CYC Family – What’s New, What’s Next As of September 7, 2018 by Jay Lubin, Council Vice President for Membership

The purpose of this memo is to update Leaders on Family Scouting in Yankee Council. Cub Scouts What’s Next: You can recruit girls and boys into your Cub Packs NOW. If your Pack was not part of the Early Adoption Program, please obtain the approval of your Chartered Organization (Chartered Organization Representative), before registering girls in the Pack. Many Chartered Organizations have been contacted by the Service Area Executives and most have agreed to welcome girls. Check with your COR to confirm. Depending on the decision by your Pack’s Chartered Organization, Packs can welcome all youth members into the Pack (boys and girls), from kindergarten through 5th grade, starting NOW. Under the Early Adoption Program initiated in January 2018, there were some “special” requirements put in place to help control aspects of the introduction of girls into Cub Scouts. Any “special” requirements related to Early Adoption NO LONGER APPLY: a. Separate dens by gender: This was not a “special” requirement. Boy dens must be separate from girl dens. Boys and girls cannot be members of the same den. b. Girl and boy Den Leaders: While not a requirement, a single den leader can lead both a girl and a boy den. The girl and boy dens can meet at the same time, and same place. Girl and boy dens can work together on the same adventures at the same time. c. Minimum den size: There is no minimum den size, for girls or boys. Of course, experience has shown that the ideal den size is generally 5 – 8 Cub Scouts. d. What happens if we only recruit 4 or 5 girls and they are different ages? The recommended solution in this case is to form a single den with all the girls, and each girl would work on the advancement requirements for their age/grade. Another solution is combine meetings with girl dens in other Packs in the same or adjacent towns. e. Does a Pack have to “apply” to the Council to be able to welcome girls? NO. No application is required. However, since this a change in the Pack’s membership, the Chartered Organization (Chartered Organization Representative) must approve the change to welcome girls into the Pack. f. Is there a different membership application for boys and girls? No, the current application is used for girls and boys to apply. g. Must the Pack create a written program plan how it will make certain that the girls advance? NO.

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h. Must the girl den leaders be women? Under BSA youth protection guidelines, each girl den must have at least one registered and trained female leader, age 21 or older, present at every meeting and event. This female leader can be the DL, ADL, or some other registered position. An unregistered female parent does not meet this youth protection requirement. i. Is the Pack required to have a New Member Coordinator? NO (although it is a good idea.) j. Is the Pack required to have a Family Scouting Coordinator? NO. k. What is the difference between a New Member Coordinator and a Family Scouting Coordinator? The NMC is a new position created by BSA to help welcome and guide new families in the unit. Online training is available for the NMC position. The FSC created was created locally by Connecticut Yankee Council to help Packs navigate through the Early Adoption Program. The FSC position is no longer needed. l. Can we recruit 5th grade girls into the Pack as Arrow of Light? YES. m. Can we recruit kindergarten girls (and boys) into the Pack as Lions? YES n. Is a Pack required to welcome girls? NO. The initial decision is technically up to the Chartered Organization of the Pack. After this initial approval has been made by the Organization, then it becomes a Pack decision whether they will welcome girls into their Pack. o. Can we form a separate, all‐girl, Pack? YES. A community organization must agree to sponsor the new Pack (just like any other Pack). Hopefully, this community organization will already be sponsoring a Unit, so they “know the ropes”. We can then form this new, all‐girl Pack, in the same manner that we would start any new Pack. p. Why are the Cub Scouts going coed? Technically, our program is not co‐ed. We are operating a single gender program in our Cub Scout Packs, with separate dens for boys and girls. More to the point, our families requested that we welcome girls to our program, and our Cub Scout program works as well for girls as it does for boys. Cub Scouts was formed by BSA in 1930. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, siblings have been an integral (if unofficial) part of the Cub Scout program, present at meetings and events. Girls today take an active part in Cub Scouts, including Pinewood Derbies and camping trips. This change in membership recognizes the part that siblings play in our membership. Please note: Lion Scouts (youth in kindergarten) are now an official program of BSA. There are no “special” requirements/limits to join Cub Scouts as a Lion. Therefore, the “special” Lion membership requirements and Pack organization from the 2‐year Lion pilot NO LONGER APPLY: a. Lion Den Leaders (formerly called Lion Guides) do NOT have to be an experienced Cub . b. A Cub Scout Pack does NOT apply to the Council to start a Lion Den. Simply start the den. c. Lions can camp with the Pack, as long as they are part of the Pack’s family camping program d. There are no limits for Lions on participation in Pack meetings and fundraisers.

