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After tomorrow I am hoping all the hype dies down


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First off, I am pro on girls in Scouts, BSA.   And I realize tomorrow is the day it kicks off.   Is anyone else growing tired of the marketing and PR behind it and hoping that after tomorrow we get to just talking about scouting for all and enough about just the female troops.  Yes it is historic for tan shirts.  This also happens to be the 50th year of females in Sea Scouting/Exploring.  It surprises me it took 50 years to make this change.

It just seems to be getting a little wearing at least in our council that they are promoting any time a female troop meets on the web site, facebook.....   I just want to get back to scouting for all and talk about hiking, camping, and all the other fun scouting activities.

This 18 month lead up is painful, I am not sure why it took 18 months IMHO.

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Some people aren't very good at communicating. Some aren't very good at putting themselves in others shoes and seeing how someone else might view things, or be so wrapped up in the excitement of what

I'm neither "pro" nor "anti" girls in scouting....but I AM tired of all the bickering and conjecture and am very eager to see what happens (and hopeful that it will benefit all the kids involved).

Trying to ignore the whole "Scout Me In; Family Scouting is the BEST; the attitude that the last 109 years was subpar or somehow as the Boy Scouts did not allow girls; and the fact that as long as we'

I am anti girls in scouts but I am encouraged by seeing a handbook based on gender. I also see less of just girls and more of a mix in most of the marketing stuff that come across my desk. I also think the boys are tired of seeing this too (first girl this and first girl that, girl patrol beat boys patrol etc). Lets move on and have fun scouting. 

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37 minutes ago, TMSM said:

I am anti girls in scouts but I am encouraged by seeing a handbook based on gender. I also see less of just girls and more of a mix in most of the marketing stuff that come across my desk. I also think the boys are tired of seeing this too (first girl this and first girl that, girl patrol beat boys patrol etc). Lets move on and have fun scouting. 

I am not sure about this gender specific handbook myself.  The only difference appears to be pictures now, but having different books could be the beginning of a slippery path to different requirements.  I am not sure why they couldn't have an updated book for both with a mix of pictures of each gender?

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6 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

I am not sure about this gender specific handbook myself.  The only difference appears to be pictures now, but having different books could be the beginning of a slippery path to different requirements.  I am not sure why they couldn't have an updated book for both with a mix of pictures of each gender?

Our Council Scout Shop had the new ScoutsBSA girl handbook at last weekend's University of Scouting.  In addition to changing the cover (kind of glittery) and the pictures/pronouns used, there are a few things added in specific to female hygiene.

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1 hour ago, mashmaster said:

This 18 month lead up is painful, I am not sure why it took 18 months IMHO.

I have found it pretty obvious how it was all going to shake out as well, with the only uncertainty if they will have separate patrols in willing troops or just separate troops. But there was a huge contingent here and elsewhere arguing that it was happening way too fast and too soon to possibly plan.

 

And for what its worth, given the three alternatives of 1> scouting not being mentioned at all on the news, 2> scouting being mentioned in terms of bankruptcy and sex abuse scandals, or 3> scouting being mentioned for adding girls, I'd say that possibility 3 is better than possibility 1. Though yes, I'm ready for it to be done, got the patch, lets worry about spring camporee and summer camp plans.

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2 hours ago, mashmaster said:

It just seems to be getting a little wearing at least in our council that they are promoting any time a female troop meets on the web site, facebook.....   I just want to get back to scouting for all and talk about hiking, camping, and all the other fun scouting activities.

I think it is just getting started.

Little cubs with ponytails is one thing, having young female adults in tan uniforms leading troops in public and at various scouting events will likely be another - and draw more attention and media.

The next two years will be full of various "firsts."

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Trying to ignore the whole "Scout Me In; Family Scouting is the BEST; the attitude that the last 109 years was subpar or somehow as the Boy Scouts did not allow girls; and the fact that as long as we're at it let's toss out the name Boy Scouts and become Scouts BSA.

The name change of the program for the youth ages 11 -17; hey Girls let's join the Boy Scouts...BSA, wait we're gonna change the name now...

I trust the Girl troops work out well. Just want to continue to run the troop, go camping, build self reliant Boy Scouts.   While it's neat that Girls are joining, let's not forget the vast number of Boys that are already members.

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Hi @Jameson76

Try to remember that "A scout is cheerful".  And I really think that there is a more positive view that can be taken that what is coming across in what you said:

7 hours ago, Jameson76 said:

Trying to ignore the whole "Scout Me In; Family Scouting is the BEST; the attitude that the last 109 years was subpar or somehow as the Boy Scouts did not allow girls; 

Looking at this a different way:  People think that the last 109 years of the Boy Scouts was terrific.  They are excited that girls will now have this same opportunity.

7 hours ago, Jameson76 said:

as long as we're at it let's toss out the name Boy Scouts and become Scouts BSA.

Looking at this a different way:  We want to both keep the name of the organization "Boy Scouts of America" and also make the new female scouts feel like they belong.  And anyway, even though we cannot call the girls who are Scouts "girl Scouts"  we can still call the boys who are Scouts "boy Scouts" or "boy scouts" which sound exactly like "Boy Scouts".  

 

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10 hours ago, mashmaster said:

 Is anyone else growing tired of the marketing and PR behind it

I think we should view this as having been temporarily helpful for the sake of getting the new girls troops started.   You cannot start a troop unless you find five girls.   The general public already knows that Boys Scouts is a good program for boys.   They just needed the opportunity to realize it was for their girls too.  

(In our new troop,  less than a quarter of the new female scouts have a brother already in Boy Scouts.  So that was a bunch of new families.)

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6 hours ago, Treflienne said:

I think we should view this as having been temporarily helpful for the sake of getting the new girls troops started.   You cannot start a troop unless you find five girls.   The general public already knows that Boys Scouts is a good program for boys.   They just needed the opportunity to realize it was for their girls too.  

(In our new troop,  less than a quarter of the new female scouts have a brother already in Boy Scouts.  So that was a bunch of new families.)

This. As I've said before, in the UK, we went fully co-ed in every section in the early/mid 2000s if memory serves, and still almost every time we go out in uniform someone will comment "oh you have girls in scouts now?"

 

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9 hours ago, Momleader said:

While it's neat that Girls are joining, let's not forget the vast number of Boys that are already members.

AMEN!!!!!  

Speaking of those, a few boys in my Jambo troop told me their sisters are starting a troop for girls. They sounded largely positive about it.

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10 hours ago, Momleader said:

While it's neat that Girls are joining, let's not forget the vast number of Boys that are already members.

AMEN!!!!!  

I am now worried about one particular boys' troop. Since there are no females willing to take over SM duties for a girls' troop, the CO's boys' SM is now considering stepping down as SM there to be the SM for his daughter and her friends. I understand family first, and completely agree. But between the issues affecting that boys' troop, and knowing that no one is either willing or capable of filling his shoes as SM, I see that boys' troop folding within a year. I hope I am wrong.

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16 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

I am now worried about one particular boys' troop. Since there are no females willing to take over SM duties for a girls' troop, the CO's boys' SM is now considering stepping down as SM there to be the SM for his daughter and her friends. I understand family first, and completely agree. But between the issues affecting that boys' troop, and knowing that no one is either willing or capable of filling his shoes as SM, I see that boys' troop folding within a year. I hope I am wrong.

One solution yes have some other guy or you offer to be scoutmaster for the girls Troop.

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