Re: A total co-ed program on the horizon for BSA?

A few years ago someone had mentioned to me that approx. ten years ago a
study was done to merge boy scouts and girl scouts because "the rest of the
wolrd already does". I am not a world wide scouter and I don't even know
everything that happens
in Pa. let alone the rest of the country... Can someone shed some light.

As you might expect, the "rest of the world" is highly varied ranging from
fully co-ed (with no options) to co-ed at some levels (typically Cubs or the
equivalent) then co-ed optional after that, to co-ed optional at all levels,
to fully separate (which is what the GSUSA is). Some programs are handled
separately but the organizations are united into a Scout and Guide (girl
scouts in the rest of the world) group. You can get a good idea by looking at
the symbol of Scouting in that country. If the trefoil of the girls is
combined with the fleur-de-lis of boys, the movements are combined in some
manner. More information about the specifics of each country can be found at
their sites on the web.

For the record, as it stands now, the United States has two organizations, one
a member of WOSM (the World Organization of the Scout Movement): the BSA; and
one a member of WAGGGS (the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts):
the GSUSA. The GSUSA is strictly single sex for youth (girls) in all of its
programs; the BSA is what I would describe as partly co-ed optional in that
Venturing is offered to both sexes but can be run as boy only (the troop
option).

I am fascinated by the fact that some countrie's scout movements are united in
sex, but are separated by religion. There is some argument that the BSA is
headed this way. It is true that at one time we did (in the USA) have
Catholic Scouts- though this movement never got very big.

Hope that helps.

Yours in Scouting,

G. John Marmet

P.S. Here are good sources for further information:
<A HREF="http://www.interaktif.com.tr/~izci/COK.HTM">Scouting around the world
- National organisations</A> <A HREF="http://www.us.scout.org/">World
Organization of the Scouting Movement (...</A>
<A HREF="http://www2.scoutnet.org.uk/jumpstation/index.htm">The Scouting
JumpStation</A>

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