This isn’t going to be the least bit problematic, nope.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) made an announcement Wednesday — after a unanimous vote, the organization will begin admitting girls into the Cub and Eagle Scout Programs.
From the BSA:
“This decision is true to the BSA’s mission and core values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law. 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 BSA’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.”
A crappy economy and decaying family units were cited as reasons for the policy change. “Families today are busier and more diverse than ever. Most are dual-earners and there are more single-parent households than ever before [1], making convenient programs that serve the whole family more appealing,” reads the official statement.
Merely admitting girls into a fun program itself is not problematic. But these things don’t happen in a vacuum. Clubs, groups, and organizations delineated by sex are increasingly under pressure to be gender inclusive, and it’s with long-standing institutions caving to progressive pressure that I, and I imagine most others rankled by the BSA policy change, take umbrage.
Further, these changes are typically one-sided — how often do men complain about being excluded from women-only events? (There are jokes aplenty here, which I will leave to you, dear reader). Men and the sanctity of their space is increasingly marginalized, and their territory scaled back to suit neo-feminist whims which are delusional at best.
Thankfully, and there is a “thankfully” here, there will still be some kind of separation between the girls and boys:
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. 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. This unique approach allows the organization to maintain the integrity of the single gender model while also meeting the needs of today’s families.This decision expands the programs that the Boy Scouts of America offers for both boys and girls. Although known for its iconic programs for boys, the BSA has offered co-ed programs since 1971 through Exploring and the Venturing program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018. The STEM Scout pilot program is also available for both boys and girls.
There are many things I’ve learned through years of dating and most especially from being a wife — men do best when you leave them alone. I will not pretend I understand why, but this is a well-established rule of the universe. It’s more than a little infuriating to see every last vestige of mandom cleaned up to suit the ladies.
No word yet on whether the Girl Scouts plan to offer reciprocity by admitting boys.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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