1. Girls in Cub Scouts Program Changes for 2018

2. Family Scouting is Coming!
10/11/17 National Committee
Responding to families looking for change.
Are we already serving girls?
Is there anything we’re doing that shouldn’t include them?
Scout Oath and Scout Law – Anything there that doesn’t apply?

3. How did we get here?
April 2017 – Meeting with Scout Executives nationwide
Won’t move forward unless the Executives called for it.
Overwhelmingly, they did.
National Mtg– 1000 volunteers from 255/270 councils.
Same question…take it to the Councils? 93% said move forward!
Town Halls over the summer in councils that approved
All volunteers welcome to attend, if their council held one.
11,000 surveys, same results council after council.

4. Why the changes? Girls have been with us all along
Siblings attending meetings, doing same activities,
…but getting none of the recognition.
Families are looking for easier solutions
Go one place, get all of your Scouting at once
Know one program, work with one group of individuals
BSA has something to offer girls
Our program is relevant and applicable. The skills we’re teaching aren’t “boy”
skills, they’re life skills!
Opportunity
We are not just offering programs to girls, but we are also now providing the
opportunity for boys and girls to develop respect, and appreciation for the opposite
gender.

5. Is this new and unprecedented?
From the start – BSA had a “sister” organization
No, it wasn’t the Girl Scouts!
Campfire Girls founded in 1910
Decided to go co-ed in 1975 (Campfire Boys and Girls)
Girls in BSA is nothing new
Exploring (for 14 to 21) was co-ed as early as 1971.
Venturing just had their 20th anniversary.

6. What isn’t changing? Requirements Uniforms
We’re delivering the exact same program to boys and girls.
No program changes overall are being made.
The push is because they want what we have, not because they want to change us!
Uniforms
As of now, there is no plan for different uniforms for boys and girls.
Some uniform change is coming. Wolves will go to red neckerchiefs and hats (when existing supplies run out), Lions will get yellow neckerchiefs and hats.

7. Red Wolves

8. What are our options? Existing Packs that want to stay “all boy”
Do nothing different. Nothing you’re doing has to change.
Existing Packs that want to become “Family Packs”
Get Charter organization approval and follow registration steps to become a family pack.
New Packs that want to charter as “all girl”
No different than new “all boy” Packs. Decision is made by the chartered organization.

9. How will it work? Family Packs have to maintain gender-separate dens
Small Packs can combine ages, if needed, to maintain separation.
Allows boys to have boy time, girls to have girl time.
All-Girl Dens will require a YPT trained female adult
Must be present at all meetings.
Does not have to be the den leader.
Lion and Tiger parent partners qualify.
Campouts require YPT leader of each gender present

10. How will it work? Council events are already used to co-ed camping
Male and female adult leaders.
Cub events already have siblings tagging along on a regular basis.
Venturing is alive and well, and has been successfully co-ed for the last 20 years.
Separate gender opportunities still exist
Dens are still gender-separated
Boys will still have boy time together. Girls will have girl time.
Packs can still opt to charter as all-boy or all-girl.

11. What about the future? Girls at the Boy Scout level starting in 2019
A lot of this is still undecided, so complete information is not available, and may be subject to change.

12. Steps to start
Have the conversation with your leaders, parents and scouts.
Information on this program was sent to all Charter Partners and all units on January 4, 2018 announcing this program. Charters partners will need to make the decision to adopt a Full Family program, and notify NSC before a unit will be able to begin accepting girls
Set up a meeting with your charter organization and find out what steps you may need to be approved (if any).
Talking Points
This change is to meet the needs of families and their children, offering families an important additional choice in meeting the character development needs of all their children.

13. Steps to start Talking Points (continued)
The decision comes after years of receiving requests from families and girls, the evaluation of numerous research effort results, input from current members and leaders, as well as from parents and girls who've never been involved in Scouting.
Families today are busier and more diverse than ever. Most are dual-earners and there are more single-parent households than before, making convenient programs that serve the whole family more appealing.

14. What’s this “Soft Launch” thing?
Some Councils have opted to do an early girls program
Northern Star Council has decided to do an soft launch
March 1st, 2018.
Only specific Packs are authorized to take part in the soft launch, These units will have to have approval from their charter partner, their pack leadership, have their agreement turned into Northern Star Council, and have approval from the Northern Star Council.
Packs should work with your District Leadership Team (Chair, Commissioner, PRE and Membership) to coordinate getting all the requirements for soft launch finished by February 15th. (If your district doesn’t have a Membership Chair work with your Asst. Council Membership Chair for your team)

15. Can I get in on the soft launch?
You’ll then need the following:
All leaders must be trained (up to date YPT, leader specific)
Pack must be fill out the Family Pack Contract signed by CC, CM and COR (even if you are doing a July/August roll out or staying single gender we need all packs to fill this form out)
Packs will submit a program plan designed to make it possible for new girls to still achieve Bobcat rank by May 31st.
Agree to provide data, statistics, and feedback to Council and Nationals.
Council will notify packs if they are selected for an Early Adopter Program by March 1st

16. Can I get in on the soft launch?
Early Adopters agree to:
Use the Current Cub Scouting program and resources
Uphold membership policies and follow the guidelines in the Unit Performance Guide
Provide data and statistics on their activities and experiences to help improve the formal rollout; this information may also be used in marketing material and earned media.
Early adopters may participate in Pack overnighters, Family Camping, Council-Organized Family Camps, Day Camps, and Resident Camp.
All youth applications must use the online option to register (no paper applications at this time).

