MORE: Local scouting leader: Important to get name change right
The BSA announced in October its intention to allow girls to join the Cub Scouts and earn the rank of Eagle Scout for the first time in the group’s history. On Wednesday the organization made it official that it was dropping the “boy” from Boy Scouts.
In a written statement BSA said “dropping the boy” in Scouts will allow boys or girls to simply identify themselves as scouts without referring to gender. The group will become Scouts BSA starting in February 2019.
“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. That is why it is important that the name for our Scouting program for older youth remain consistent with the single name approach used for the Cub Scouts,” Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of the BSA noted in the statement. “Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be ‘Scouts BSA,’ and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.”
Scott said that the Girls Scouts “are determined as ever to stay on this path (creating spaces for girls), so that more girls, through Girl Scouting, gain confidence, seek challenges, and become active decision-makers and proficient problem-solvers to the greatest degree possible—and frankly, are better equipped to navigate a world that is still, regrettably, a ‘man’s world.’”
Girl Scouts are deploying a long-term, agile growth strategy to provide girls with what they need more effectively than any other organization in a changing, competitive marketplace, Scott said.
“Girl Scouts has been delivering the best in girl leadership and healthy development for over 100 years, and the organization taps expertise from the Girl Scout Research Institute to set its strategic direction,” she said.
Moving towards the 2018-2019 membership year, the organization will continue to focus on serving all girls and help break down barriers girls have to participation in Girl Scouts.
“The number we really focus on each year is the effectiveness of our program through outcome evaluation. We will continue to make quality programming a priority as we focus on our four program pillars: Entrepreneurship, Life Stills, Outdoor and STEM,” Scott said.
MORE: Boy Scouts Warren County accepts first girl into program
Leaving the “Girl” in Girl Scouts will always be something that those interested in the 106-year-old organization can count on.
“We are proud of the ‘Girl’ in Girl Scouts. Since our inception, Girl Scouts has put girls front and center, ensuring that everything we do is with their best interests in mind and equips them to be the fearless leaders and change-makers our more than 50 million alums prove themselves to be,” Scott said.
Girl Scouts: What we’re doing to remain a leader among youth organizations
• The 2018–19 period will see the largest rollout of new badges and program content in nearly a decade—larger even than last year’s rollout of 23 new badges—with a strong focus on the outdoors and STEM. We’ve worked closely with girls, volunteers, and staff to ensure offerings are what girls 1) want, and 2) need. For example, if girls want to be able to protect themselves online, we have a badge for that; if they want to be an engineer, we have badges for that; if they want to experience exciting outdoor activities, we have badges for that, too.
• We’re expanding our roster of corporate partnerships, both at the national and local levels, particularly with outdoor- and STEM-related businesses. Recent partnerships include The North Face, Raytheon, and Palo Alto Networks—which join our partnerships with AT&T, Dell, Toyota Financial Services, SETI, and JOANN.
• We’re enhancing female networking opportunities, including through a new collaboration with and network on LinkedIn. More than 50 million Girl Scout alums can now follow the Girl Scout Network page on LinkedIn to support female advancement. This collaboration marks the first time GSUSA will have the ability to track the life experiences and success of Girl Scout alums using LinkedIn’s community of more than 546 million members.
• We’re increasing the visibility of our prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, important both for girls and the nation because it emphasizes creating sustainable impact to change the world, which is at the heart of Girl Scouts’ mission.
SOURCE: Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
About the Author