New Venture Crew: girl-only?

[SMT224 10]

Per another thread in this forum, we too are working to start a new girl-only Venture Crew. We will be having the first organizational meeting later this week, and have decided to keep it girl-only to give the girls a chance to develop some leadership skills. However, some interested boys have gotten wind of this, and, along with their parents, are very interested in joining. We are concerned the boys, with their significant Scouting experience, will take over.

 

Can we (the organizers and advisers), keep it girl-only, or are we required to include any boy that wants to join?

 

Thanks!!

[Eagle92 110]

First off the the CO can tell you whether to keep it single sex, or coed. Secondly if the CO doesn't care, then the youth who are organizing the crew can decide. My old troop started a Venturing Crew that was boys only. The youth who started it decided that issue, and wrote it into the by-laws.

[Hal_Crawford 15]

A girls only unit chartered by the Boy Scouts of America. I love the irony.

 

I took a training course last year with a couple of women who were moving a GSA over to Venturing because their 8th graders were no longer interested in what GSA had to offer. I assume the Crew was going to be all girl, at least to start with. Certainly simplifies youth protection.

 

Hal

[Kalae 10]

I'm in an all-female crew.

We simply wrote it into our charter. Frankly, I could use a male presence now and then, but we have one or two girls who DEFINITELY couldn't handle it. "Oh, there's a GUY here. Make him do all the work and heavy lifting."

Our chartered organization rep wanted it all female. So, it was written straight into our bylaws, and probably won't change until we recharter under someone else when his daughter ages out. Fine by me.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

All Male, All Female, Co -Ed, its up to the Crew

[Chief Decorah 10]

I agree with the others. If you want an all-girl crew, make it an all-girl crew. No problem.

 

Also, remember that it's a "Venturing" Crew, not a "Venture" crew. The more we all use the proper terminology, the more likely Venturing will continue to grow.

 

From the Language of Scouting: http://www.scouting.org/Media/LOS/All/V.aspx

 

[Stosh 3452]

This is nothing new. I used to set up the old Exploring Posts 35 years ago and a few of those Posts were all female.

 

Stosh

 

 

[SMT224 10]

Right - we had our first organizational meeting, appointed (volunteered!) a Committee Chair, Secretary Treasurer, and a couple Advisers (me one of them!). The next step is to get appropriate signatures and file the paperwork. The girls are excited about doing a high adventure program this summer at our Council Boy Scout camp. They may try to do something this spring, but are feeling good about being part of a Venturing Crew.

 

Thanks for everyone's input on this.

[crewmom 10]

A girl-only venture crew could work, by all means. As written above, the crew members just have to write their own charter. However, it has to be their decision. In the one I am currently working with, the girls hold all the officer positions, since the boys are often split between their troops and the crew when we're on district or council events.

 

So far it's worked alright. Just don't let them near any air soft or paintball guns (non-official venturing activity), no matter how empty they are!