Scouts BSA Handbook for Girls?

[Dixit]

The recently updated IOLS curriculum makes reference to "Scouts BSA Handbook for Girls" (No 39006).

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/3364018OLskills_Aug.pdf

Anyone seen this in the wild?

 

EDIT to fix title

Edited August 28, 2018 by Dixit

[Treflienne]

Very interesting.  That document referred to "The Scouts BSA Handbook for Boys and Scouts BSA Handbook for Girls"

Makes it sound like they will have separate handbooks.   How much will they differ?   Just the pictures and the pronouns?   Or also in the content?

[gblotter]

Different handbooks with different numbers.

Scouts Handbook for Boys, No. 34462

Scouts Handbook for Girls, No. 39006

[Kryten]

And it begins. So much for not changing the program. why else would you need 2 handbooks?

[FireStone]

EDITED TO ADD: Upon further information provided, my concern is invalid. 

Edited August 28, 2018 by FireStone

[Chris1]

We got a sneak peek of the two books at the area conference earlier this month. The difference is the color of the cover, the pictures inside one has girls in the pictures one Boys in pictures, and pronouns are changed from he to she him to her Etc.

My understanding is that they had thought of doing a combined book however certain people complained that with both boys and girls in all photographs it appeared to be co-ed not Separated by gender. So we end up with two books.

Don't read anything more into having two books.

 

 

[Jameson76]

34 minutes ago, gblotter said:

Different handbooks with different numbers.

Scouts Handbook for Boys, No. 34462

Scouts Handbook for Girls, No. 39006

But but...it's all the same...They promised

Except....

Then they added the linked troops, then the early adopter units sort of looked the other way for girl only dens, then the councils looked the other way for the same, then units in Oregon played the system and started a girls Explorer Club and called them a troop and brought them to camp and there was much rejoicing, and then National rolled inconsistent adult leadership requirements and there was no explanation, and many units said they were just going to be coed, then many councils started inflating the number of perspective girl interested in cubs to look better, then they changed the name of the program for youth aged 11 - 17, and then there were 2 versions of the scout book for apparently the same program, listed by gender which we have been repeatedly told really does not matter

Well done CSE and National Board, well played

 

[qwazse]

This whole thing precipitated because the GS/USA narrowed its lane to deny many girls some desirable programs.

I would rather endure the semblance of co-ed if it lets the one "side" see that the other "side" is playing from the same book.

If Venturing is any indication, girls in Scouts USA will avoid any whiff of being pandered to.

Any girls who ask me to SM their troop better be prepared to only by the "boy's" book.

[Eagle1993]

36 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

...and then there were 2 versions of the scout book for apparently the same program, listed by gender which we have been repeatedly told really does not matter

Well done CSE and National Board, well played

 

Really??!?!?  Are you serious?  If they changed the Boy Scout book to add some pictures of girls and changed some pronouns you would have went nuts claiming they “changed the program”.  They are adding a girls book with picture of girls and adding “she” instead of “he”.  They did this in a separate book so they don’t upset the existing boys and their leaders... and that is now an issue?   WOW!  

Perhaps we need to add trigger warnings to any BSA announcements going forward so existing leaders can go to their safe spaces prior to hearing such things like there is a scouts BSA book with pictures of girls or uniform pants that come out and are sized for girls. Oh, the humanity! 😀

There is a lot to complain about but having a separate book (as long as gender is the only delta) makes sense given how they are introducing the program as non coed.

[qwazse]

13 minutes ago, Eagle1993 said:

There is a lot to complain about but having a separate book (as long as gender is the only delta) makes sense given how they are introducing the program as non coed. 

Christmas is coming I'm betting our troop's white-elephant gift exchange will have at least one Scouts Handbook for Girls  wrapped in cammo duct tape. I'm betting our more rugged boys will trade for it.

[NJCubScouter]

The "optics" here are not good.  Different handbooks suggest different programs, even if its actually all the same program.

[FireStone]

Why then was there no concern about Cub books being co-ed in terms of photos and representations? Those packs/dens are also supposed to be separate, right?

It's such a weird thing to bother with. Either it's a problem or it's not. And yet we get this seemingly split perspective on it from National. 

Or maybe that makes total sense considering the source. 😅

[RememberSchiff]

A marketing ploy?

As I remember back in the day, Quaker Oats had the same cereal packaged as Quisp and Quake. They thought their ad campaign of which was better would have consumers buying both to compare, i.e. double sales. In the end, the different same cereals became the one cereal Captain Crunch.

 

 

[Kryten]

I was a quisp kid

[Jameson76]

1 hour ago, Eagle1993 said:

Really??!?!?  Are you serious?  If they changed the Boy Scout book to add some pictures of girls and changed some pronouns you would have went nuts claiming they “changed the program”.  They are adding a girls book with picture of girls and adding “she” instead of “he”.  They did this in a separate book so they don’t upset the existing boys and their leaders... and that is now an issue?   WOW!  

Perhaps we need to add trigger warnings to any BSA announcements going forward so existing leaders can go to their safe spaces prior to hearing such things like there is a scouts BSA book with pictures of girls or uniform pants that come out and are sized for girls. Oh, the humanity! 😀

There is a lot to complain about but having a separate book (as long as gender is the only delta) makes sense given how they are introducing the program as non coed.

I am very serious.  

The messaging concerning Boy Scouts (AKA Scouts BSA)  has been IDENTICAL programs, no changes to the program, the same program for all, etc etc.   Step on up and get your Eagle.  Now there are in fact two handbooks, a Girls Handbook and a Boys Handbook.  One would assume actually 4 handbooks, 2 for Girls English and Spanish and 2 for Boys English and Spanish.

What message does that send?  Basically subliminally telegraphing that there are in fact differences.  There probably are not any other than the photos, but is that in fact the case (one would hope that is the case).  Again, even another botched message from the tone deaf crowd at National.

Edited August 28, 2018 by Jameson76