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Buzzfeed - CSE Surbaugh - Girls - Scouter.com


RememberSchiff

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Admittedly, they have announced many times that there won't be any official information on the girls' program (including its name) until 2019 - they still have the better part of a year to figure it out. But even if this article had never come out, the fact is that there is still a lot of uncertainty as to what's going to happen with it. A year is still not a lot of time to create a whole new program that is at once tailored towards girl's development and yet meets the same criteria required to earn them their Eagles in a manner that's legitimately "equal but different.' They haven't given themselves enough time for trial and error, and I foresee that coming back to bite them hard.

 

I have watched all of Surbaugh's web presentations and "town hall" meeting clips that I could find, and they have acted almost entirely on what they assume people want based on surveys and samples - it's extremely sketchy reasoning, from both a statistical and a logical point of view. I can't say I fully support him, as I have most of our past leaders. Just because he's a volunteer doesn't mean I have to hold him up to some lesser standard. In his elevated position, I actually expect much better.

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FYI-Scout Son#2 told me that he had read the buzzfeed article (and thought it was based on reality) and it had made the rounds of various boys in the Troop on social media. Opps! I didn't bring it up, we were doing something else and said "hey you see that article..."

He doesn't care one way or the other about the change but thinks "Boy Scouts" (by that I assume he means National) has no idea what they are doing.

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Mixed emotions of the notoriety. One one hand it may be good that they get the views of use unit serving Scouters who will have to deal with issues as they come up. On the other hand, I have seen how some Scouters have been treated when they questions about the professionals. Best case is they are removed from district and council level positions and ignored. Worse case I've seen once was their membership revoked.

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On 1/19/2018 at 7:49 PM, The Latin Scot said:

Admittedly, they have announced many times that there won't be any official information on the girls' program (including its name) until 2019...

I was under the impression we'd get some info sooner. From the BSA factsheet: 

"Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts program, the organization will also deliver a program for older girls, which will be announced in 2018 and projected to be available in 2019..."

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From talking to pros,  my impression is that National doesn' t have a clue. I mentioned how AOL dens can Cross Over December 1st 2018, and they need a plan and prepared to be ready. Comment I heard was that if the program is not ready for January 1st, everyone can stay in and earn more activity badges until the program is. If my pack decides to withhold my youngest son's AOL and Cross Over ceremonies until a girls program was established, Scouting WILL lose my son. He is starting to get bored waiting for folks to catch up as it is.

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38 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

From talking to pros,  my impression is that National doesn' t have a clue. I mentioned how AOL dens can Cross Over December 1st 2018, and they need a plan and prepared to be ready. Comment I heard was that if the program is not ready for January 1st, everyone can stay in and earn more activity badges until the program is. If my pack decides to withhold my youngest son's AOL and Cross Over ceremonies until a girls program was established, Scouting WILL lose my son. He is starting to get bored waiting for folks to catch up as it is.

The girls are in separate dens in family packs, correct?  If your son's den is ready to crossover to a troop in December, why should they be held back if the girl's program (whatever it's going to be called) isn't ready by then?  Just let the boy's den crossover when it's ready, and the girl's den might crossover later.

A lot of girl's dens will probably need more time anyway, especially if most 5th grade girls don't join until August-September.  They wouldn't meet the 6-month tenure requirement until February-March.

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59 minutes ago, Thunderbird said:

A lot of girl's dens will probably need more time anyway, especially if most 5th grade girls don't join until August-September.  They wouldn't meet the 6-month tenure requirement until February-March.

While a lot may need more time, not all. While the "Early Adopters" cannot  have 5th graders currently, come June 1st, they will be "AOL Cub Scouts". And the requirement is 

  1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old.

 

Theoretically, if a girl could earn AOL and cross over  as early as June 16th if she was in 4th grade and turned ten prior to January 16th.

 

As for holding back dens, how do you think it would play out if only boys were able to cross over, butnot the girls?

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