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Boy Scouts Will Now Allow Girls To Join

The Boy Scouts are expanding.

The Boy Scouts will soon be allowing girls to join.

The Boy Scouts will soon be allowing girls to join.

Photo Credit: Bill Powers

On Wednesday, the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors unanimously voted to welcome girls into its Cub Scout program.

“The values of scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, the Boy Scout's Chief Scout Executive. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children. We strive to bring what our organization does best – developing character and leadership for young people – to as many families and youth as possible as we help shape the next generation of leaders.”

Starting in the 2018 program year, families can choose to sign up their sons and daughters for Cub Scouts. Existing packs may choose to establish a new girl pack, establish a pack that consists of girl dens and boy dens or remain an all-boy pack, according to the Boy Scots.

Cub Scout dens will be single-gender — all boys or all girls. Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts program, the organization will also deliver a program for older girls, which will be announced in 2018 and projected to be available in 2019, that will enable them to earn the Eagle Scout rank, according to the Boy Scouts. 

The Boy Scouts have offered co-ed programs since 1971 through Exploring and the Venturing program. The STEM Scout pilot program is also available for both boys and girls.

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