For 107 years, the Boy Scouts have been a male-only organization that aims to increase values of citizenship and leadership in it’s members. On Wednesday Oct. 11, the Boy Scouts of America announced that starting in 2018, they will allow girls to join.

According to the Boy Scouts, this decision was made with the intent to consolidate after school activities for busy families. As well as a response to the requests from girls and families to join over the years.

Some girls connect better with the ideals and activities offered by the Boy Scouts rather, than those offered by the Girl Scouts.

However this announcement only applies to Cub Scouts, ages 7 to 10. The Boy Scouts plan on allowing older girls to join and earn the high rank of Eagle Scout later in 2019.

Wednesday’s announcement left many members of the Boy Scout organization feeling skeptical about this decision. Sophomore Jack David has been a member of the Boy Scouts for 10 years.

“I’m not too thrilled about the idea. It’s always been something where I can go off with my dad and get a break from my mom and sister,” David said. “It’s just oriented differently. I personally don’t like the idea.”

Boy Scouts have received backlash not only from their own members, but the Girl Scouts of America as well.

“We’ve had 105 years of supporting girls and a girls-only safe space,” chief officer for Girl Scouts Lisa Margosian said to the New York Times. Margosian defends her statement that Boy Scouts cannot properly prepare girls to be powerful women like the Girl Scouts can.

“So much of a girl’s life is a life where she is in a co-ed environment, and we have so much research and data that suggests that girls really thrive in an environment where they can experiment, take risk and stretch themselves in the company of other girls,” Margosian said to the New York Times.

Zoe Nye, sophomore and Girl Scout of 11 years, disagrees with the Boy Scout’s proclamation.

“I don’t really see the point considering there’s already Girl Scouts,” Nye said.

However this is not the first time Boy Scouts of America have included girls in it’s organization.  Since 1998, The Boy Scouts of America Venturing program is open to both males and females and is an outdoor program aimed to help young adults mature and become more responsible.   

Overall the integration of girls into Boy Scouts gives equal opportunity and gives girls a choice when it comes to scouting.

“They are becoming more accepting,” David said.