How Adding Girls Will Work

[ItsBrian]

I’ve recently watched a video put out by national where the VP(s) of membership (?) explained how it’s going to work.

Everyone in my area was under the impression that there would be co-ed troops. Even our UC though so, but I guess we were all wrong.

It’s supposedly going like this:

Cub Scouts

- Co-Ed Pack (Sep. Dens)

- All Girl

- All Boy

 

Boy Scouts

- All Boy Troops

- All Girl

- NO Co-Ed

 

Venturing

-Stays the same, Co-Ed

I think it’s going to cause issues personally, because leaders may do  the same with girl Troops like they did in Girl Scouts. There won’t be many leaders in the Girl Troops that know how BSA runs and will take a while to learn because it’s a lot different than GS.

[Eagle94-A1]

Theoretically troops are suppose to remain all male and all female. As I was told by several Scouters, having a CO charter 2 separate troops is not practical. Financially having 2 separate groups doesn't make sense. And since there will be a strong chance that volunteers will be working with boys will also work with the girls, it won't be possible to have busy volunteers deal with another set of meetings each week, another weekend of camping a month, and another week of summer camp. Just as packs and troops have ignored national with allowing girls to do things with no apparent repercussions, you will have "paper" girls troops who in reality will be integrated into their own patrols in existing troops.

 

When I mentioned this at the town hall, everyone in the room acknowledged that this would happen, except the council president, commission, and Scout Exec. All three Ignored the statement and consensus. They, and the folks at national, know it will happen. Heck, in the CSE's  20 questions video, when asked about coed dens, spoke out of both ends of his mouth. First he said no, then he goes on about units he worked with with low numbers and how they combined dens and "as long as everyone works out of their own book, they're fine."

[ItsBrian]

1 hour ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Theoretically troops are suppose to remain all male and all female. As I was told by several Scouters, having a CO charter 2 separate troops is not practical. Financially having 2 separate groups doesn't make sense. And since there will be a strong chance that volunteers will be working with boys will also work with the girls, it won't be possible to have busy volunteers deal with another set of meetings each week, another weekend of camping a month, and another week of summer camp. Just as packs and troops have ignored national with allowing girls to do things with no apparent repercussions, you will have "paper" girls troops who in reality will be integrated into their own patrols in existing troops.

 

When I mentioned this at the town hall, everyone in the room acknowledged that this would happen, except the council president, commission, and Scout Exec. All three Ignored the statement and consensus. They, and the folks at national, know it will happen. Heck, in the CSE's  20 questions video, when asked about coed dens, spoke out of both ends of his mouth. First he said no, then he goes on about units he worked with with low numbers and how they combined dens and "as long as everyone works out of their own book, they're fine."

Exactly. It’s going to cause troops to merge either way because if BSA doesnt have enough volunteers now, how will they get thousands more? 

[Eagle1993]

There are also A LOT of chatter at my council that Venturing will change as well.  As I was told, it was already seen as a program in decline (lowest number of members and highest attrition rate over last few years).   So, until announced officially, I am not sure that Venturing will remain unchanged.

I agree with @Eagle94-A1. Our council has also discussed paper dens and Troops.  It will happen.  There are already Troops with girls now with blue cards tracking MB progress.  They will find a way to comply on paper but create a coed Troop (theirs leaders, scouts and parents want it).  

As part of the Pack early adopter program my DE specifically told me that they will be strict with separate dens and meetings now (no paper dens); however, that will probably change when full roll out occurs. They won’t be able to police everyone.

So... you are correct regarding the video.  What really will happen remains to be seen. 

[WisconsinMomma]

One of the great things about BSA is they have so much training material.  And so much of it is online and easy to review.  So if new volunteers complete their training, they will get at least a textbook overview of how things work in BSA.

Also, in Cubs, the handbooks are very helpful.

I still expect that new girl members will come with some adults who will help them to get the Girl Troops and Girl Dens running.  

[qwazse]

How will it work? By boots on the ground not caring about a rodent's mule, digging in and getting it done!

