The Boy Scouts of America will admit girls into the Cub Scouts starting next year and establish a new program for older girls based on the Boy Scout curriculum. “The values of scouting--trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example--are important for both young men and women,” Michael Surbaugh, chief scout executive, tells the AP. Under the new plan, the small unit Cub Scout dens will be single-gender, either all-boys or all-girls
The larger Cub Scout packs will be given the option to remain single gender or welcome both genders. Meanwhile, the program for older girls is expected to start in 2019 and will enable them to pursue the coveted Eagle Scout rank. The Girl Scouts of the USA have criticized the initiative, saying it strains the century-old bond between the two organizations.