LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Friday, February 1, 2019 marks the beginning of girls being admitted to Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America). This follows the admission of younger girls into Cub Scouts last year. Nationwide, more than 77,000 girls and their families joined Cub Scouts in 2018.
The Lincoln Heritage Council of Scouts BSA, which is responsible for Scout troops in much of Kentuckiana, will be holding an event Friday at 10:00 AM to officially welcome local girls to the organization and allow them to buy the gear and supplies they need.
Girls ages 11 to 18 will now be able to join parallel troops to boys their age, and receive the same lessons, experiences, and merit badges. While the troops will meet with each other at local gatherings, they will remain single-gender and distinct from one another.
Jason Pierce, Scout Executive for the Lincoln Heritage Council of Scouts BSA, said this decision came after studies showed boys and girls learn better in groups with others of the same gender.
Pierce—a lifelong scout who now has a son and daughter in the program—said the full admission of girls is the latest step in furthering the organization he has loved his whole life.
“The values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law—trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind—those aren’t gender specific,” Pierce said. “So, if that’s what we believe in—and we do—then it applies to boys and girls. Doesn’t matter.
“For girls that have said for decades, ‘I want to build a fire, I want to shoot a gun, I want to learn leadership skills through the patrol method, I want to become an eagle scout,’ now they have that opportunity.”
Pierce acknowledged Scouts BSA won’t be the right fit for every girl, and said they’re not trying to compete with or replace other organizations such as Girl Scouts. They just want to have their doors open to girls and families wanting to join.
The Lincoln Heritage Council anticipates 20 Scouts BSA all-girl troops to start in February, with each troop averaging 8 girls. Last fall, nearly 600 girls were admitted into Cub Scouting. The Lincoln Heritage Council expects both numbers to climb in coming years as interest increases.
If you would like to join Scouts BSA, visit scouting.org.
►Contact reporter Rob Harris at rjharris@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@robharristv) and Facebook.