Buzzfeed - CSE Surbaugh - Girls - Scouter.com

[Jameson76]

1 minute ago, Hawkwin said:

I don't personally see it as weird, but unless we replace it with "something" then just "Scouts" is potentially more awkward when we consider the fact that there would be "Girl Scouts" and girls "Scouts."

Perhaps replace "boy" with some synonym for "outdoors." Maybe "Wilderness" or "Woodland." I am personally fine with leaving it just the way it is (many professions have dropped their gender specific suffixes for the male or non-gender specific titles - like actor/actress, steward/stewardess became flight attendant), and clearly those girls that have expressed interest in joining have not been deterred by the organization being called "Boy."

No doubt there is a committee in Irving working on this.  Here are some suggestions

• Them Scouts
• They Scouts
• Sith Scouts
• Genderless Scouts
• Neutral Scouts
• Non-specific Scouts
• Unisexual Scouts
• Youth Scouts
•  

[gblotter]

1 hour ago, JustAScoutMom said:

Now, will there be enough interest for an all-girls pack?  Doubtful.  Girls have less issue with being near boys, while boys sometimes don't want to be near girls.

Time will tell.

I have three daughters. Especially during that age (7-10) they get invited to LOTS lots of all-girl play dates, birthday parties, and other outings. One mom formed a Brownie Troop to put some structure around her daughter's social circle. Joining was a natural thing for my daughter to continue developing those friendships. I can definitely envision the formation of all-girl Cub Scout Packs in a similar fashion. The introduction of boys into the mix would completely disrupt their existing social circle.

Edited February 28, 2018 by gblotter

[NJCubScouter]

5 minutes ago, Hawkwin said:

I don't personally see it as weird, but unless we replace it with "something" then just "Scouts" is potentially more awkward when we consider the fact that there would be "Girl Scouts" and girls "Scouts."

Perhaps replace "boy" with some synonym for "outdoors." Maybe "Wilderness" or "Woodland." I am personally fine with leaving it just the way it is (many professions have dropped their gender specific suffixes for the male or non-gender specific titles - like actor/actress, steward/stewardess became flight attendant), and clearly those girls that have expressed interest in joining have not been deterred by the organization being called "Boy."

I think the organization is still going to be the "Boy Scouts of America," as it has been even though there have been girls/young women as youth members in one of its programs for the past 45 years.

I also think that the program, "Boy Scouts," is still going to have that name even if National pulls a switcheroo and allows girls in Boy Scout troops.

I'm willing to bet one person $1 on this.  (My standard betting limit.) 

[Eagle1993]

25 minutes ago, walk in the woods said:

All-girl packs don't exist yet.  The early adopters were Boy Packs that agreed to take girls now.  We shouldn't see Girl Packs until fall based on the full kickoff.

They do exist .. at least 1...

 

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2018/02/01/visalias-all-girl-cub-scout-pack-blazes-new-trails/1086714001/

 

[Eagle1993]

5 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

I think the organization is still going to be the "Boy Scouts of America," as it has been even though there have been girls/young women as youth members in one of its programs for the past 45 years.

I also think that the program, "Boy Scouts," is still going to have that name even if National pulls a switcheroo and allows girls in Boy Scout troops.

I'm willing to bet one person $1 on this.  (My standard betting limit.) 

Probably depends on how many girls join.  If girls represent 20-30% of total scouts I think this changes.  One guess is that Boy Scouts of America moves to BSA (similar to Federal Express went to FedEx).  Boy Scouts would become .... no clue.

If girls represent 5% and our membership continues to decline we will become REI Scouts of America (or whatever brand(s) help bail us out).

I agree that I don't think any change will happen immediately but a few years down the road it will.

[Tampa Turtle]

I am not having a tizzy over it just felt odd. Whatever.

BS4G policy (as stated) seems to not be what is happening in our unit. Has COH last night and sat in the audience with the parents (we had 15 newbies come over so it was a good night). Over heard several scouter-committee moms who are also GSUSA leaders say that they are planning to bring their daughters over (and some friends) next year to our Troop. (The exact words used were "I do not care what a few people say we are going to STORM this Troop." (Her emphasis, not mine) Also "If they say we need two female scout leaders we can do it on paper none of us have to go camping or anything."  Two said they were going to start the beginning of next school year and not wait until 2019 because what is the point.

The pastor of our CO on Scout Sunday announced how girls are coming to the Troop (surprise!) after an email from a Bishop that our denomination was going to support Girls in the Boy Scout units along with GSUSA (we have few Packs). 

I do not think there will be any serious discussion about parallel Troops.

What I especially do not like is when the news came out I tried to parrot the official line about "no"coed units" (I kept my opinions to myself in front of the boys) and now several came up to me and confronted me with what seems like is going to happen is not what "I" said. I do not like losing their trust over something that is outside my control.

I would be more upset but the unit is sliding into a parent-centric Eagle mill (We had a campout with 18 scouts and 16 adults and 6 siblings--give me a break) and have bigger fish to fry,

[Tampa Turtle]

9 minutes ago, Eagle1993 said:

Probably depends on how many girls join.  If girls represent 20-30% of total scouts I think this changes.  One guess is that Boy Scouts of America moves to BSA (similar to Federal Express went to FedEx).  Boy Scouts would become .... no clue.

