This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/boy-scouts-girls-admit-allow-eagle-scout-rank-a7995471.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Boy Scouts to admit girls in historic rule change | Boy Scouts to admit girls in historic rule change |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has announced it will allow girls to become Cub Scouts – a historic change for the more than 100-year-old organisation. | |
| “The values of Scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, chief executive of the Boy Scouts. | “The values of Scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, chief executive of the Boy Scouts. |
| He added: “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children.” | He added: “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children.” |
| Starting in 2018, girls can participate in Cub Scouts via all-girls 'dens'. Boys and girls dens can be part of a larger, co-ed 'pack' if they so choose. Another, similar programme for older girls will likely be made available in 2019. This programme will allow girls to obtain the coveted Eagle Scout rank – the highest honour in the programme. | |
| The change marks a dramatic shift for the organisation, which has produced some of Amerrica's most famous leaders, from John F Kennedy to Michael Bloomberg. It comes after years of requests from families, numerous research efforts, and input from current members and leaders, according to the organisation. | |
| One key advocate for the change was Sydney Ireland, a New York teenager who wanted to be able to obtain the Eagle Scout rank like her brother had. | |
| "The Girl Scouts is a great organization, but it's just not the program that I want to be part of," Ireland told NBC News. "I think girls should just have the opportunity to be a member of any organization they want regardless of gender." | |
| The change comes shortly after the organisation was criticised by Girl Scouts President Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, for staging a “covert campaign to recruit girls". | |
| In a letter to the BSA board, Ms Hannan called it "unsettling" that the organisation would "seek to upend a paradigm that has served both boys and girls so well through the years". | |
| The Boy Scouts, meanwhile, claims the board wanted to accommodate busier, more diverse families – including single-parent homes. Several Boy Scouts programmes, such as 'Venturing' and 'Exploring,' are already available to young women ages 14 to 21. | |
| "We strive to bring what our organization does best – developing character and leadership for young people – to as many families and youth as possible," Mr Surbaugh said. | |
| The board also sparked controversy by voting to allow transgender children to enroll in the Boy Scouts in January. It reserved its long-standing ban on admitting gay members in 2013, after intense petitioning by activists. | |
| Approximately 2.3m members currently participate in Boy Scouts. |