Scouting is once again making headlines this summer for the first time since President Trump’s speech to the National Scout Jamboree. This time the Boy Scouts of America are getting hit, not from liberal or anti-Trump parents, but from a very unlikely source: the Girl Scouts.
In a letter obtained by Buzzfeed, Kathy Hopkinah Hannah, the National President of the Girl Scouts of the USA, wrote to the Boy Scouts to condemn their rumored plans for expanding programming to include girls. This move, Buzzfeed says, is to appeal to millennial parents. Hannah is also disconcerted over defamatory statements made about Girl Scout programs at Boy Scouts’ so-called “family meetings.”
The letter itself is rather vague, not including any specific details of said remarks or shaming, Hannah actually succeeds in both hitting hard on aggressive male behavior and political correctness in her three page letter. It’s rather unusual that in such a politically charged and politically correct environment, the president of the Girl Scouts sounds old-school, describing how “girls learn best in an all-girls environment when it comes to scouting.”
Hannah could very well be alone in her viewpoint on single-gendered programming for scouts, as more and more support in the way of petitions. and rumors mount. Many believe the Boy Scouts could and should diversify their agenda further, after ending their prohibition of gay scouts in 2013 and gay troop leaders in 2015. Boy Scouts of America spokeswoman Effie Delimarkos elaborated on this possibility; that in fact, it was because of families’ requests that the entire clan, not just the sons and fathers, can become involved in regular meetings and activities.
“Based on numerous requests from families, the Boy Scouts has been exploring the benefits of bringing Scouting to every member of the family – boys and girls,” Delimarkos said in a statement. “No decisions have been made,” she told Buzzfeed.
Currently, there are programs within Boy Scouts that can include young women: Venturing (a mentoring type of group), Sea Scouts (focusing on nautical activities), Exploring (career-oriented groups), and STEM Scouts.
Hannah capped off her letter, however, by insisting the Boy Scouts attempt to reach out to the 90 percent of boys not involved with scouting, particularly Latino and African American boys. Boy Scouts of America has not had an increase in membership since 1999.
