MattR Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 Our commissioner asked if we were going to add girls to our troop and I said they needed their own troop. He said they could have their own patrol and I repeated the above. But, to answer your question, I think this is going to take some time to happen. I think there is interest for the younger cubs. Our troop has had nobody asking. There is one troop in our town that is all in, got an article in the paper, and has a couple of girls interested. It's similar to the number of boys that join after not having been in cubs, very few. I suspect this will all change in a few years as girls work up through cubs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2Eagle Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 We're almost certainly going to add girls to the Pack this fall. I don't think our CO will have a female troop yet, but the council is making sure that each district has at least one female troop ready to go in February --- our district definitely has a CO and the necessary leadership for at least one troop. I had one sister of a current scout ask me when she can sign up, she says she has at least one friend maybe two who also want to join. I'll make sure she and the new troop are in contact. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS72 Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 1 hour ago, MattR said: Our commissioner asked if we were going to add girls to our troop and I said they needed their own troop. He said they could have their own patrol and I repeated the above. As I am sure you know, your commissioner has things a tad bit confused. At least at this time, no one should be 'adding girls to their troop'. Those COs who choose to take in girls must do so by chartering a separate all girls troop. As several others have stated, I do not see a big rush of girls joining at the troop level. Once we get a few years in, and have girls crossing over from packs, I am sure that will change. I am leaving the house shortly for a district school night presenter training, and should have an idea how things will look in our district, based on how many packs will be admitting girls, and whether it will be as a girl only pack, or a co-ed pack with girl only dens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swilliams Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 22 hours ago, Jameson76 said: 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. This pretty much sums up where we are, too. Our CO is okay with it, and they charter a few different packs/troops, but we've seen very little interest. My daughter (13) joined an all-girl Venture crew and is happy as a clam. It was started in 2016 by a couple dads who wanted something for their daughters. They decided to keep it all girl, with the thought that the boys already had two troop in towns to choose from. The crew now has girls from at least seven of the surrounding towns - mine is one of them. I think for those who are early to get started, there's a better chance that they'll draw from a larger area than there is the chance that most districts will have multiple troops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhaired_Mac Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Our Pack decided to be proactive with girls. We invited any sibling and prospective girl cubs to our day camp in June and had a fair turn out for the Bear aged group. 1 of the girl "dens" at the day camp out did all the boys in archery and BB guns, which proved to be a very positive recruiting point. We also did a 3-day Pack/family camp-out in July and again had a surprising turnout. Not tons of girls but a good showing. So far our Charter Organization, the American Legion, seem pretty ok with the situation. We've already lined up necessary female adult leadership counterparts and are set for the fall as a co-ed Pack. In Sept we are planning a District membership drive, kind of a mini jamboree, with 3 Packs and 4 troops we hope. Some of the focus will be on recruiting girls specifically. We already have 3 radio stations in town who will be broadcasting a Public Announcement for us, and our small local tv station will be doing something similar as well. The District was going to pay for a newspaper advert but it looks like our Pack will end up paying for that. We did have a few girls meltdown during our Raingutter Regatta races and there was a bit of uncertainty from the male leaders how to deal with it. But it got figured out and in fairness about a 3rd of the boys got just as upset when they lost. In the end everyone got to race. And eat popcorn. No hard feeling at all. Our Cubmaster and his wife have really taken this on, helping form a multi-pack committee, and are leading the charge. Our District Exe is brand new and spent some of the summer out of country on vacation so he has maybe a month in town. Not sure what help we are getting there. If he's on board or if he is playing catch-up with our CM or if he has other plans...I'm not sure. Just hope once school starts that the weekly meetings continue to be as harmonious as our monthly events through the summer have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotteg83 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Currently my Daughter is only a Webelos. We are part of an early adopter pack, had 5 girls of mixed ages to start, and now only have 3 (1 lion, 1 bear, and 1 Webelos). We originally only pushed for siblings to get it started. The cubmaster had a spring recruit this past spring, but it failed and no one turned out. My wife (Webelos Girl Den Leader) and I are planning to host a Den Recruitment event to gain our den numbers up this fall. (I am the Webelos Boy Den leader, and only have 3 active boys, 5 total). Right now, I have no troop plans. There is a bigger girl only pack started 40 mins away, and they will be starting