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Boy Scouts One of the biggest changes in the program for Boy Scout age youth is the name change – to Scouts BSA. To be clear, the is NOT changing the name of the organization. Boy Scouts of America (or BSA) has been an iconic American brand for over a century, and that IS NOT CHANGING. But, the program NAME for youth ages 11 through 18 will change from Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA. This name change reflects the reality that youth in our Scout Troops will be boys and girls. The name change is effective February 1, 2019, which is the same date we will be able to charter girl Troops and register girls in new girl Troops. Is there anything we can do NOW? YES, there is plenty to do. First, please obtain the confirmation (approval) of your Chartered Organization (Chartered Organization Representative), on whether they will agree to charter a girl Troop at their organization. Also, it is strongly recommended that all existing Troops in each town meet together ASAP, in the early fall, to discuss how to best form girl Troop(s) in that town. We anticipate (guesstimate) that for every 20 to 40 boys in Boy Scouts, roughly 5 to 8 girls will be interested in joining Scouts BSA. For towns with, say, 3 or 4 troops (for example), there may be 15 to 20 girls who want to join Scouts BSA. It might make sense to pool these resources in a town to form one girl Troop of 15 to 20 girls, rather than form 3 or 4 girl Troops of 5 or 6 or 7 girls in each Troop. As we all know, a larger troop is more effective than a smaller troop, with more leadership opportunities for the youth members and more financial resources. If this approach is taken, once the girl Troop is successful with more female members, it can later split in two (or three). This approach will also help determine how to organize the troop committee (see linked troop info below.) Then What? Get a core of 2 or 3 or 4 or more girls who are interested in forming a troop and help them plan and organize a meeting of other interested girls and their families. Publicize the meeting in the local newspaper, and on the town Facebook pages(s). MOST IMPORTANTLY, have the core group of girls ask their friends to this meeting. Experience has shown that girls are much more likely than boys to ask friends to join an organization. At the same time, solicit interest from parents and other Scout leaders in town to serve as the Troop leadership and Troop Committee. Once you have a core of girls and leaders, start meeting, at least twice a month. Have the girls select their own patrol leader(s), SPL, scribe, QM, etc.

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The meetings should be part planning and mostly fun, just like any Troop meeting. There is no reason you can’t start working on advancement or merit badges. Handbooks or blue cards cannot be officially signed off until the Troop is formally chartered on February 1, but requirements can still be worked on. Ideally, every youth in the new Troop could be ready to attain Scout rank on February 1, and have plenty of Tenderfoot requirements completed. Take the girls camping, on nature hikes, bike trips, anything you would consider doing with a boy Troop with a mixture of ages and outdoor experience. Collect applications (youth and adults) starting in September or October, along with registration and operations fees, so the applications will be ready to be submitted along with the charter application in mid‐January. Once a critical mass of girls start meeting, you could offer Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops to the prospective girl leaders.

Training All Adult leaders must complete online Youth Protection Training immediately, before any meetings begin. Adult leaders do not need to be registered with BSA to take any online course – including YPT, at https://my.scouting.org/. Other position specific (role based) online training should be taken ASAP, but prior to February 1, 2019. New Adult Leaders must be fully trained in their position BEFORE registering with BSA. Leaders should also take Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills when offered in the fall (and spring).

Other Questions (and Answers) a. Will there be an Early Adopter Program for Scouts BSA, similar to the program for girls joining Cub Scouts? NO. February 1, 2019 is the firm start date for Scouts BSA, approved by the National Executive Board of the BSA. b. Can two smaller towns near one another team up to form a single girl troop? YES, of course. c. Can boy Troop(s) decide how/where to form a girl Troop? Good question. BSA is encouraging the formation of “Linked Troops”, where an existing chartered organization agrees to also sponsor a new girl Troop. In this regard, the leadership of existing boy Troops is welcome to encourage their Chartered Organization to also sponsor a girl Troop. d. Must a girl Troop be “linked” to a boy Troop? No, this is not a requirement. However, it certainly appears to be a good idea for reasons outlined below. e. Must “Linked Troops” share a Chartered Organization Representative? YES. Whether a Chartered Organization sponsors (charters) one, two, three, or more scout units (Packs, Troops, Crews, Ships), there can only be one Chartered Organization Representative (COR).

