Capital Area BSA membership "booming"

[AwakeEnergyScouter 249]

"ALBANY — It’s been five years since girls nationally could join the Boy Scouts — and troops across the Capital Region are booming.

The Twin Rivers Council, which includes the entire Capital Region, has 700 more youths overall enrolled this year than last year. Girls are still very much in the minority, but that’s growing, too.

“It is continuously on an uptick,” Twin Rivers Director of Membership Tory Carman said. “We started off with maybe 30 or 40 girls and we’re now over 400. About 13 percent of the membership overall is girls.” "

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/upstate-boy-scouts-troops-boom-five-years-girls-18301362.php

[qwazse 4352]

It was a pleasure traveling with the female scouts in the World Scout Jamboree USA contingent. They made a higher percentage of Americans compared to 4 years ago. Many had also attended National Jamboree. Unfortunately, some had to reckon with abysmal leadership. I attribute this to female leaders not seasoned in BSA’s (and WOSM’s) culture. It’s one thing to come in with decades of experience as an adult leader … it’s another thing to have the memory of attending Jambo aS a youth on top of it.

I hope some of these young women take their experience to heart and make a better environment for future youth under their charge.
We’ve come a long way. We have a long way to go.

[RememberSchiff 3689]

@qwazse I am glad you were there for them.  👍

[BlueandSilverBear 60]

We have already had 9 girls join our Pack this year with several more interested and 1 more school night to go... after a big crossover last spring (6) we were down to 8 active girls (plus a few more on paper).  

Our Girls Den is going to our local Girls in Aviation Day this weekend, which is always a hit, and I'm teaching Whittling Chip to our 6 Bears the weekend after that 😬

[AwakeEnergyScouter 249]

1 hour ago, qwazse said:

I attribute this to female leaders not seasoned in BSA’s (and WOSM’s) culture. It’s one thing to come in with decades of experience as an adult leader … it’s another thing to have the memory of attending Jambo aS a youth on top of it.

This is a big part of the reason I'm making time to be a leader. There aren't many adult women who scouted in a WOSM-aligned NSO here in the US, so I see an opportunity to help here. I'm also good with kids, so it seems like a bit of a lost opportunity if I don't lead.