Boy Scouts of America

decision to allow girls in

troops won’t affect Sanpete

By Suzanne Dean

Publisher

Oct. 19, 2017

EPHRAIM—The announcement by the Boy Scouts of America that it will begin including girls in troops reflects what American families want for their children, according the to the district executive of the Arapeen District of the Utah National Parks Council.

But Rawlin Bagnall says the announcement won’t affect 185 troops in Sanpete, Sevier, Wayne and parts of Garfield counties that are sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those troops will remain all-boy.

Bagnall says the Boy Scouts nationally did a lot of research before proposing the change.

With nearly 70 percent of mothers of children under 18 in the labor force, the Scouts found families are looking for more reasons to spend time together. One way to do that is to get the whole family involved in Scouting.

Two Harris surveys, plus four other national research efforts, found 90 percent of parents wanted their daughters involved in Cub Scouting; over 90 percent were interested in their daughters ages 11-18 participating in other Scouting programs such as Explorers, Sea Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturing; and over 90 percent of parents believe the values of Boy Scouts of America are relevant to both boys and girls.

The national Executive Board of the Boy Scouts was unanimous in its decision to open Scouting to girls, Bagnall notes. That included two LDS board members, Pres. Thomas S. Monson, and Charles Dahlquist, former Young Men’s president for the church.

Although Boy Scouting is not available to girls in Sanpete County, there is an active Girl Scout program, with about a dozen leaders and 60 girls. For information, contact Bev Armstrong of Manti, Girl Scout coordinator for Sanpete County, at 435-340-0091.