This could have been done yesterday by saying "If a lady is knocking at the door, you may open it, we'll recognize her achievements."

Then, they could get together with troops who've done so, and share the best practices with the rest of us.

BSA breeds leaders. Maybe they should let them lead.

[TAHAWK]

1 hour ago, WisconsinMomma said:

One of the great things about BSA is they have so much training material.  And so much of it is online and easy to review.  So if new volunteers complete their training, they will get at least a textbook overview of how things work in BSA.

Also, in Cubs, the handbooks are very helpful.

I still expect that new girl members will come with some adults who will help them to get the Girl Troops and Girl Dens running.  

If the training material were only excellent.  

[Stosh]

And the deception continues....

OH, BUT when we had a Venture Crew and Troop in the same CO with the same adults running things.  I.e, we were bending the rules far enough to actually have a co-ed group in reality and everything looked good on paper.

They couldn't figure out what to do with the 11-13 year olds, but now that we have the ability to register gals, we can just do the same thing and fully co-ed the group while maintaining 2 units on paper.

The acceptable amount of dishonesty allowed by BSA seems to have risen quite almost imperceptibly for quite some time how.  BSA's half-measures now should allow for acceptance of such deception on a wider scale.

[HelpfulTracks]

4 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Theoretically troops are suppose to remain all male and all female. As I was told by several Scouters, having a CO charter 2 separate troops is not practical. Financially having 2 separate groups doesn't make sense. And since there will be a strong chance that volunteers will be working with boys will also work with the girls, it won't be possible to have busy volunteers deal with another set of meetings each week, another weekend of camping a month, and another week of summer camp. Just as packs and troops have ignored national with allowing girls to do things with no apparent repercussions, you will have "paper" girls troops who in reality will be integrated into their own patrols in existing troops.

When I mentioned this at the town hall, everyone in the room acknowledged that this would happen, except the council president, commission, and Scout Exec. All three Ignored the statement and consensus. They, and the folks at national, know it will happen. Heck, in the CSE's  20 questions video, when asked about coed dens, spoke out of both ends of his mouth. First he said no, then he goes on about units he worked with with low numbers and how they combined dens and "as long as everyone works out of their own book, they're fine."

I heard similar conversations.

Some people seem to be upset that they will be FORCED to have coed units because there will not be enough leaders, enough meeting space, enough money etc. etc. etc.

My reply is simple. If you do not heave leaders, space or money then don't start a unit for girls.

And I am told that is not an option, because we have people beating down our door for girls to join. Okay, then you have leaders and money. Do just like you would starting a boy unit, parents need to volunteer, they need to pony up and help fund raise. And if there is not enough space they need to help find a CO with suitable space. And if they cannot, then there won't be a unit.

Coed units will only exist if people decide they want to ignore BSA policy, not because they are forced to create coed units.

[.40AET]

Could you please post the link? I searched and came up empty.

TIA

[RememberSchiff]

I think @ItsBrian was referring to link(s) in @Dixit topic from yesterday. Hope this helps.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2018 by RememberSchiff

[ItsBrian]

I got it from that topic. I was referring to the post by @RememberSchiff

[.40AET]

Thank you very much for the link. I watched both. 

[Eagle94-A1]

5 hours ago, HelpfulTracks said:

Coed units will only exist if people decide they want to ignore BSA policy, not because they are forced to create coed units.

 

Well enough folks ignored BSA policy about girls that they are now being accepted into the movement. Ms. Ireland is just the most well know at the moment. What else would be new?

[HelpfulTracks]

1 hour ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

 

Well enough folks ignored BSA policy about girls that they are now being accepted into the movement. Ms. Ireland is just the most well know at the moment. What else would be new?

I don't agree with you on that one.

I have been hearing Scouters talk about bringing girls into Scouting for for several years now. To date I have yet to see a single Troop bring girls in. So I see no evidence that Troops skirting the rules, like Miss Ireland's, are what is driving the policy change, in fact right the opposite.