There is no more Boy Scouts.

[ecco]

I went to *one* Boy Scout meeting. I was invited by a friend from school and was curious what was going on.

Truthfully, I was shocked. With the parading around and symbolism, it looked exactly like any paramilitary organization with strongly nationalistic overtones. This was apparent to me in elementary school. To me, at the time, it looked very similar to what I would expect at a Nazi rally. It turned my stomach.

It would be a good thing if the Boy Scouts simply disbanded. The whole undercurrent of the organization is something we don't need in a modern society, imho.

The Scout Oath "duty to God" and the "commandments" ending with...

REVERENT. Be reverent toward God.

...were enough for me to get out after just a few meetings.

 

[columbus]

While the OP is a bit extreme in his wording and approach, I do agree that they should have kept the scouts separate based off sex/gender.

To a large extent I agree with you. I think that there's a valuable function for a gender segregated experience for young people. A place for boys to learn from men, without the distraction of girls. And girls to learn from women, without the distraction of boys.
Especially at that age, the opposite gender is a big distraction. There are plenty of other organizations that are coed, where people can learn to deal with the other gender. Like school and church and family functions and 4H, and whatever.

In my usual nuanced way, what I think best is a combination. Most scouting stuff done coed. But a range of events, sponsored by and monitored by Scouts, that are not. The guys go off by themselves, sometimes. The girls go off by themselves, sometimes.

The rest of the time they're earning merit badges and doing volunteer work together.
I don't see why this is so difficult. It's the 21st century.
Tom

 

[sun rise]

Being a Scout has provided boys with great life lessons and can even give advantages in college and vocations, since it is very well known and esteemed.

Much more than the Girl Scouts.

Shouldn't girls have a right to that as well?

My wife, a former Girl Scout leader would vociferously disagree with your assertion.

 

[columbus]

My wife, a former Girl Scout leader would vociferously disagree with your assertion.

My mom was Girl Scout leader at our church for most of 20 years. My four sisters were spread out and she wanted to be there for all of them.

Boy, would that have made her mad.

"I've got 10% of the budget the BSA troop has! I've got no paid staff! I can't just decide to schedule the parish's buses and everybody says "OK"! without question!

Oh yeah.
Tom

 

[sun rise]

My mom was Girl Scout leader at our church for most of 20 years. My four sisters were spread out and she wanted to be there for all of them.

Boy, would that have made her mad.

"I've got 10% of the budget the BSA troop has! I've got no paid staff! I can't just decide to schedule the parish's buses and everybody says "OK"! without question!

Oh yeah.
Tom

In spite of that, Girl Scouts, at least where my wife was concerned, "provided [girls] with great life lessons and can even give advantages in college and vocations,"

And that was the point of my post.

 

[columbus]

In spite of that, Girl Scouts, at least where my wife was concerned, "provided [girls] with great life lessons and can even give advantages in college and vocations,"

And that was the point of my post.

OK.
Mine was that GSA does very well, with they get.

But comparing the attractiveness of two groups, when one gets 10× the funding as the other, isn't an apples and apples comparison. If the GSA got the same support as the BSA did, maybe girls would be more interested in GSA and less in BSA.
Tom

 

[Father Heathen]

The male sex has become extinct it might seem.

Boy Scouts of America | Prepared. For Life.™

For the first time in its 100+ year history, the iconic program of the Boy Scouts of America is open to both young men and young women. Scouts BSA is a year-round program for boys and girls in fifth grade through high school that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best version of themselves.

Since when does BOY mean child of either sex?
Have they lost their Websters?

This is one big reason I'm not a parent and never will be.

I will not bring new children into a gender-confused world full of two-legged scum that calls itself "the human race". As far as I'm concerned the world can just die out altogether.

One, it probably is a good thing you're not nor will not be a parent, but not for the reasons you give. Two, perhaps your tears will produce a biblical flood to wipe out humanity.

 

[Mock Turtle]

The Scout Oath "duty to God" and the "commandments" ending with...

REVERENT. Be reverent toward God.

...were enough for me to get out after just a few meetings.

'Be prepared' would take on a new meaning if girls were in the mix - and rather welcome I would suspect. Judging by my experiences on one summer camp where the scoutmaster brought his two teenage daughters along.

 

[Subduction Zone]

How very silly of you.

Not so fast. I remember from my days in the Scouts that girls have cooties. Checkmate!

 

[David1967]

The male sex has become extinct it might seem.

Boy Scouts of America | Prepared. For Life.™

For the first time in its 100+ year history, the iconic program of the Boy Scouts of America is open to both young men and young women. Scouts BSA is a year-round program for boys and girls in fifth grade through high school that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best version of themselves.

Since when does BOY mean child of either sex?
Have they lost their Websters?

This is one big reason I'm not a parent and never will be.

I will not bring new children into a gender-confused world full of two-legged scum that calls itself "the human race". As far as I'm concerned the world can just die out altogether.

Yep, no more 'Boy' Scouts (that's unacceptable for some reason) just 'Scouts'... Except, there is of course still 'Girl' Scouts, that is acceptable in our PC culture. Kinda reminds me of this song;

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

'Be prepared' would take on a new meaning if girls were in the mix - and rather welcome I would suspect. Judging by my experiences on one summer camp where the scoutmaster brought his two teenage daughters along.

