Only six months till girls in Scouts BSA.

[Treflienne]

It's only six months till girls in Scouts BSA.  Will you be ready to start up a girls' troop in February?

I know that  @AVTech is planning to be scoutmaster for his daughter's troop. I know the @Hawkin's daughter is already planning her patrol name and patch. @Hedgehog was talking about a linked troop. My daughter is eager to start as well.

So, for any of you planning to be associated with a girls' Scouts BSA troop, how close are you to ready?  

Do you have the necessary five girls already planning to join as soon as possible?  How are you planning to recruit more girls?

Do you have a scoutmaster and an ASM, at least one of which is a female-over-twenty-one-who-is-willing-to-go-camping?  (Willing to go backcountry camping as well as frontcountry camping? )

Do you have a chartered organization lined up? Is the CO of the local boy's troop willing to sponsor a girls troop? opposed? undecided?

Or have you found a different institution willing to be CO of the girls troop?

Is the local boy's troop willing to share a troop committee with the girls troop? opposed? undecided?

If being a linked troop is not an option for you,  do you have several troop committee members lined up?

 

[qwazse]

Prepared isn't quite the word for it. Working for smiles, I'm always prepared for anything.

But is our CO prepared to support the launching of a BSA4G unit? That's the wrong question. Are the youth and moms/older sisters with integrity ready to be launched?

Occasionally people are asking about it, but nobody is introducing me to those 5 girls and 1 female ASM. If there's no demand, all other questions are moot. I'm not even hearing, "I know this one girl ..."

I wrote that up and sent to our CC. He's planning on meeting with the COR and UC, at the district's request, but unless I am misreading the tea leaves, our community has no demand for BSA4G.

[TMSM]

Meh, not much excitment for it here in the midwest at least not in our council. It would be nice to get at leaset one Girl Troop up and running to help lead the way.

[Hawkwin]

Long way to go. I've yet to get confirmation of any troops or COs that are taking an active role. I went to our last Round Table to find out and nada so far. That doesn't mean stuff isn't necessarily being planned, just that those that were there (included the DE) could not tell me of anyone that was actively working on such.

Considering my district was not one that had any early adopter packs, I can't say that I am surprised. I think I might have to call my council (I think there is an actual individual responsible for this stuff) and see if they know anything.

[carebear3895]

Nobody is really talking about it here. Yea everybody knows it's happening, but it's really the last thing on CO's priority list right now.

We are all trying to get ready for the full roll out of Family Scouting first. 

[mashmaster]

Our CO has approved the creation of a troop and appointed the new SM to take the position once the troop can be chartered.  They have also approved the starting to advertise to the  outside world to talk with them about joining,  And they have scheduled a multiple troop campout with fun activities(shooting, climbing, paddleboarding) in December to any potential scout boy or girl that wants to come check it out.

So I think they are pretty well prepared, but it will be interesting to see the transition.  Most of the new leadership are Girl Scout leaders that liked the Boy Scout program better.  There will be a culture shock for them IMHO.  Some have sons in our troop so they are accustomed to it, but others aren't.  

[shortridge]

Our DE has said that February will be for early-adopter COs, and that we don’t expect to have any girls’ troops active until June/July. The focus right now is on identifying packs that will take girls this fall, as we didn’t have any early-adopter packs. The ones that have so far are from United Methodist Church COs.

Personally, I’m hoping my daughter will get her interest piqued this fall as she starts high school. In the next district over there’s a CO that is starting a crew now and looking to start a girls’ troop in February, so I’m hopeful that there will be an outlet if she’s interested. I’m trying very hard not to push her into it, but let her choose. That said, she had a blast working staff at the local Cub day camp this summer.

This is going to be a gradual process, as well as a chicken or the egg situation. Aside from the first burst of news coverage around the announcement and some social media work, National seems to have done very little work promoting it - which makes sense because right now there’s nowhere to send these girls. One troop at a time, one troop at a time.

[Jameson76]

Not much conversation in our district.  One of our two packs at the CO may be adding girls, but I believe they determined to hold off on Lions (comment was Holy Mother of God...6 years of Cubs!!!!)

For the troop we are continuing business as usual.  Determination is that we will not be part of any linked troop.  If the CO and some currently unnamed folks want to start a Girls troop, we wish them well.  We would be glad to have a conversation on what has worked for us and best practices.

[bearess]

We currently have six girls who are already meeting/planning.  Active committee (setting up financials).  SM is a longtime ASM who is easily the most skilled backwoods camper in the Troop!  Also have an ASM lined up— 25 y/o, Venturer.  They are ready to roll!

We are recruiting the same way we recruit boys— word of mouth, mainly.  Flyers.  Community service events.  I suspect they will be up to 10-11 girls by February.

[Sentinel947]

Nobody's asking so in my troop it's BAU until a family asks. We're transitioning a new scoutmaster in, so most of our adult focus is in that direction. 

[Eagle1993]

Is everyone checking with their feeder packs on their plans & if they have 5th grade girls?  My one concern is that Packs add 5th grade girls but don’t have a feeder Troop ready by crossover.  That would be a tough situation.

My Troop seems to be prepping to add girls and has talked about a recruiting campaign at the Middle School.  We will see how many are interested.

[Eagle94-A1]

Pack will be accepting girls. CO is trying for form a separate, non-linked troop for the girls. This is actually falling upon the Scouters who have daughters though. Troop took a poll on the topic and while accepting that girls will be in Scouting, they do not want to be a "linked" troop. If we become a "linked" troop, aka coed troop, over 50% of the Scouts will transfer or quit.

[ParkMan]

15 hours ago, carebear3895 said:

Nobody is really talking about it here. Yea everybody knows it's happening, but it's really the last thing on CO's priority list right now.

We are all trying to get ready for the full roll out of Family Scouting first. 

Just curious what you mean here.  What are you doing to get ready for family scouting?  

Thanks!

[qwazse]

2 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

Is everyone checking with their feeder packs on their plans & if they have 5th grade girls?  My one concern is that Packs add 5th grade girls but don’t have a feeder Troop ready by crossover.  That would be a tough situation.

My Troop seems to be prepping to add girls and has talked about a recruiting campaign at the Middle School.  We will see how many are interested.

No girls in our feeder pack. Not expecting any to sign on as AoL's.

Like I said, prepared for anything. Nothing's there.

Haven't paid much to other packs in the district. We've never really had crossovers from there.

[ParkMan]

There's no interest yet in our area.

We've discussed it as an adult team and are supportive of a linked troop.  We're just set an expectation that we need a few core adults as well as girls who are interested to materialize.  But, when that happens we'll do it.