Written by Kathleen Malone. Media by Kelsey Middleton.
A shocking development has recently come about in the Boy Scouts: they are now allowing girls to join them. Many people view this as a bad thing, something that shouldn’t happen as it seems to change the norm of things, while others are excited and ecstatic about the decision. You may or may not have heard about it until now, but it seems to be a very controversial topic, mostly to the older generation of Boy Scouts and to the Girl Scouts. By making this decisive move, the Boy Scouts are trying to do something new and innovative, as well as presenting an idea that should continue on for some time.
There were a few articles that discussed this, as it was very big news when it was first announced and there is definitely cause for people to be excited, uncomfortable, or downright disagree with the idea. Most of the articles show that some of the older Boy Scouts and most, if not all of the Girl Scouts, seem to reject this idea about the Boy Scouts going co-ed. The two systems have always been similar, but different, when it came to which gender the groups were going to focus on, hence the names of the groups.
In the article by Julie Bosman and Niraj Chokshi, “Boy Scouts Will Accept Girls, in Bid to ‘Shape the Next World Leaders’,” they state many opinions from people who are for the idea, and from those who are against it. “Some girls, like Ella Jacobs, 12, of Sebastopol, Calif., have long argued for the chance to be allowed into the Boy Scouts.” Jacobs’ mother, Danelle Jacobs, defended her daughter’s position by stating, “My point has always been that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Girl Scouts, but they weren’t the right fit for our family, girls should have the choice”
On the other hand, Bryan Spellman, a Scoutmaster in Fishers, Ind., commented, “Honestly, I don’t mind it at all…” showing that he was on board with the idea in the first place.
In “Boy Scouts ‘Exploring’ Co-Ed Programming Provokes Girl Scout Ire“, by Amy Held, Effie Delimarkos, a spokeswoman for the Boy Scouts said, “We are disheartened to see the Girl Scouts pull away from the possibility of cooperation to help address the needs of today’s busy families.” This draws attention again toward the Girl Scouts seeming to not want to endure the change that could affect them in a negative way. Having an opening in the Boy Scouts for girls to join will mean that the Girl Scouts will lose members, but that doesn’t exactly mean that it will destroy their Scout altogether, it just brings about new openings and more opportunities for girls to be in the same place as the boys.
“Girls in Boy Scouts? What DFW Scouting Leaders are Saying” by Mitch Mitchell, has many comments that are negative, posting that things should just continue to be the same as they have always been. A Tweet by Charlie Kirk said: “I am an Eagle Scout, Only boys should be in Boy Scouts, Only girls should be in Girl Scouts, Don’t change things that work.”
Another quote from Becky Burton, a chief executive Girl Scout officer, states, “The single-gender environment we offer at Girl Scouts creates an inclusive, safe space where girls are free to explore their potential and take the lead without the distractions or pressure that can be found in a coed environment.”
The idea of allowing girls into the Boy Scouts is one that the Boy Scouts should continue on with, despite the negative comments that they receive from many people. We do not live in a society where girls and boys are kept separate from each other, and it seems that the Boy Scouts understand that sentiment and wish to change the rules.
