infernalspectre
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Once again I have seen a news story about a girl petitioning to make it so that the BSA would let girls in. Time and time again it's in the news, "girls left out, not allowed to join the Boy Scouts" (also just saying title IX specifically excludes the BSA and GSUSA because they were felt to be equivalent, that the Gold Award is longer looked as a significant achievement more has to do with the constant changing of the GSUSA program than what the BSA has done). Well here's the thing, that's not entirely true. Enter Venturing (or Venture Scouts).
See these people, both boys and girls, in a green uniform rather than tan? These are venture scouts. Venturing is a program within the BSA that focuses on high adventure and leadership. Youth in this organization are between the ages of 14-21 and have many opportunities to go camping, access to the BSA camps and much much more. In fact, Venture Scouts can do more than regular Boy Scouts. Do you like shooting guns (with certified supervision, and discipline)? Well Boy Scouts get to shoot single shot rifles and shotguns. Venture Scouts are allowed any gun legal in that area. Venture Scouts can go backpacking, canoe camping, and much much more.
They even have their own awards. You can work your way to the Summit Award, showing dedication, leadership, and tenacity. Does it currently have the prestige of Eagle Scout? No. But if more people, boys and girls were to join Venturing, work at it and understand the meaning of that award there's no reason it shouldn't later. So for everyone interested in camping, developing leadership skills, forming lasting friendships, and much much more regardless of gender go to this site for more information:
https://beascout.scouting.org/Why_Scouting/Venturing.aspx
PMmeyourshatteredhopesanddreams
People who are saying girls can't join because it's called "boy" scouts are bigots. Everything worthwhile used to be "boys" something ffs.
Somethingswrongintheneighbourhood
There was a girl in my troop, no one ever made a big deal out of it
dannishadow
It's interesting, but I've never even heard of Venture Scouts before.
infernalspectre
Hence why I made this post
MrDressup
"Venture Scouts are allowed any gun legal in that area" - probably not the recruiting slogan they're looking for.
infernalspectre
I know plenty of people that really enjoy the sport of marksmanship. Don't see what the issue is...
iusetohavetumblr
In the UK it's scouts and guides.. Guides is girls only but scouts is mixed.
Freedomfairy
I remember Venture scouts when I was younger. Sounded like a ton of fun too- just that there wasn't any members close by.
CallSignTinMan
Same here. I was in Boy Scouts but I would have joined a venture patrol in a heartbeat if there had been one in my area.
Freedomfairy
It's pretty much a camping club with inside benefits with the BSA.
DebatableLegalNerd
Girls can already join the boy scouts. You just have to hit teen years. Last I was in the scouts, girls could join the Eagle Scouts...
infernalspectre
Not in the USA. They can become Venturers and get awards that are as difficult as Eagle (the summit award) but they cannot earn Eagle.
DebatableLegalNerd
I've been out of the scouts for years. Good to know.
IPretendToBeDifferentNationalities
Boy scouts in my country accept girls and call them "lady scouts", aside from the actual girl scouts
AlabasterSexington
Some girls belong in the the Swanson Club, some boys just want to have fun as a Pawnee Goddess.
AlabasterSexington
No parks and rec fans in here huh?
MyCatLikesToFruitcake
Thanks!
twoamartist
In NJ recently, a transgender 8 year old that identifies as male was allowed to join the Boy Scouts.
twoamartist
http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/new-jersey-boy-becomes-first-transgender-boy-scout-n718456
framboise
Ok, but certain prestigious awards granted by BSA open doors for individuals when applying to colleges and the AF academy. Are the same
framboise
Awards able to be earned in Venture Scouts?
infernalspectre
Really the only award that isn't available that's worth much that isn't available is Eagle, which is still only for boys. However more than
infernalspectre
actual awards the leadership training and experiences are more significant. Which is definitely available through Venturing. More so in fact
Brasswhale
Yeah, Girl Scouts is a joke compared to BSA. Also, I did the max time allowed in scouting and I've never seen a Venture Crew.
