Boy Dens - Girl Dens

[numbersnerd]

 

We would award them patches and rank patches etc. 

 

Wait. What?

So you weren't running a BSA Cub Scout program then.

[qwazse]

Got to chat to Son #1 about this. He was largely encouraged by the news, as were a number of (fairly conservative) college students who I talked to last night.

 

First, if we are all honest, we know this is all about money.  The last three decisions only accelerated the problems that scouting has had over the past few decades.  My question for Cub Scouts and probably in two years for Boy Scouts, is how do you handle district and council events. Do you have a separate event for all boy units and a separate event for mixed units? Our CO units will definitely remain all boy units as we are about helping boys grow into Godly manhood.  We definitely would not go to a Cub or Boy Scout event that included girls in close proximity to boys in a camping situation. You are only asking for trouble.

To be honest, it's more about the fun. Lots of us were tired of hearing from GS/USA members who weren't having fun (unless they pushed hard against a system that constrained them). Then the guys come back from world Jambo having fun with coeds. Troops who partner with mixed crews seem to have fun. My crew has less fun when it's all one or the other sex, more when the sexes are balanced. Fun does translate into money. So, I'll not deny that as part of the issue.

 

How this works in the Czech Republic (which allows similar local sponsor-based decisions on the make-up of its units): everybody attends district events. So, the scouts in co-Ed groups get to meet those in unisex units. They all get to compare notes, and it's fun.

[John-in-KC]

In cities big enough, we will see boy packs and girl packs.  In smaller towns, we will see coed by den for roster purposes... and Den 1/2 will meet together.

Frankly, I think we will see this in Boy Scouting too.  Troop 600 will be the Boys Troop in Nowhere, NE, Troop 601 the girls.  The leaders will be the same, the kids will wear their numbers, the meeting location/night will be the same, but the meetings will be the Wolf Patrol and the Mustang Patrol being the girls, and the Mountain Lion Patrol and the Tiger Patrol being boys.

 

 

You will have separate dens on paper and co-ed dens in real life.  The reality is even if a pack wanted to keep them separate, some meeting places are not big enough to accommodate 10-12 separate den meetings at a time.  The pack we were in already takes up all available rooms with 2 dens sharing the cafeteria area at times.  

[blw2]

this is generally the model I envisioned back when I was an active CubScouter a few years ago.... separate dens

 

but I think rfd536 is likely spot on about separate on paper only...at least for a majority...and at least in the beginning

 

You will have separate dens on paper and co-ed dens in real life.  The reality is even if a pack wanted to keep them separate, some meeting places are not big enough to accommodate 10-12 separate den meetings at a time.  The pack we were in already takes up all available rooms with 2 dens sharing the cafeteria area at times.  

I don't necessarily thing though it's driven by meeting space.  Maybe in some cases sure....but 

I just don't think numbers will support separate dens.  We struggled a couple years to support a full den compliment in a couple age groups as it was.

1-4 kids doesn't make for a meaningful and functional den or patrol.

[Scoutmaster Teddy]

I will agree rfd536. Good luck enforcing the separate dens.

 

The BSA is liable to change their minds many times before the 2018 cub year.

 

Scoutmaster Teddy

[Wëlënakwsu]

I've always wondered roughly what percent of Cub Scouts actually meet in Dens SEPERATLY and then attend a monthly Pack meeting.  In my urban District there are no truely seperate Den meetings.  All meet weekly as a Pack.  The 2 or 3 bigger, better Packs at least have Dens go to a different room or corner of a room for part of the meeting.

 

Reason I ponder this now...  In my District any CO registering girls will most likely not have SEPERATE girl or boy dens. 

Similar to Packs who do not have enough youth or adults for seperate Bear and Wolf Dens.

[Hawkwin]

I've always wondered roughly what percent of Cub Scouts actually meet in Dens SEPERATLY and then attend a monthly Pack meeting.  In my urban District there are no truely seperate Den meetings.  All meet weekly as a Pack.  The 2 or 3 bigger, better Packs at least have Dens go to a different room or corner of a room for part of the meeting.

 

Reason I ponder this now...  In my District any CO registering girls will most likely not have SEPERATE girl or boy dens. 

Similar to Packs who do not have enough youth or adults for seperate Bear and Wolf Dens.

 

I think most of us will simply have anecdotal experience but my local unit always met as dens separately on a weekly basis (differently times, days and locations) and once a month as a pack. 

 

Edit: Fixed a typo.

Edited October 13, 2017 by Hawkwin

[qwazse]

Our Pack has done it both on the same night in different rooms of a facility, and on different nights.

 

Now that I think of it, a CO could simply "ghost" the second pack, with exactly the same leadership dual-registered in the for-girls unit.

[numbersnerd]

I've always wondered roughly what percent of Cub Scouts actually meet in Dens SEPERATLY and then attend a monthly Pack meeting.  In my urban District there are no truely seperate Den meetings.  All meet weekly as a Pack.  The 2 or 3 bigger, better Packs at least have Dens go to a different room or corner of a room for part of the meeting.

 

Reason I ponder this now...  In my District any CO registering girls will most likely not have SEPERATE girl or boy dens. 

Similar to Packs who do not have enough youth or adults for seperate Bear and Wolf Dens.

Around here all Packs meet that way. The only time most dens see each other is at the monthly Pack meeting. Dens Meet at schools or the church when weather requires it, but otherwise in parks, outdoor areas, other places of interest. Fire or police stations, newspaper plant, tv news studio, community events, etc.