On Wed., October 11, the Boys Scouts of America made an announcement stating that in 2018, they would start allowing girls to join in their ranks for the first time in their century long run. The announcement was met with mixed reactions across the board. Boy Scout leaders seemed to be excited about the idea — but some Girl Scout leaders seem opposed to the idea.
In a letter that was obtained by Buzzfeed News, it was made clear that it was possible the Boy Scout’s intention were not entirely pure. Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, the Girl Scouts of America’s national president stated, “We are confused as to why, rather than working to appeal to the 90 percent of boys who are not involved in BSA programs, you would choose to target girls.”
Hannan accused the Boy Scouts of America of using girls to appeal to millennial parents and to gain new membership from an otherwise dwindling enterprise. The Boy Scouts have just recently started to stray away from their conservative ideas by allowing in openly gay boys as well as transgender individuals. Hannan pointed out that the Boy Scouts should be focusing on recruiting minorities that have been underrepresented in the scouts, instead of girls.
Hannan emphasized that the girl scouts were created for young girls, and is a way to teach them individual empowerment. On the other hand, the Boys Scouts of America emphasize leadership, which is a strong skill for any child to learn. So, the question is, do young girls really benefit from an all-girl environment over a mixed gender one? Statistically, yes. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions to this. Some girls may thrive in an all boy environment, some may not. In a quote from CNN, Zach Wahls, a co-founder for Scouts of equality said, “we are proud of the Boy Scouts of America for taking this step forward, and we believe the future is bright for Scouting in America.”
To me the important distinction here is that now there is a choice. There’s something strangely empowering about being able to be a part of something that has been closed off to girls for 100 years. It feels like we’ve won something — but I’m not sure what it is. Maybe it’s the ability to have a choice, maybe it’s being able get down in the dirt with the boys, or maybe it’s simply allowing young girls to be able to feel equal to young boys.
I think it could be beneficial to have little boys and girls working together, considering they’re usually separated into different activities by the time they’re around seven. They should be allowed to grow together, not separated from each other and their interests. If a little girl wants to be a part of the Boy Scouts or if she wanted to become an eagle scout someday, who are we to stop her?
It’s possible that the Boys Scouts of America are using girls to gain new membership, but if it makes even one little girl happy, what is there to argue about? It could be a way for a new generation of boys and girls to better understand each other, and for them to learn that ‘normal’ gender roles don’t have to control how they see the world.