Expanding Scout’s honor

In grade school, the Girl Scouts didn’t let me join.

It was not because there was something wrong with me or anything, but simply because the local troop was full. The only way I was going to get to be a scout was if my working mom took it upon herself to start a new troop. 

So I was never a Girl Scout. Maybe this rejection led to a bizarre grudge, because I think we should do away with the Girl Scouts altogether. And the Boy Scouts.

Yes, these groups are great places to build character, learn important skills and bond with fellow scouts, but why are they separated by sex? There should be one all-inclusive Scout troop to rule them all.

I realize the activities each troop participates in are largely contingent on the Scoutmasters, but these groups do a lot to socialize children into stereotypical gender roles. 

Looking solely at merit badges, there is a lot of overlap in what each program values. They’re all about community participation, self-improvement, practical skills and creative interests. But there isn’t a Boy Scout badge for “babysitting,” “eating for beauty” or “manners.” There is no Girl Scout badge for “shot gun shooting,” “engineering” or “truck transportation.” 

It is just as valuable for a girl to be able to drive a truck as it is for a boy. Both sexes should know how not to offend others. Learning how to take care of a child is important for anyone who will potentially become a parent. 

Everyone can forget about that eating for beauty nonsense, though.

By taking the best of both programs and swirling them together, we can help build the character of impressive, well-rounded, responsible humans, rather than reinforcing weird expectations based solely on gender identity.

Opponents would argue that it is better to separate kids based on sex to avoid any funny business. I would argue that funny business already occurs in the Scouts as-is. Still, camping trips could have sex-specific tents or hotel rooms, or however people “camp” nowadays.

Besides, Boy Scouts will not seriously pursue their motorboating merit badge until their teenage years.  

The brotherhood and sisterhood forged in these groups are incredibly valuable, but imagine how much more beneficial these would be if we allowed these bonds to form between boys and girls. A male friend once told me that because of our friendship, he started to understand women as people. Combining the scouts could demystify the opposite sex for thousands of children.

The Scouts would also be more inclusive. It wouldn’t matter if a biological male who identifies as a girl, or vice versa, showed up, because everyone’s already in the group.  
Plus, twice the amount of kids would be pushing delicious cookies and that dumb popcorn would finally fall by the wayside. I love cookies.

­— casefarr@indiana.edu