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The Demise of Scouting


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Posted
On 4/23/2018 at 11:45 AM, ALarson said:

This will be interesting to watch from here, but I don't believe it's a negative thing.  If the church sticks with the Cub Scout program, why couldn't there be girls involved?  There are already women called to serve as leaders. 

I agree with you.  I asked my son (he’s a Cub Scout) how he would feel if girls could be a part of his troop.  He was like, “Hey!  That would be cool!” 

Of course, he’s pretty girl crazy too.  Ha!

Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

The issue for me is that they threw it in the face of their own strongest supporters. A lot of people feel they are being thrown under the bus. The lawsuits were inevitable.

I casually met a fellow my age on a snowfield on Mt Rainier today. Somehow our conversation turned to Scouting. He expressed his dismay at what is happening to the organization from which he earned his Eagle badge as a boy. There are many who feel this way.

It would be nearly impossible for a start-up organization to rebuild the support, tradition, competence, and resources that were at the heart of this institution and put into place by thousands of devoted leaders and millions of participants. 

Besides, the same could be said of those who pushed the new policies....they could have started their own organization rather than co-op an existing one. 

Traditions and heritage can be important in helping people feel ties to their community.  It is a definite resource that should not be easily discarded.

The questions are for me how many traditions can be put aside and still be the same organization/heritage as well as whether or not traditions should be held on to just because they are traditions or should people be willing to change if most believe it is a better way.

I have no clue if the majority of those who volunteered or donated would have preferred Scputing to remain single gendered.  If it was a majority and leadership went against their wishes, then that is likely going to lead many to leave...and unfortunately that means a loss of heritage for them.  Otoh, this may open up a heritage to many who would not have been able receive it in another way ( Girl Scouts is not as widespread, there may be families who could not afford the needed resources to support their children's activity in two different groups), 

Edited by Calm
Posted (edited)

"1.8 million girl members and 800,000 adult members working primarily as volunteers"

That is almost one adult for every two girls in Girl Scouts.  

https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/who-we-are/facts.html

on a side note, I went to Juliette Low Elementary back in the day.

There has been a significant drop in girl members in the past five years :

"In 2013 there were over 3.2 million Girl Scouts: 2.3 million girl members and 890,000 adult members in the United States."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Scouts_of_the_USA

Boy Scouts is not that different, imo :

"2.4 million youth participants and nearly one million adult volunteers"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts_of_America

I wonder if I got the impression it was tons bigger due to GS being of low visibility in the Church.

Edited by Calm
Posted
10 hours ago, ALarson said:

Who does it hurt to allow some girls to benefit from the skills taught and experiences provided through the Cub Scout program?  Can you name anything specific here regarding the harm this may cause?

The boys. 

The loss of gender specific activities and same sex learning environment. There is a lot of research into the idea of same sex education, specifically that the boys do better academically and socially. But that's not politically correct to say. 

Posted
27 minutes ago, JulieM said:

I agree with you.  I asked my son (he’s a Cub Scout) how he would feel if girls could be a part of his troop.  He was like, “Hey!  That would be cool!” 

Of course, he’s pretty girl crazy too.  Ha!

And you don't see how that might change the group dynamics?

Posted
10 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Yet the male gender, for all practical purposes, still runs the world.

 

10 hours ago, Bernard Gui said:

Yes, and that toxicity must be neutralized. Got any suggestions?

 

7 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Flood the earth again and start over.

Anybody seen a rainbow lately? ;) 

Cute Mini Rainbow

 

Posted
12 minutes ago, kllindley said:

The boys. 

The loss of gender specific activities and same sex learning environment. There is a lot of research into the idea of same sex education, specifically that the boys do better academically and socially. But that's not politically correct to say. 

Girls too..at least in the past, haven't kept up with the research.

Posted

If the church really does break its ties with Boy Scouts of America, I can see Pres. Nelson being the one to do it.  

The church could then do its own program for young men at a lower cost.  

 

Posted
17 minutes ago, kllindley said:

And you don't see how that might change the group dynamics?

Of course.  But change isn’t always a bad thing.

Posted
19 minutes ago, kllindley said:

The boys. 

I don’t see it doing harm to the boys.  Let those girls join who enjoy the same things that are a part of cub activities.  All girls won’t join.  I’m sure many would rather join Girl Scouts anyway.

Posted
8 minutes ago, Calm said:

Girls too..at least in the past, haven't kept up with the research.

I believe you are correct. I'm sorry for not being more inclusive. 

