Membership question....

[Eagle91]

Morning everyone,

I understand that as of today, BSA troop membership is based on gender with separate troops for boys and girls.    Has anyone seen or received any guidance from National or their local council as to what defines gender?  Is it the scout's gender at birth or their identified gender?  I realize I posted this question in the politics forum, but I'm really just wondering if there has been any official policy decision.  

Personal beliefs or opinions aside, as a scoutmaster in a very liberal part of the country, I'd like to be prepared for when this situation arises (and I believe it will shortly).

-E91

Mods... if this is not posted in the correct subforum, feel free to move.

 

 

[malraux]

Gender is whatever the youth puts on the application, ie identified gender.

edit for link: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/bsa-addresses-gender-identity/

Edited August 26, 2021 by malraux

[Eagledad]

It will be interesting to see how volunteers are guided to deal with tenting two scouts of the same identified gender, but opposite biological gender. I read where a UK Girl Scout Professional was fired for not allowing opposite biological genders' in the showers at the same time. We live in complex times. 

Barry

[Eagle91]

35 minutes ago, malraux said:

Gender is whatever the youth puts on the application, ie identified gender.

edit for link: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/bsa-addresses-gender-identity/

jeez...how did I miss that??

Thank you!

Although, it does raise another question.  Given today's gender fluidity, and the fact that the scouts in my troop fill out applications once when they join, how do we address this at recharter?  Is the unit expected to verify gender prior to recharter?  Or do units collect new applications?

Or getting right to the point, if a scout who previously registered as a boy in a boy troop decides to identify as a female they need to find and register in a girls troop?

-E91

Edited August 26, 2021 by Eagle91

[CynicalScouter]

17 minutes ago, Eagle91 said:

how do we address this at recharter Or do units collect new applications?

You don't.

Contact your Scouting professional. BSA's official stance and policy is you do NOT want to play guessing games and the single, sole source for this information is a scouting professional. As SOON as you find yourself with a transgendered scout, you MUST contact the professional.

That said, and this is NOT advice and NOT meant to contradict BSA policy, but what I have been told (again this is rank rumor so PLEASE contact your professional given the legal and other ramifications of this) is that a scout will be treated as they are identified on their application. There literally is no way in the recharter system to change genders. Thus if a child wishes to change how they self-identify they will need to do a new application. It may (let me repeat MAY) be possible for your Council Registrar to do it, but I know in my Council she wants a new application. They want a paper trail on this.

And remember: if there is a gender self-identification change, that is going to mean having to change troops since there are no co-ed troops.

Edited August 26, 2021 by CynicalScouter

[Eagle91]

1 minute ago, CynicalScouter said:

You don't.

Contact your Scouting professional. BSA's official stance and policy is you do NOT want to play guessing games and the single, sole source for this information is a scouting professional. As SOON as you find yourself with a transgendered scout, you MUST contact the professional.

That said, and this is NOT advice and NOT meant to contradict BSA policy, but what I have been told (again this is rank rumor so PLEASE contact your professional given the legal and other ramifications of this) is that a scout will be treated as they are identified on their application. There literally is no way in the recharter system to change genders. Thus if a child wishes to change how they self-identify they will need to do a new application.

Agreed, it gets very very complicated, and while I'm not a fan of Coed troops, it certainly would solve this problem...  OK, if and when this situation presents itself, I'll loop in the pros.  

Thanks All...

E91