BY: JESSICA BEUKER
A group of young girls from Santa Rosa, California are fighting to become official members of the Boy Scouts of America.
Several of the girls enrolled in the Girl Scouts, but they didn’t enjoy the activities they were offered. According to Jezebel, the girls expressed interest in joining the Boy Scouts after participating in Learning for Life, a co-ed subsidiary of the Boy Scouts that helps to develop skills and self-confidence.
Ten-year-old Ella Jacobs watched as her brother, who is a Boy Scout, participated in many outdoor activities, while she was given the chance to do craft exercises such as making art badges.
A meeting between the Unicorns—the name the young girls have given themselves—and the local Boy Scout leaders was held recently that saw the girls asking to be made official Boy Scouts. Unfortunately, they were denied, as the leaders don’t actually have the authority to approve that kind of request, and had to forward it to the national headquarters. Politics, am I right?
A meeting between the Unicorns—the name the young girls have given themselves— and the local Boy Scout leaders was held recently that saw the girls asking to be made official Boy Scouts.
If the Boy Scouts decide to let the girls in, then it would only be fair for the Girl Scouts to be open to boys as well.
Despite the club’s loyalty to tradition, both the girls’ and boys’ clubs have implemented changes before. According to Good Magazine, the Boy Scouts of America lifted its ban on gay scout leaders just this past summer, while the Girl Scouts implemented a policy welcoming transgender girls back in 2011.
If the Boy Scouts decide to let the girls in, then it would only be fair for the Girl Scouts to be open to boys as well. Therefore, perhaps a better solution would be to just create a new group altogether. In addition to the traditional Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, there could also be a co-ed group and the leaders and members could choose the activities.
The Learning for Life program, while open to youths and adults without any restriction based on residence, religion, sexual orientation, or gender among other things, is unfortunately not considered a traditional scouting program. There are no uniforms or badges, and it is not run on scout law or promise.
In addition to the traditional Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, there could also be a co-ed group and the leaders and members could choose the activities.
The rules of the existing clubs don’t necessarily need to be changed for everyone to be happy. Sometimes a problem like this requires a bit of out of the box thinking. If you can’t beat ’em, and you can’t join em, then fight to create a new program—one for the girls and boys who don’t quite fit into their designated groups, or prefer to honour one troop side by side, regardless of gender.
If you can’t beat em, and you can’t join ’em, then fight to create a new program.
Image source: nytimes.com
