Over the last week, there has been a lot of scrutiny about the Boy Scouts’ decision to begin allowing girls to participate in the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs.
From what I can tell, the Boy Scouts of America studied this issue very closely and came to this decision after listening closely to the needs of parents. According to a press release, 90 percent of parents were interested in having girls enroll in the Cub Scout program, and 87 percent were interested in allowing their girls to participate in the Boy Scout program.
From what I can tell, it is a convenience factor for most parents. Many of them are taking their kids to numerous different activities because their boys and girls can’t participate in the same activities. Now, this will allow them to have that opportunity if the Cub Scout pack nearest to them decides to have dens for both boys and girls.
We’ve seen how the Boy Scout program has impacted our society. Many of our brightest leaders were Eagle Scouts. If an employer sees that on a résumé, there’s a very good chance that person will get the job because it’s so difficult to achieve the Eagle Scout rank. You have to earn the 21 merit badges and complete your community service project by age 18. The elite few scouts who see it through to the end have a very good track record of success.
At my church, Decatur United Methodist Church, we have a great history of seeing Eagle Scouts come through, and I think it’s a great idea to allow girls the same opportunity.
I certainly don’t think the Boy Scouts will reduce any requirements for girls. It’s still going to be just as difficult to achieve Eagle rank.
Of course, each group will have to make that decision for themselves, but I think it’s a great opportunity for girls. I hope that many will take advantage of it.
