About one hundred and ten years ago, one of the most patriotic, yet infamous traditions in the United States came to be. Boy Scouts of America has trained over one hundred million boys in its ranks, including American presidents Kennedy, Ford, Clinton and W Bush, and famous celebrities(Michael Jordan, Martin Luther King jr, Bill Gates and Neil Armstrong. The organization aims to prepare young men for the challenges of life while helping them excel at leadership and other skills of their choosing. Recently, this single-gender organization has allowed girls to participate, creating ‘linked’ troops (where a boys’ troop and a girls’ troop come together). Over seventy-seven thousand girls have joined, with numbers consistently rising. In North Dakota’s KX news, scout Mikayla Britt of troop 5401 stated that through Boy Scouts she has “become better at expanding [her] point of view to different types of people who see things different ways, and it’s cool for [them] all to join together and learn things from different people as well and kind of understand what they’re saying too.”
While many Americans see this change as a step in the right direction for female equality, some disagree. Girl Scouts of America, another large association targeted at aiding girls, clearly stated that the Boy Scout Association’s announcement “does not change the position of Girl Scouts of the USA or …[their].. mission to serve girls, and girls only, and to foster their amazing leadership potential. [They] remain steadfast in…[their].. knowledge that Girl Scouts is the world’s single best leadership development program for girls.” In addition, the female organization filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts for ‘infringing on its trademark.’ As a result, after including girls, the Boy Scouts are now known as BSA (Boy Scouts of America) for older groups.
Autumn Bair, a female eighth grade BSA member shared that she joined BSA a few months ago after watching her brothers enjoy the various activities the association had to offer. Bair commented that BSA “is not for every single girl, but mostly for girls who enjoy the outdoors.” Furthermore, Bair accentuated how she felt her opinion is perceived by her fellow male troopmates, “I feel valued in my troop, the boys in the co-ed troop are kind and my opinion is taken into account.” Bair is one of the countless girls who have found their place and taken advantage of what the BSA program has to offer. Over one hundred thirty-five skills are taught with the flexibility of choice granted to the scout.
While some researchers say that “girls in Boy Scouts is bad for everyone”, there are differences in the programs that suit different types of people. According to The Guardian, thirty percent of all Girl Scout activities are communal while most BSA activities require participants to be physically active. As Bair stated earlier, it truly depends on the child and their personal preference. Fundamentally, the BSA allowing girls to participate has paved the way for more opportunities for girls across the United States. Gender equality is gradually leveling out, evening the playing field, with organizations such as BSA taking initiative. Tradition is meaningful but adaptation is necessary, times are changing and with it, organizations must change as well.
Article by Rosa Saavedra of Herbert Hoover Middle School
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons