BP and Females on Campouts

Vic, I can agree with everything you said in your post EXCEPT:

"'Youth' in Baden-Powell's time meant males."

Had I not recently read the introduction to the original "Scouting For Boys"
pamphlets, I would have even agreed with that statement. The fact is, B-P
acknowledged in that introduction that the Boy Scout Scheme would even be
good for girls. While he makes it quite clear that the "Scoutmaster" should
be an adult male, he never said it COULDN'T be a woman.

Now, it is true that almost all of the "youth" organizations at the time
were strictly for boys, B-P was one who believed that women were just as
capable as men in the world of Scouting. Of course, he also had some input
in the creation of the Girl Guides, specifically their name. It was B-P's
intention that Girl Guides NOT be called Scouts because he felt it was
necessary to maintain a distinction between the two organizations (other
than the gender differences). In the US, however, B-P's wishes weren't
honored. This, of course, lead to the often stated joke around the campfire:
"I'm a girl Scout - I scout for girls everwhere!"

I'd also like to point out to those who feel a woman's presence in Scouting
changes the way Scouts act, that there is a point of the Scout Law involved
here! A Scout is Courteous. ALWAYS! Not just when females are around. As I
was often told in grade school: "If you wouldn't say it to your mothers
face, don't say it at all."

YIS
Anthony J. Mako, ajmako@apk.net Scoutmaster Troop 381
http://members.aol.com/Scouts381/ Home of the Unofficial Boy Scout Desktop
Theme
"I used to be an Eagle (C-7-97), but I'll always be an Eagle (1981)"

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