In historic move, Boy Scouts vote to allow girls to join as Cub Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America’s board of directors voted to allow girls to join its Cub Scouts program and to develop a scouting program for older girls that will enable them to become Eagle Scouts, the organization’s highest rank, the BSA announced Wednesday. The vote was unanimous. According to a statement from the organization, the “historic” change is a result of “years of receiving requests from families and girls.” However, the group says the programs will still remain segregated by gender, and that, starting in 2018, “Existing packs may choose to establish a new girl pack, establish a pack that consists of girl dens and boy dens or remain an all-boy pack.”