Re: Gender
Turba, Thomas N (Thomas.Turba@UNISYS.COM)
Wed, 28 Apr 1999 14:36:27 -0500
>Sorry, but can anybody tell me if there are people anywhere in the
>US, who want to do some really serious Scouting with a lot of fun
>and don't give a damn about something"irrelevant" like the gender
>of their Scouts?
The Indianhead Council of the BSA in St. Paul, Minnesota has an ongoing
relationship with the Girl Scout Council of St. Corix Valley to provide
international Scouting opportunities for both boys and girl in the areas we
serve. This started many years ago when we began an exchange program with
the Guides and Scouts of Costa Rica.
This summer will mark the tenth time that a group of Guides and Scouts from
Costa Rica will come to the United States to camp with Boy Scouts and Girl
Scouts, together, as well as do other activities with them, both here and in
Costa Rica. We have also had co-ed groups from here participate in
activities with Argentine, Bulgarian, Canadian, and Czech groups. This year
I am taking a co-ed group to the Iceland National Jamboree.
As well as joint activities between the Girls Scout and Boy Scout councils,
there are many co-ed Venture and Explorer units in the Indianhead Council.
Their numbers are increasing at a very good rate. There are also many co-ed
groups that visit our Tomahawk Scout Reservation during the summer. These
are not only from the States, but also from Canada and other countries.
Although the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are separate organizations in the
United States, it does not mean that there is not, or cannot be, cooperative
gender neutral activities. I know there are other councils that provide
such activities as well. It may not be the norm, but it also is not unique.
The United States is also not unique in having separate organization for
boys and girls. This is still true in many other countries. And, some of
them are much more strict on gender separation.
The world is a changing place. It always has been. Hopefully, the changes
we see in the future will all be for the better, but will still preserve
what is good in what we have.
Yours in Scouting,
T. N. T.
Thomas N. (Tom) Turba
International Representative
Indianhead Council, BSA
St. Paul, Minnesota
E-mail: Thomas.Turba@Unisys.com
