The Boy Scouts of America announced Wednesday that, after 107 years, it would welcome girls to its packs--even allowing them to attain the coveted Eagle Scout rank. Now, many people, including some in the Girl Scout community, are lauding the BSA's decision. Some, though, worry that it will undermine girl-centric spaces.
The Girl Scouts of America, for its part, has made its stance clear. On Wednesday, the organization published a blog post called "Girl Scouts is the Girl Leadership Expert" that, while not calling out the Boy Scouts specifically, reiterated the GSA's focus on an "all-girl, girl-led, and girl-friendly environment."
SEE ALSO:This new Girl Scouts site is a 'treasure chest' of tips for girls to make a differenceTweet may have been deleted
On Friday, the Girl Scouts made an even stronger statement, accusing BSA of trying to usurp their organization.
"The Boy Scouts' house is on fire," a spokesperson told ABC News Friday. "Instead of addressing systemic issues of continuing sexual assault, financial mismanagement and deficient programming, BSA's senior management wants to add an accelerant to the house fire by recruiting girls."
It's a fair point--the Boy Scouts organization has made undeniable and grievous missteps in recent years. (It's also been suffering from a dearth of funds, although BSA chief executive Michael Surbaugh has said the expansion was not motivated by the increase in revenue that comes from increased membership.)
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Still, many people think the Boy Scouts' expansion is ultimately a good idea. On Twitter, for example, advocates brought up tiny, rural towns, which may have a better shot at assembling robust Cub Scout packs and dens now that girls can be admitted.
Others pointed out that the Eagle Scout rank, which can carry a lot of clout on resumes, should not just be available to boys. "People don't understand why girls would want to be Eagle Scouts, but here's one reason why: it's a leg up in the world," author Justina Ireland tweeted.
(The Girl Scouts does offer the Gold Award, which is the highest honor a Senior scout can earn.)
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Girls will be allowed to join single-gender Cub Scout dens starting next year. In 2019, another program will reportedly begin to allow older girls the opportunity to gain Eagle Scout status.
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