Scouting isn't for hooking up and dating. I'm sure it's prohibited.

 

[Nakosis]

According to its website, it still is female-only today.

I don't know what mental retard at the Boy Scouts decided to admit shes.

Maybe there should be THREE Scouts:

a boy-only one, Boy Scouts
a girl-only one, Girl Scouts
a coed one, Coed Scouts

I can understand the perceived differences between the two programs. Ideally just dissolve the current charter under the Boy Scouts, just call it the "Scouts" program. They can choose to cater to children in a gender neutral program but I think at that point even the name "Boy" Scouts becomes inappropriate. No more "Boy" Scouts.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I thought that was what girl scouts was for. Helping women prepare for the future.

From what I understand, not in the same way as the Scouts.

My wife, a former Girl Scout leader would vociferously disagree with your assertion.

I apologize. My experience has been from my own wife who was in Girl Scouts and did nothing that the Boy Scouts did. Her experience was a lot of cookie selling and cooking with day camps that didn't include some of the activities her brother was doing in Boy Scouts. That could have been an issue with her troop, or a funding issue.

I didn't mean to suggest that the Girl Scouts themselves or the people leading the troops were to blame.

I did mean to suggest--and I could be very wrong--that the Boy Scouts are a more recognized organization that give members an advantage in things like getting jobs (through connections and social clout).

There are also studies that suggest a disparity in how much STEM related activities are offered in the Girl Scouts. SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class research journals

I am not opposed to the move to allow girls to access the Scouts for this reason. But I wonder if a better move would be a combining of the organizations with more freedom surrounding gender inclusion. Our society is becoming less structured around specific gender roles anyway.

 

[Nakosis]

The male sex has become extinct it might seem.

Boy Scouts of America | Prepared. For Life.™

For the first time in its 100+ year history, the iconic program of the Boy Scouts of America is open to both young men and young women. Scouts BSA is a year-round program for boys and girls in fifth grade through high school that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best version of themselves.

Since when does BOY mean child of either sex?
Have they lost their Websters?

This is one big reason I'm not a parent and never will be.

I will not bring new children into a gender-confused world full of two-legged scum that calls itself "the human race". As far as I'm concerned the world can just die out altogether.

Scouts BSA? Ok, Scouts SJWA

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

From what I understand, not in the same way as the Scouts.


I apologize. My experience has been from my own wife who was in Girl Scouts and did nothing that the Boy Scouts did. Her experience was a lot of cookie selling and cooking with day camps that didn't include some of the activities her brother was doing in Boy Scouts. That could have been an issue with her troop, or a funding issue.

I didn't mean to suggest that the Girl Scouts themselves or the people leading the troops were to blame.

I did mean to suggest--and I could be very wrong--that the Boy Scouts are a more recognized organization that give members an advantage in things like getting jobs (through connections and social clout).

There are also studies that suggest a disparity in how much STEM related activities are offered in the Girl Scouts. SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class research journals

I am not opposed to the move to allow girls to access the Scouts for this reason. But I wonder if a better move would be a combining of the organizations with more freedom surrounding gender inclusion. Our society is becoming less structured around specific gender roles anyway.

I always hear that the Girl Scouts mostly do Home Ec sort of stuff, while the Boy Scouts are more outdoorsy and hands-on. I wanted to join the Girl Scouts in elementary school (I'm a trans man), but they never got back to me. Good thing, too, because I would've hated it after finding out what they were like.

 

[columbus]

. They can choose to cater to children in a gender neutral program but I think at that point even the name "Boy" Scouts becomes inappropriate. No more "Boy" Scouts.

Why does everything have to be binary, black and white, boys or girls(but not both)?
Why can't a huge organization like Scouts accommodate everyone, sometimes, without trying to accommodate everybody all the time?
Tom

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I always hear that the Girl Scouts mostly do Home Ec sort of stuff, while the Boy Scouts are more outdoorsy and hands-on. I wanted to join the Girl Scouts in elementary school (I'm a trans man), but they never got back to me. Good thing, too, because I would've hated it after finding out what they were like.

This is what I've heard. Obviously, I suppose this might be a thing with local troops, but my wife wanted to do things like make campfires and archery, but the focus was more on cooking and sewing (all good skills, anyway!).

And, I don't mean to sound like I am disparaging the Girl Scouts. I am sure a lot of girls get a lot out of it and likely some troops DO have a focus much like the Boy Scouts.

My sense is that both organizations are going to have to adapt to the times.

 

[exchemist]

Not so fast. I remember from my days in the Scouts that girls have cooties. Checkmate!

Eh? Cooties? Wot dey?

 

[columbus]

My sense is that both organizations are going to have to adapt to the times.

Bingo!

Both organizations need to recognize that the olden days are gone. We can do a lot better.
Tom

 

[columbus]

Here's another thing.

I wasn't there when it happened, so I could be wrong. No promises.

But my high school flipped in a way. Seriously Catholic HS.

They started requiring boys to take Home Ec. And girls to take Shop.

Boys needed to learn about basic cooking and cleaning and such. Girls needed to know how to diagnose a car problem and balance a checkbook and such. Made perfect sense to me. Teach the kids things that they probably wouldn't learn in the Catholic, traditional gender role, world we lived in.

Things were better in the 70s.
Tom