(Boy)Scouts

   The Boy Scouts have been around allowing young males to earn their Eagle Scout for 110 years. They have also had the opportunity to earn merit badges, and progress young men into their interests and into what they care about.

  In the Fall of 2017, it was announced that Boy Scouts of America will allow young females into the program to earn the Eagle Scout as well as outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. The announcement came out on International Day of the Girl, which made the Girl Scouts very distraught because they will be losing potential girls.

   Samantha Heberlein, a freshman at PVHS said, “I think that since this is a new thing people may look into it more. Parents may not understand it and stay in Girl Scouts.” It appears that recruitment of young females will be a consistent feud with a race between Girl Scouts and Scouts BSA.

  The Boy Scouts are now changing their name to Scouts BSA (Boy Scouts of America) to make it more gender neutral because they are hoping to get more revenue with females joining.

  “Scout In Me” is the new campaign advertisement that has launched to recruit boys and girls into Scouts BSA. The campaign features males and females who are experiencing Cub Scouts for the first time.

  Heberlein said, “I felt like it was a good thing. A lot of other places have done it. America is the only country that has delayed it for this long.” This is a positive program for females that want to go outside more and work with both genders.

  The girls joining Scouts BSA will be able to not only earn their Eagle but merit badges as well. The merit badges are badges that allow that scout to expand their existing knowledge about a variety of subjects such as science, camping, sports, etc. that pique their interests.

  The Eagle Scout is an award that requires 80+ hours of community service towards one project that the Scout creates. An Eagle Scout can earn scholarships, a higher ranking in the military and a job opportunity over someone else. The scout working towards the Eagle creates and pursues the project with a team and they are in charge.

   Heberlein said, “Scouts is very fun and active. There is work involved and it is worth it. The Scouts is still progressing now that it is no longer Boy Scouts.” There are packs, several troops that share a number, that go camping often and they may work on a merit badge at meetings.

  With Scouts BSA there will not be any mixed dens. Dens is similar to a troop that has a number of boys or girls. All females will be in a den and the same for boys. Females will be able to join all-female dens and boys will continue to have the opportunity to join all-male dens.

  Heberlein added, “I do think that it is pretty dumb that I am in a separate (den) but we are still one main troop which means we all still work together.” Females and males still get to work alongside each other but they work individually too.

  There has been a co-ed program that allows females to have the same opportunity but not allowing them to get the Eagle Scout. The program is called Venturing and it allows females to go outside and not have to sell cookies and do arts and crafts. Instead, they go camping and hiking.  

  Boy Scouts is now a program that anyone can join, although it may not be for everyone, there is also Girl Scouts, 4H and Venturing. There is a thing for everyone to go and enjoy. Scouts BSA, a camping steady program, Girl Scouts that empowers young women, 4H that handles plants, animals, etc., and Venturing that is similar to Scouts BSA without the Eagle Scout and merit badges.