Boy Scouts to admit girls in historic rule change

Girls will soon be able to obtain the coveted Eagle Scout rank

Boy Scouts of Troop 37 prepare to lead a march of Staten Island residents to mark the two year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy's landfall (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has announced it will allow girls to become Cub Scouts – a historic change for the more than 100-year-old organisation.

“The values of Scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, chief executive of the Boy Scouts.

He added: “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children.”

Starting in 2018, girls can participate in Cub Scouts via all-girls 'dens'. Boys and girls dens can be part of a larger, co-ed 'pack' if they so choose.

Another, similar programme for older girls will likely be made available in 2019. This programme will allow girls to obtain the coveted Eagle Scout rank – the highest honour in the programme.

The change marks a dramatic shift for the organisation, which has produced some of America's most famous leaders, from John F Kennedy to Michael Bloomberg. It comes after years of requests from families, numerous research efforts, and input from current members and leaders, according to the organisation.

One key advocate for the change was Sydney Ireland, a New York teenager who wanted to be able to obtain the Eagle Scout rank like her brother had.

"The Girl Scouts is a great organization, but it's just not the program that I want to be part of," Sydney told NBC News. "I think girls should just have the opportunity to be a member of any organization they want regardless of gender."

The change comes shortly after the organisation was criticised by Girl Scouts President Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, for staging a “covert campaign to recruit girls".

In a letter to the BSA board, Ms Hannan called it "unsettling" that the organisation would "seek to upend a paradigm that has served both boys and girls so well through the years".

The Boy Scouts, meanwhile, claims the board wanted to accommodate busier, more diverse families – including single-parent homes. Several Boy Scouts programmes, such as 'Venturing' and 'Exploring,' are already available to young women ages 14 to 21.

"We strive to bring what our organization does best – developing character and leadership for young people – to as many families and youth as possible," Mr Surbaugh said.

The board also sparked controversy by voting to allow transgender children to enroll in the Boy Scouts in January. It reserved its long-standing ban on admitting gay members in 2013, after intense petitioning by activists.

Approximately 2.3m members currently participate in Boy Scouts.