Girls make Boy Scout history
Lafayette youths take oath in renamed, remade organization
A warm glow, and about 100 people, filled St. Perpetua Catholic Church in Lafayette on a recent evening as Troop 224 quietly made history during its winter Court of Honor, a traditional ceremony to recognize Boy Scouts who have earned new ranks or merit badges.
The troop, which was founded in 1953, welcomed eight girls — among the first in the nation to join the organization formerly known as Boy Scouts of America. The organization is now officially, if awkwardly, known as Scouts BSA.
The girls marched into the hall behind the American and Troop 224 flags, along with about 50 boys, all wearing the traditional khaki Boy Scout uniforms. They were presented special commemorative patches and greeted with a round of applause from their fellow Scouts and a crowd of parents and siblings. Moments later, Kyra Ariker, 14, became the first girl in the troop to be awarded the rank of Scout — just 10 days after joining.
“Four more of them are three-quarters of the way there,” said Matt Ariker, the girl troop’s scoutmaster and Kyra’s dad. “They are really into it.”
As of Feb. 1, girls are now allowed to join boys in the newly renamed organization, though they officially have their own troops, meetings and scoutmasters — and at least one female adult leader. Troops can choose to be linked to an existing Boy Scout troop, as Troop 224G chose to do, or they can remain separate.
Effie Delimarkos, director of communications for Scouts BSA, said about 4,300 girls joined the first week.
Troop 224G, which functions as a patrol in the combined troop, has already held its first meeting for new members, elected leaders, and memorized the Scout oath, law and motto. The troop also decided to take an orienteering course, learn CPR and go on a camping trip to Pinnacles National Park in Central California. Scoutmaster Ariker said he offered the girls four choices for activities, expecting them to choose one. They picked all four. “They’re in,” Matt Ariker said. “They’re really all in.”
The girls voted to become known as the Goat Patrol, in part, because goats are hard to catch, can climb anything and are independent. Also, goat patches were available at the local Scout store, Kyra Ariker said.
Allowing girls to join Boy Scouts has been discussed and debated within the organization for years. But the decision last year to admit girls as of Feb. 1 and move to what the BSA likes to call “family Scouting” came with controversy. Girl Scouts of the USA considered the move a raid on its membership. The organization filed a lawsuit, claiming that by dropping “Boy” from its name and admitting girls, Scouts BSA had infringed on Girl Scouts’ trademark.
“We have worked side by side with Boy Scouts for many years serving families, so we were disappointed when they decided to admit girls,” said Heather Burlew-Hayden, chief marketing and membership officer for Girl Scouts of Northern California. “Not because we see them as a competitor, but because we believe we are already serving girls.”
Girl Scouts also teach leadership and outdoor adventure to girls, she noted.
The Boy Scouts’ move to admit girls, Burlew-Hayden said, creates confusion among people who don’t know the organizations are separate. Already, she said, some schools have told the Girl Scouts they didn’t need to recruit because Scouts BSA had already visited to sign up boys and girls. Because of incidents like that, the Girl Scouts are no longer jointly working with Boy Scouts in recruiting campaigns.
“We respect Boy Scouts and see the value they have offered to boys for years,” BurlewHayden said. “But we reject the idea that it is a move for some sort of equality. We believe the move was made to shore up their membership.”
The decision to admit girls was a response to requests and demand, Delimarkos said, adding that many girls envied their brothers’ activities in Boy Scouts and wanted to join.
The Boy Scouts conducted a 2017 survey that found that girls had a big interest in being able to join the organization, and their parents agreed, Delimarkos said.
“That was the overwhelming reason we even started considering it,” she said. “Little sisters and families saw the benefit of our program for sons and wondered, ‘Why can’t we have this for our whole family?’ ”
Members of Scouts BSA, Delimarkos said, learn “lessons of character and resilience, life and leadership through the process of rank advancement. It’s also about experience in the outdoors, but it’s mainly about character and leadership.”
John Fenoglio, Scouts executive and CEO of the Mount Diablo-Silverado Council in the East Bay and North Bay, said it made sense to allow girls into the institution because Boy Scouts already offered coed programs for boys and girls ages 14 to 20. The programs focus on adventure sports and careers. He expects as many as 30 girls’ troops to form in his council.
“I think it’s exciting,” Fenoglio said. “The Boy Scout program is not gender-specific. We teach great skills to youth: image, self-esteem, leadership, outdoors skills. But the greatest thing we teach is leadership.”
The girls in Troop 224G are also welcome to attend the regular troop activities with the boys, Matt Ariker said, and some plan to join an upcoming ski trip and a spring break journey to some of the scenic canyons of Arizona. The girls will camp separately from the boys and be supervised by their own adult leaders, but they’ll be part of the larger troop.
Scouts and leaders in Troop 224 started inviting girls to a program teaching basic Scouting skills last summer, Matt Ariker said. Most of the girls were eager to practice their new skills.
“They all know how to use the stove,” he said. “They want to start playing with axes and knives. They’re a lot like 14-year-old boys, only a little more mature and focused.”