If girls represent 5% and our membership continues to decline we will become REI Scouts of America (or whatever brand(s) help bail us out).

I agree that I don't think any change will happen immediately but a few years down the road it will.

Scoutx (the x is for the shared chromosome.)

Edited February 28, 2018 by Tampa Turtle

[Tampa Turtle]

4 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

Scoutx (the x is for the shared chromosome.)

YPT Module 013 Mixed Gender Camping "How to keep your Scoutx campout from turning into a Scoutxxx campout."

[Jameson76]

13 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

We had a campout with 18 scouts and 16 adults and 6 siblings--give me a break) and have bigger fish to fry,

That would be time to punch out

[NJCubScouter]

2 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

Probably depends on how many girls join.  If girls represent 20-30% of total scouts I think this changes.  One guess is that Boy Scouts of America moves to BSA (similar to Federal Express went to FedEx).  Boy Scouts would become .... no clue.

That's possible.  My Scout shirt from the early 70s has "Scout BSA" over the pocket, not "Boy Scouts of America" as it was before and after that (including now.)

I guess the analogy to Federal Express/FedEx would be BoSco.  (No, not the chocolate drink, do they still make that?)  And I didn't make that up.  Some may be familiar with Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in New Jersey (where much of the original "Friday the 13th" was filmed.)  The name stands for North Bergen Boy Scouts.  So there is some precedent for Bo-Sco... not that I think there is any chance of that happening.

[Eagle1993]

BoSco is much better than an alt BoyScAm 😀

[gblotter]

51 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

My Scout shirt from the early 70s has "Scout BSA" over the pocket, not "Boy Scouts of America" as it was before and after that (including now.)

Mine too. But I hope no one is nostalgic for that disastrous experiment of the 70s. Can we really not learn from past mistakes?

[Eagle1993]

17 minutes ago, gblotter said:

Mine too. But I hope no one is nostalgic for that disastrous experiment of the 70s. Can we really not learn from past mistakes?

What was the experiment?  I was 2 in 79 so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

[gblotter]

14 minutes ago, Eagle1993 said:

What was the experiment?  I was 2 in 79 so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

It was a disastrously failed attempt to reinvent Scouting for the modern era. This could never happen again, say by reinventing Scouting to include girls? Nah.

From Wikipedia.

Outdoors skills de-emphasized

In September 1972 the Boy Scouts launched the "Improved Scouting Program," publishing a radically revised handbook with less emphasis on outdoor skills for the three lower ranks. Skill Awards for Hiking, Camping, and Cooking included outdoor skills requirements and were required for Second Class and First Class Scouts. Several outdoor merit badges were removed from the list of those required to become an Eagle Scout; those removed from the list included Camping, Cooking, Nature, Swimming, and Lifesaving. The Scoutcraft information and requirements were replaced by information on drug abuse, family finances, child care and community problems. The use of boy was de-emphasized: the eighth edition of the handbook was titled simply Scout Handbook and the new strategic logo used Scouting/USA. The concept of the personal growth agreement conferences was introduced as a requirement for each rank.

Other changes included new colored cloth badges for all ranks and positions and "skill awards", represented by a metal loop worn on the belt, that were awarded instantly at the time they were earned. They supplemented individual rank requirements which along with merit badges were also presented immediately, and recognized later at the court of honor. The merit badge program—previously only available to First Class and above—was opened to all ranks, and merit badges were required for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. The number of required merit badges for Eagle Scout was increased to 24, and Camping merit badge was dropped from the required list. The entry age was changed to 11 or 10-½ if a boy had finished fifth grade.

Return to traditional Scouting

1970s-era Scouting/USA branding
The changes in the advancement requirements were a disastrous failure for Scouting and membership plummeted. The BSA lured William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt out of retirement in 1979 and he spent an entire year writing the 9th Edition of the Boy Scout Handbook. It was a return to the traditional Scouting program after the disastrous membership losses suffered by the 1970s program. From a peak of 6.5 million Scouts in 1972, membership declined to a low of 4.3 million in 1980. The 9th Edition has a great deal in common with prior editions of the handbooks that Hillcourt had helped write. The new edition reproduced entire paragraphs and pictures from the earlier editions.

In 1976 the National Boy Scouts discontinued the Improved Scouting Program and introduced "All Out for Scouting", a back-to-basics program developed by Hillcourt. The program was launched with "Brownsea Double-Two", a week-long course for the senior patrol leader who would then introduce the troop-level "Operation Flying Start" to their units. It emphasized teaching and practicing Scout skills, the purposes of Scouting, and the role of the patrol method within the troop program. Many councils ran both Brownsea and Troop Leader Development, but some councils held only one or the other. The number of Eagle required merit badges was reduced back to 21, and Camping was restored to the required list.

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by gblotter

[JustAScoutMom]

2 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

BoSco is much better than an alt BoyScAm 😀

They should just keep it as BSA....its a historical name and means something.  Nothing wrong with that.  I know a jew Jewish females that have membership in the YMCA.  I don't see anyone having an issue with that.

I'm going to predict the older girl program will be "Girl Guides" as a homage to the international girls.  If they just throw a label out there, people will calm down.

And I can't imagine that they won't have a troop formed in 1/2019 with a few older/interested girls to accept girls crossing over in the February-April timeframe.  I would hope so. I put my name in the hat to be on the committee in our council, if one forms near our home.  Let's see how that goes.