Brasswhale
I thought they were like as rare as Sea Scouts
bustrpoindextr
I've never even heard of that, I've heard of venture crew
infernalspectre
Not even close. My council has 1 ship and like 18 crews
Feralkyn
That's awesome, but it's not as well-known and probably not as widely-available. I fucking HATED girl scouts as a kid 20 years ago. I knew
Feralkyn
the boys were getting to go out, go hiking, camping, learning cool stuff, while I was stuck selling cookies and doing stupid craft shit.
Feralkyn
They SHOULD let girls in.
WhydidTip
Nope gonna dosagree
infernalspectre
It's fairly available. Most reasonably sized cities have at least one venture crew. And if the word gets out, more will start
Feralkyn
That's all well and good but where I grew up there's no "reasonably-sized cities" haha
Feralkyn
Mind you, I'm all for it spreading further. Always hated the fuckin' girl scouts.
iupvotebadcomments
"Boy" Scouts, this girl is stupid and just looking for a reaction.
Sc00ba5teeve
The Girl Scouts have been open to boys for quite some time.
albinoALPACA
She is standing up for what she believes in, maybe you wouldn't know that because you haven't stood up for anything
infernalspectre
I agree she is standing up for what she believes in though there are a few points I disagree with.
PleaseAllowMeToPlayDevilsAdvocate
Allow me to play devils advocate... isn't the boy scouts standing up for what they believe in too?
JustAnotherLinkInTheChain
And how exactly the fuck would you know that?
doctorninja
The same way you know that the girl is just looking for a reaction.
Paragonville
Maybe she wants to fucking do shit that isn't selling cookies and singing to old people in nursing homes.
thdudedude
Maybe the Girl Scouts should step their game up.
doctorninja
The difference in what each organization does is HUGE.
iupvotebadcomments
Then why doesnt she protest to have the girls scouts changed instead?
DoctorDelta
Then she can join the Venture scouts
Paragonville
Issue is, nobody even knows what the hell a Venture Scout is. If they were comparable in national image, I'd agree. Call them just Scouts.
DoctorDelta
Nobody is stopping anyone from forming an all-inclusive organization called the Scouts. Every national group has to start somewhere.
unstablemeta
This always confused the crap out of me, in Canada it's just scouts, no boy/girl difference, you just do the same shit regardless.
twoamartist
I was a leader for my boys in the US for nine years (I'm female). Never understood how women could be leaders, but girls couldn't join.
kaibutter
I was in the junior rangers as a kid. i got top shot award and beat everyone else in the territories heeeh.
ILoveTomHanksAlsoCatsSuckDogsRule
Same in the U.K. I don't understand why it's an issue
UserSubterraneanHomesickAlien
I live in Canada and I was in boy scouts, specifically.
merlecorey
when i went to the world scout jamboree (note the lack of gender there) in england in 2007 we found out most of the world is coed, 1/2
merlecorey
its just the US and the primarily Islamic countries that are segregated like that, the rational i heard was that if the boy scouts in 2/3
merlecorey
america went coed, the girl scout program would lose all its members and they didn't want that to happen.
infernalspectre
It's interesting. I liked to opportunity to have just "guy time" but I do definitely believe that the BSA has so much to offer for girls
ILoveTomHanksAlsoCatsSuckDogsRule
When I was in the scouts the girls that joined were the tomboy type and they were few and far between, I think it's more about being 1/2
ILoveTomHanksAlsoCatsSuckDogsRule
With likeminded people who enjoy the outdoors and all the typical scout stuff than having some 'guy time'
infernalspectre
I grew up with 2 older sisters (who were very outdoorsy) and having the change to go out and spend time with people who were going 1/2
infernalspectre
through the same changes (aging, voice changes, acne, facial hair all that) was important to me. Hence why I strongly support Venturing 2/3