Posted
Just now, JulieM said:

I don’t see it doing harm to the boys.  Let those girls join who enjoy the same things that are a part of cub activities.  All girls won’t join.  I’m sure many would rather join Girl Scouts anyway.

It probably won't harm the cute, popular boys. They'll still get attention.

Posted
1 minute ago, kllindley said:

It probably won't harm the cute, popular boys. They'll still get attention.

You’re probably right!

Posted (edited)
13 minutes ago, kllindley said:

I believe you are correct. I'm sorry for not being more inclusive. 

Don't worry about it.  That didn't occur to me. :)  Just trying to inform.

Edited by Calm
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, JulieM said:

I don’t see it doing harm to the boys.  Let those girls join who enjoy the same things that are a part of cub activities.  All girls won’t join.  I’m sure many would rather join Girl Scouts anyway.

Girl Scouts may offer pretty much the same activities as Cub/Boy Scouts:

https://www.girlscouts.org/en/our-program/our-program.html

Quote

Along the way, she’ll gain important skills in four areas that form the foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience:

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)

Outdoors

Life Skills

Entrepreneurship

While she may be exposed to these subjects at school, in other youth programs, or even on her own, at Girl Scouts she’ll experience them in a unique way that puts her on a path to a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. And because our program is girl-led, girls decide what they’ll do, together.

If so, if the same activities could be participated in by girls in Girl Scouts without joining Boy Scouts, would you see any reason not to keep Boy and Girl Scouts gendered?

Edited by Calm
Posted
15 minutes ago, JulieM said:

I don’t see it doing harm to the boys.  Let those girls join who enjoy the same things that are a part of cub activities.  All girls won’t join.  I’m sure many would rather join Girl Scouts anyway.

Depends on what you mean by harm. 

Posted
13 minutes ago, JulieM said:

You’re probably right!

I worry about the shy or awkward or overweight or for any reason less popular boys who just lost the chance to build friendships with other boys through scouting. Now the girls that are already in primary classes and the whole school day, have taken that away too. 

Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, Calm said:

Girl Scouts may offer pretty much the same activities as Cub/Boy Scouts:

https://www.girlscouts.org/en/our-program/our-program.html

If so, if the same activities could be participated in by girls in Girl Scouts without joining Boy Scouts, would you see any reason not to keep Boy and Girl Scouts gendered?

Not really.  I honestly don’t have strong feelings one way or the other.  I do know that as a youth I envied all the cool things my older brothers got to do in scouting vs. those offered to girls (at least mine locally, others may have more).

I do think it’s kind of a common feeling among the young women.  Of course, some are happy they don’t have the same activities (and some boys hate scouting).  It’s hard to please everyone (actually it’s impossible!).

Edited by JulieM
Posted
1 hour ago, Bernard Gui said:

You think it would all be different after that? Something about the nature and  disposition of almost all men.......

Okay fine, throw in some eugenics to make sure it turns out right this time.

Posted
8 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

Depends on what you mean by harm. 

I think most would accept and adapt and be just fine as long as they continued being able to enjoy the activities and have fun.  I’m sure some would hate having the girls there though (you know, cooties and all that :P).

Posted
6 minutes ago, kllindley said:

I worry about the shy or awkward or overweight or for any reason less popular boys who just lost the chance to build friendships with other boys through scouting. Now the girls that are already in primary classes and the whole school day, have taken that away too. 

You make a good point.  A boy who feels that way may even stop attending.  I’ll bet the church troops will stay the way they are (all boys).  Hopefully they will have that choice.

Posted
3 minutes ago, JulieM said:

I think most would accept and adapt and be just fine as long as they continued being able to enjoy the activities and have fun.  I’m sure some would hate having the girls there though (you know, cooties and all that :P).

That's the issue. Even assuming the activities stayed the same, the experience would be totally different. 

In many ways, I'm sure most would adapt and accept and still have fun. And at the same time miss out on a valuable opportunity to build brotherhood, confidence in their own masculinity, and the assurance that they belong with other boys. 

Posted
5 minutes ago, JulieM said:

You make a good point.  A boy who feels that way may even stop attending.  I’ll bet the church troops will stay the way they are (all boys).  Hopefully they will have that choice.

I hope they do, too.

For the record, I don't think there's anything about scouting itself that has to be all boy. It's just that I think something needs to be. What else is left? 

Posted
15 minutes ago, JulieM said:

I think most would accept and adapt and be just fine as long as they continued being able to enjoy the activities and have fun.  I’m sure some would hate having the girls there though (you know, cooties and all that :P).

It goes much deeper than cooties. 

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