17. Can I bring all cub-aged girls in?
Early Adoption is open to:
Kindergarten through 4th grade girls.
May NOT include 5th grade girls/Arrow of Light Dens. There won’t be any girl Troops for them to cross over into, so they will not be able to participate in the soft launch.
Your pack can choose to apply to participant in the soft launch or choose to wait until July/August 2018 to become co-ed.

18. What about girls crossing over?
Early Adoption dens will cross over as normal in June
Dens will go into the summer as their new program year…Lions will become Tigers, Tigers become Wolves, etc.
Northern Star Council has already been inviting girls to be a part of
fall, polar and summer camps. This will be expanded so that they
can attend all camps where they
may work on adventure loops and
ranks.

19. Online Resources NSC Family Web Page
BSA Family Scouting Page
BSA Town Hall Meeting about the announcement
BSA Town Hall Meeting about the early adoption
BSA Webinar and Tool Box for Early Adapter packs
Will be available in January

20. District Resources (Chair)
Aquila
Orion
Phoenix
Crow River – Jerry Carter
Chief Black Dog – Robert Gwinn
Dan Patch – Keith Moheban
Lake Minnetonka – Nick Pedersen
Eagle River – Robert Baker
El Sol – Louis Alvarado
Mustang – Wade Wiken
Great Rivers – Michael Westfall
Kaposia – Veidols Muiznieks
Northern Lights – Steve Antolak
Many Waters – Robin Flickinger
Metro Lakes – Sam Heimlick
Three Rivers – Arthur Pinson
Northwest – Gary Lowenthal
North Star – Joe Jansen
Trailblazer – Scott Glup
Southern Skies – Troy Billings
Silver Maple – TBD (Cheng Lee)
Zulu – Denise Loving

21. District Resources (Commissioner)
Aquila
Orion
Phoenix
Crow River - Jeff Crowley
Chief Black Dog – Tim Liffrig
Dan Patch – Deb Grazzini
Lake Minnetonka – Allan Arntson
Eagle River – Mike Sietsema
El Sol – Gary Gorman
Mustang – Jerry Bru
Great Rivers – Mark Salmen
Kaposia – Mark Ellenberger
Northern Lights – Greg Richter
Many Waters – Pat Johnston
Metro Lakes – Anne Varberg
Three Rivers – Tracy Schnagl
Northwest – Robert Henkes
North Star – Padraic McGuire
Trailblazer – Twyla Sietsema
Southern Skies – Rose Buntjer-Little
Silver Maple – Xou Thao
Zulu – Craig Watson

22. District Resources (Program Relations Executive)
Aquila -
Orion
Phoenix
Crow River – Bryan Hurley
Chief Black Dog – Dan Knutson
Dan Patch – Dan Edmondson
Lake Minnetonka – Jacob Stonesifer
Eagle River – Jordyn Reichenbach
El Sol – Cheng Lee
Mustang – Jacob Stonesifer
Great Rivers – Ben Coder
Kaposia – Cheng Lee
Northern Lights – Jake Twaddle
Many Waters – Jordyn Reichenbach
Metro Lakes – Dan Edmondson
Three Rivers – Jake Twaddle
Northwest – Ben Coder
North Star – Cheng Lee
Trailblazer – Bryan Hurley
Southern Skies Dan Knutson
Silver Maple – Cheng Lee
Zulu – Dan Edmondson

23. District Resources (Membership)
Aquila - Vicki Jurek
Orion – Renee Estrella-Wells
Phoenix – Brain Chase
Crow River – Michael Erpelding
Chief Black Dog – Renee Estrella-Wells
Dan Patch – TBD
Lake Minnetonka – Troy Ebensteiner
Eagle River – Kevin Trandum
El Sol – TBD
Mustang – Terry Kubista
Great Rivers – Thomas Bourke
Kaposia – Jan Karlstrand
Northern Lights – Bob Kochenderfer
Many Waters – Clinton Koskie
Metro Lakes – James Evans
Three Rivers – Adam Grau
Northwest – Jeff Kohen
North Star – Brian Chase
Trailblazer – Adam Bosch
Southern Skies – Kimberly Shannon
Silver Maple – TBD
Zulu – Andrew McGlory

24. Council Resources E-mail
Colleen Brazier – Deputy Scout Executive/Field
Bob Thielen –
Assistant Director of Field Service
Jerry Carter
Council Membership Chair
Renee Estrella-Wells
Asst. Council Membership Chair
Vicki Jurek
Brian Chase Asst. Council Membership Chair

25. Questions?