Girls are not new to the Boy Scouts of America. Girls have participated in Venturing, Sea Scouts and Exploring since the early 1970s, and now the BSA’s Scouting program is open to them, too. As of February 1, 2019, the iconic “Boy Scout” program has been rebranded to “Scouts BSA” to include scouting opportunities to both boys and girls. Unlike the Venturing and Sea Scouts programs that are open to ages 14-21 and are co-ed programs, the new Scouts BSA Program is available for youth ages 11-17, and they will participate in single-gender troops.

There are nearly a dozen newly-launched Scouts BSA troops for girls in the Middle Tennessee area. One of those is Troop 934 in Mt. Juliet. Scoutmaster Coral Kutrip, Assistant Scoutmaster Paula Sloan, and Committee Chair Michelle Oakley teamed up to make sure the troop was ready to launch on February 1st. Hundreds of troops for girls launched all over the country on that same day with the “Scout Me In” campaign.

There are several troops for boys in the Mt. Juliet area, and those will remain all-boy troops. “The troops of boys have been very welcoming and helpful as we launched this troop,” said Assistant Scoutmaster Paula Sloan. “They’ve really shown great Scout spirit through all of the changes in welcoming our girls.”

The girls now have an opportunity to participate in the same activities, earn the same badges, and work towards the same rank advancements as the boys, including earning the rank of Eagle Scout.

Scouting families have asked repeatedly for their daughters to be included and want the same choices for both their sons and daughters. As Sloan mentions, “We have two boys who have been in the BSA for 8 years. Our daughter has been on the sidelines participating in the exact same activities as her brothers, but not earning anything for it. She finally has the chance to be a member, not just a tagalong.”

Troop 934 launched on February 1st with 12 girls on their official charter paperwork. They have already grown to nearly 20 girls ranging in age from 10-16 since then. This diverse group of girls will spend the first few months working on scout skills from knot tying, fire starting, and first aid, to cooking and outdoor skills. Their first campout is scheduled in March at the BSA’s Latimer Reservation. They have plans to attend summer camp, go whitewater rafting, caving, canoeing, and hiking.

“These girls want the full experience, and we’re going to give it to them,” said Sloan. “Some of them have their minds set to earn that rank of Eagle Scout. We’re going to be here cheering them on and helping them along the way.” This energetic and enthusiastic group of girls are the ones to watch. “It’s fantastic to see these amazing girls come together to accomplish any task we give them. We’re already seeing leaders step up and take ownership in their troop,” said Scoutmaster Coral Kutrip.

Scouts BSA Troop 934 meets on Tuesday nights in Mt. Juliet. Contact Coral Kutrip at SMTroop934@gmail.com for more information.