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f. Must “Linked Troops” share a Troop Committee? NO g. Can “Linked Troops” share a Troop Committee? YES. However, that decision is best left to the Chartered Organization, to decide what Committee structure best serves the two Troops, the youth members, as well as the Chartered Organization itself. The decision can be driven by whether there are enough Parent volunteers to operate separate Troop Committees. h. Must “Linked Troops” share a single bank account? NO. Again, this decision should be made by the Chartered Organization. Even with a single Treasurer supporting both Troops, using one or two bank accounts is a decision of the Chartered Organization. As an observation, should the Chartered Organization decide to have a separate Treasurer for each Troop, accountability and bookkeeping issues dictate establishment of separate bank accounts. i. Must the girl Troop register on a separate charter from the boy Troop? YES. j. If we don’t have many girls in the girl Troop, can they join the boy Troop as a girl Patrol. NO. Girls MUST be in a separate Troop, no exceptions. k. For “Linked Troops”, can the boy Troop and girl Troop meet at the same time and location? YES. l. For “Linked Troops”, can the boy Troop and girl Troop have the same Court of Honor? YES. m. For “Linked Troops”, can the boy Troop and girl Troop camp in the same location? YES. However, each Troop should PLAN their camping trip separately. However, the two Troops are encouraged to COORDINATE the camping program. n. For “Linked Troops” what Troop number will be assigned to the girl Troop. Troop numbers are not assigned. Selection of a Troop number is generally made by each Troop in consultation with its Chartered Organization. A girl Troop can have the same number as its linked boy Troop, but that is not a requirement. Within a District, however, only “Linked” Troops can use the same number. o. What will happen if a girl wants to join Scouts BSA but there is no girl troop in her town? She will be referred to girl troops in nearby towns. Troop Leadership p. Can “Linked Troops” share adult leadership? YES and NO. Each girl Troop and boy Troop must have its own Scoutmaster. This key role cannot be shared. Beyond that role, ASMs and Committee members can serve in more than one Troop. q. Must the adult leaders of the girl Troop be women? Under BSA youth protection guidelines, every girl Troop must have a minimum of one registered and trained female leader, at least age 21, present at every meeting and event. This female leader can be the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster. An unregistered female parent does not meet this youth protection requirement. If a registered female adult leader is not available for a Troop meeting or other event, the meeting CANNOT be held. r. Must a boy Troop’s Chartered Organization sponsor a girl Troop? NO. Every Chartered Organization is responsible for selecting the program or programs that it offers to the youth in the community. s. My Chartered Organization sponsors a boy Troop but does not want to sponsor a girl Troop. However, we know of a number of siblings and others who want to join a girl Troop. Do we

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have any options? YES. Work with your Unit Commissioner, District Membership Chair and Service Area Executives. They will help identify another community organization to sponsor the girl Troop.

More Questions t. When will uniforms for girls be available? Other than fit and style differences, uniforms for boys and girls in Scouts BSA will be the same. Scout Shops expect to have uniforms designed for girls by January 2019. u. Will there be different a Scout Handbook for girls? NO. The Scout Handbook is being rewritten to reflect girls joining the program, as well as the name change to Scouts BSA. All rank and advancement requirements will be identical for boys and girls, and there will be no changes in advancement requirements due to welcoming girls into the program. A few merit badges may have a name change to remove gender references. The new Handbook should be in Scout Shops by January 2019. v. Are the advancement requirements for girls the same as boys? YES. However, it is important to recognize that the particular interests and activities among boy Troops and girl Troops may vary substantially. This is not new. Scouts in Florida rarely camp in snow caves. Scouts in Texas often ride horses. Scouts in New York City camp in Central Park. Troops within our council vary substantially in specific interests and traditions. Female scouts will explore their own interests while still meeting the rank and advancement requirements of Scouts BSA. w. Will girl Troops be able to attend Camp Sequassen in the summer of 2019? YES. x. Will girl Troops be able to recruit girls from Arrow Light dens in Cub Scout Packs in the spring of 2019? YES. Girl Troops are strongly encouraged to reach out to local Cub Scout Packs with girl Arrow of Light dens ASAP.

What About Competition Throughout Connecticut, we are fortunate to have a number of high‐quality character development programs in which our youth can participate, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, various sports leagues, numerous in‐school clubs, church sponsored youth groups, etc. It is up to our families to choose programs that best suit their needs. The choices do not need to be “either/or”. It is important to note that one important reason BSA created Family Scouting and is welcoming girls into Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA is that our Families asked for this change. With regards to Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, both programs have a long and storied history. Families should recognize, while both organizations have “Scout” in their name, the programs differ. Families should research which program or programs best meet their needs. Again, the choice does not need to be “either/or”. Girls can be members of both BSA and GSUSA.

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As we recruit our youth members, we should take the opportunity to remind the families in our communities of the mission of the Boy Scouts of America: to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Interestingly, in the Family Scouting Early Adopter program conducted this spring, 46% of the girls had never participated in Girl Scouts; 33% of the girls who joined Cub Scouts were also participating in Girl Scouts. Nationwide, the BSA and GSUSA each serve less than 10% of youth under age 18. Therefore, there is a large market of youth not in scouts or other youth programs who are sitting at home waiting to get outside and do something besides playing video games. Why is Scouts BSA going coed? Technically, our program is not co‐ed. We are operating a single gender program with separate Troops for boys and girls. More to the point, our families requested that we welcome girls to our program, and our Boy Scout program (soon to be called Scouts BSA) works as well for girls as it does for boys. Having female members of BSA is not new. Our Senior Scouting Programs – Exploring, Sea Scouts, Venturing, have had female members for nearly 50 years. Cub Scouts was formed by BSA in 1930. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, siblings have been an integral (if unofficial) part of the Cub Scout program, present at meetings and events. And our Cub Scout camping program is based on family camping. Notwithstanding what others may say, welcoming girls of all ages into the BSA is the right thing to do. It gives us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our youth members. All of our youth members.

Jay Lubin – 09/07/2018 g

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