “separate but equal†has a heavily charged history and meaning wrapped around its use and instantly changes the discussion.

[walk in the woods]

why roll your eyes?  I've heard many actual Girl Scouts and Girl Scout alums, not GS brass, state that they are/were proud of the all-girl GS program, having a place were girls could learn to be women in a sisterhood environment. 

I salute the Girl Scouts standing with the courage of their convictions.  I'm rolling my eyes at the BSA's official line.

[HelpfulTracks]

I have no problems saying it without rolling my eyes.

[Tampa Turtle]

I salute the Girl Scouts standing with the courage of their convictions.  I'm rolling my eyes at the BSA's official line.

 

Nah, cookie pushing, skirt wearing misandrists.

[NJCubScouter]

The University of South Florida are 'The Bulls'; the women's teams are called "The Lady Bulls". Yeah it is stupid but there you go.

 

I have one almost as good.  The teams of Rutgers University are the "Scarlet Knights."  Knights are men.  (As were all of the students of Rutgers College before 1972, and all of the students of the wider University before the 1940's or so.)  (And yes, today in the UK there are women with "knighthoods," but they are called "Dames," not "Knights.") The women's teams of Rutgers University are the "Lady Knights."  Not as funny as "Lady Bulls," but the same idea.

 

I am glad I got my email from our CE today reminding me that we are not going 'co-ed'. I suspect some are reading these boards. I tried explaining the proposed  'separate but equal' scheme to some Mom at High School the other night...before I could finish the words "separate but parallel" Troop she shouted out "NO!". Gonna be a tough sell.

 

Then again she seemed confused because she thought boys can now join Girl Scouts if they wanted because we came to some new agreement...

I have heard it said, over the past year or so, that we are living in a "post-factual world." Perhaps this is another example. These days it seems that reality is what each person thinks it is, rather than what it actually is in, you know, reality.

Edited October 26, 2017 by NJCubScouter

[NJCubScouter]

The phrase “separate but equal†has a heavily charged history and meaning wrapped around its use and instantly changes the discussion.

Yes. I have said something like this before. I don't think it is helpful in this context, especially because historically "separate but equal" was really code for "separate and unequal." If the "black schools" of Topeka, Kansas had actually provided an education that was "equal" (or anywhere near equal) to the "white" schools, Brown v. Board of Education might have been decided differently. I am pretty sure that formalized publicly-mandated racial segregation still would have been struck down, but at a later time, in a different case and using different terminology.

Edited October 26, 2017 by NJCubScouter

[cocomax]

Will existing scout masters be expected to run the girl troop as well as the boy troop?

[MattR]

The University of South Florida are 'The Bulls'; the women's teams are called "The Lady Bulls". Yeah it is stupid but there you go.

 

I'd hate to be the guy that walks up to the female athletes and says "you will now be known as the Cows." He will soon become the Steer.

[cocomax]

Look here:

 

http://scoutingwire.org/commitment-values-make-scouting-accessible-families/?utm_source=Volunteers&utm_campaign=94ffa056dc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_10_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9777d746fe-94ffa056dc-204165641

 

People in the comments are pushing hard to make Boy Scouts Co-Ed. . . BSA is going to take a lot of heat over this.

 

Maybe national will never have to think up a name for the girl program, maybe they will just decided to go co-ed over the next year due to overwhelming public pressure, maybe that was the plan all along. . .