After years of requests, Boy Scouts has opened up Cub Scouts to girls, which will lead to girls eventually reaching the Eagle Scout rank. This was an attempt to help their declining numbers, which peaked in 1972. This policy will be implemented in 2018 and did not receive completely positive feedback. Girl Scouts, which was not thrilled with the announcement, was not the first to make a comment, claiming that they are the “best girl leadership organization in the world, created with and for girls,” in a statement that did not mention the Boy Scouts.

While this may be a wonderful opportunity for girls, it raises the question: why aren’t the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts brother-sister organizations? Boy Scouts, which started in 1910, was created in attempt to address the growing number of boys living in cities; kids did not have the same navigating and outdoor skills. Girl Scouts, which was created in 1912, was organized by a British woman who gathered a group of scouts, and in eight short years it had grown to almost 70,000 members. The highest award, the Gold Award, is not nearly as prestigious as Boy Scouts’ highest award, Eagle Scout, and complaints from girls was part of the reason that Boy Scouts opened up their Cub Scout program to girls. Girls could not achieve the same level of recognition as an Eagle Scout and display it on their college resumes as young men across the country.

In addition to gender barriers, this decision to open up the program to everyone was also a result of their decisions to allow scouts and troop leaders to be openly gay, the decisions happened in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Boy Scouts, which is known to be intolerant, made the controversial decision to allow homosexuals and transgenders to their troops. This decision, which was an outcome of outside pressure had always been in place for Girl Scouts, who have never been subjective towards sexuality or religion. Boy Scouts require their members to believe in a God, so no atheists can be a part of the organization.

By opening up to girls, the Boy Scouts caters to “modern families” and the changes in societal norms for gender that have arisen in recent times. The diminishing existence of gender roles and growing rights for gays causes for the organization to adapt to the changing times, and break away from the strict policy that the group once accepted. While this may boost the numbers for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts participation will be taking a hard hit. Any incentive to join their program will significantly reduce as girls begin to work towards the award with the highest prestige: Eagle Scout.

This problem of girls not having the opportunity to achieve such recognition of the Eagle Scout Award is rooted in the two organizations being independent and separate. They each grew on their own, and individually developed into what they are now. Their core values, which are almost the same, show how close the organizations really are. Now, one must go down. If Girl Scouts does not adapt to this new proclamation, they could be nearing the end of their organization, which has been on the decline since the late 90’s.