If the BSA were to provide services to girls, whats the best way?

[Life-Scout-Ldr]

The reason why so many people look to BSA to fix or address issues like this one is because in the broad scope of things the BSA has a wonderful program that many want to be a part of. They all like it EXCEPT (put your reason here).

 

We look to the BSA to create the programs the way we want them because in the very gist of what they offer they have a really good thing and they are established with a program, and uniforms, and symbols, etc. no one wants to re-invent the wheel. And honestly from many of the efforts I have seen in re-inventing the wheel the programs are left lacking.

 

[JoeBob]

My daughter would LOVE to join the Tomboy Scouts of America.

My son, her younger brother, would HATE having his big sister along on his 'guy-time' with dad.

 

3 more years until Venturing...

[BDPT00]

And how is CampFire doing these days?

Best of luck. I'd say they need some good leadership and an improved program (that, however, is with no actual hands-on knowledge of their program).

From how I see it, AHG is the wave of the future. They know what they're doing, and they know what they stand for. I support them and their growing association with BSA.

BDPT00

[prairie]

This has been some thread to slog though.

Some thoughts if I could have my way.

 

COED Cubbing, National might love it as it would pump the membership numbers up big time, why pay for a sitter for Suzy while you take Devon when haveing her join Cubs would be cheaper? My vote, which I don't have, go coed but take the start age back to 2nd grade, both parents and kids are burning out on "Scouting" before they ever take part in the real 11-18 program. A grandfather clause for established Packs so they can stay boy only if they want to, all new Packs will be coed and once any pack is coed it can not revert back.

The 10 year olds, Weblos for the boys but mabe this it the time to offer the parellel program for the girls? Not Sure.

The 11 year olds, For the boys I won't mess with the program other than push for men to take up more of the burden of makeing the program function including those without boys in scouts, this is from the male rolemodel argument, NOT that females can't be great Scouters, too much of the time I see the boy that fails at Scouting dosn't have a parrent involved and a mentoring Scouter could make the diffrence.

 

So some where in here there needs to be a program of advancement and adventure for girls to be ready for Venturing, for small Troops in population thin areas it might even have to function as a stand alone but affilated patrol to a BSA troop. Not ideal but if the only other programs in the area (if any) remind you of Future Homemakers of America which back in the 1970s my local GS troop did, would it be such a bad thing?

Wether the use of off the shelf BSA books, uniforms and program of tweek some of it to suit, this program needs a 1st Class rank to aspire to by compreating requirements compairable to the boys. Yes, this does open up the path to Eagle, it shoulod also remind all that there needs to be more OUTdoors in Scouting.

 

If certin orginizations can't stand the thought, maybe its time for them to develop their own youth program instead of warping the BSA to their wishs.

 

Well there it is, hare-brained and badly presented, tomarrow I will read this and see some part and wonder what I was thinking, but you are all safe as there is no chance anybody would ever let me be in charge of even the Golf tee times in Texas.

[Cambridgeskip]

As others have said, quite a thread to plough through (although from the dates this does seem to have been resurrected from some time ago? Or have I misunderstood?)

 

Anyway, speaking as leader (in the UK) with a lot of girls in the troop I can say there is nothing to fear. It hasn't meant that scouts has changed in terms of being any less outdoors based, if I was allowed (we have an agreement that photos of scout events are only publsihed on a password protected site) I could show you photos of girls cooking on fires, chopping wood with axes, white water canoing, camping, climbing etc etc.

 

That is not to say though there are no differences at all. Girls are different to boys, there is no doubt about that. They mature earlier, both physically and mentally. At the younger end of scouts (10-14) the girls always have the advantage in physcial games. At the older end they are nearly always at a disadvantage. As a general rule I find that the girls are more corageous when it comes to the adventurous activities, the boys though are much better team players.

 

Having girls in scouts means that leaders have to consider some different issues but none of them are anything to be worried about or feared, none of them will change scouts fundamentally. We generally find that the girls who join scouts are a very different type to those who join Girl Guides. We had a joint wide games night with a Girl Guide group once and you just had to look at how they were dressed. Yes there were wooly hats and gloves on both sides but I don't think there was a single bit of pink or a single flower on anything my girls wore!

 

Final note regarding someone saying more IT badges than first aid were awarded in the UK - that's because IT is studied in school and scouts will simply tell leaders what they have covered and often this ticks off one of the IT badges so they get it. Simple. It's nothing to do with a change in the programme!

[SeattlePioneer]

Opening paragraph from an e-mail regarding our Pack camping trip last weekend:

 

 

>

 

The program is aimed at boys but Scouting requires that there be an appropriate program for siblings who come to meetings and activities.

 

Not the same thing as having a program designed for your needs and interests of course.