a new troop. I feel for a good program, that is worth the drive. They already have a very active female ASM borrowed from the Troop (Woodbadge staff, council training staff, Philmont attendee, National Jamboree ASM), which will most likely become the SM of the new Troop. Also, two towns over from me has another ASM, with a Daughter that is troop aged now, and is looking to start a Linked troop as well. He has another younger daughter that will age into the troop in 3 years. My current cubmaster has a troop aged daughter and is thinking of it as well, but he has no SM experience and personally, I would look elsewhere before joining a troop with him as lead. (nothing on a personal level, just don't see him running a good program without alot of support). So right now, I am letting the older girls start a program before bothering to rush into it early myself. My wife is very supportive, but will never be the SM of a troop and take the girls camping. I only get away with it on the pack level because I take my daughter and there's other female leaders from the dens that cover the G2SS requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 On 8/7/2018 at 6:31 PM, shortridge said: Our DE has said that February will be for early-adopter COs And yet I have read elsewhere that there will be no "early adopter" option for "Scouts BSA" as there was for Cub Scouts. Or has that changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69RoadRunner Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I haven't heard if our CO has said anything. They likely don't want to be bothered with the creation of a girl troop. My wife is a lifetime Girl Scout and leader of our daughter's troop. Girl Scouts is very important to them. I've told our CC that I want no part of something that will be harmful to something that is very important to my wife and daughter. Anyone who says this isn't harmful to Girl Scouts is lying or incredibly naïve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 1 hour ago, NJCubScouter said: And yet I have read elsewhere that there will be no "early adopter" option for "Scouts BSA" as there was for Cub Scouts. Or has that changed? That was the phrase she used, but I’m with you in that I haven’t seen that referenced elsewhere. It may have just been shorthand or internal council language. Unfortunately, not starting troops until June or July means they have to wait a full year until summer camp - not the few months that others will have. From what I’ve read, that first summer camp is critical to getting Scouts hooked and sticking around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortridge Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Just now, 69RoadRunner said: Anyone who says this isn't harmful to Girl Scouts is lying or incredibly naïve. Who’s been saying that? Of course it will be competition for GSUSA, in the same way that soccer and drama club and first jobs and the SATs are competition for both organizations. But neither BSA nor GSUSA has a monopoly. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberSchiff Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 1 hour ago, NJCubScouter said: And yet I have read elsewhere that there will be no "early adopter" option for "Scouts BSA" as there was for Cub Scouts. Or has that changed? That was what I thought but then I heard this Iowa interview starting around minute 2:55 Sometime in 2019, we (Iowa) will have our first female Eagle Scout. We have groups currently waiting for young women to start...so in 2019 we will have the inaugural class of girl Eagle scouts. There will be a big announcement... Confused? So am I. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattR Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 23 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said: Sometime in 2019, we (Iowa) will have our first female Eagle Scout. We have groups currently waiting for young women to start...so in 2019 we will have the inaugural class of girl Eagle scouts. There will be a big announcement... Confused? So am I. Maybe you're reading this wrong? The class of 2023 starts high school in 2019.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkwin Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 55 minutes ago, 69RoadRunner said: Anyone who says this isn't harmful to Girl Scouts is lying or incredibly naïve. Does your daughter exist for the benefit of Girl Scouts or the other way around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkwin Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 35 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said: Confused? So am I. Same here. I watched that clip and that guy doesn't appear to have any clue as to the fact that being an Eagle Scout has a time in rank commitment that cannot be surpassed by simply being 16 (as he seems to elude to by mentioning his daughter's age). At first thought, I was hoping that he was just being sloppy with his terms but it doesn't appear that such is the case. The only possible exception I can think of might be female Venturers but I am not versed enough in that program, or the cross-credit scouts receive in such, that would allow a female Venturer to earn Eagle quicker than a female Scout. Either way, still not an inaugural class of Eagle Scouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkwin Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 19 minutes ago, MattR said: Maybe you're reading this wrong? The class of 2023 starts high school in 2019.... No, the guy states that in February 2019, girls will be able to join "Boy Scouts" (his words). He goes on to state that "sometime in 2019" we will have our first female Eagle Scouts. He clearly implies that girls will be able to join in February and earn their Eagle by the end of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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