A Cub Scout troop in Dearborn is celebrating its first female members just as the Boy Scouts of America announced it is dropping the word “boys” from its title.
Cub Scout Pack No. 112 inducted nine girls as members at a ceremony Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church on Garrison Street.
The pack is one of only a handful in the country that featured “cub cadets.” The program allows a scout’s younger siblings, including girls, to participate in activities minus official recognition by the Boy Scouts of America or advancements.
The Boy Scouts of America board of directors announced in October that the group would admit girls, creating the Family Scouting program. Pack 1112 became an “early adopter” because of its cub cadet program. Other packs across the country are opening the program to girls starting in June.
The Cub Scouts program for younger children was the first to open up to girls. Thousands of girls have already joined under an early adopter program.
Other Boy Scouts programs for older youth — such as an outdoor adventure program called Venturing — were already open to girls. But those programs didn’t offer girls the chance to attain the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
By next year, older girls will be able to join Scouts BSA and try to become Eagle Scouts, just like the boys.
Source: Aleanna Siacon, “Dearborn pack gets its first female Cub Scouts as group welcomes girls“, Detroit Free Press, May 2, 2018.