More than 100 girls were sworn in as scouts Saturday under the newly re-branded Scouts BSA organization at Cuyahoga Community College.
Saturday’s event was hosted by the organization’s Lake Erie Council in northeast Ohio, and celebrated the “extraordinary moment” as girls were welcomed into the group for the first time in its 109-year history.
“Help us celebrate this extraordinary moment and capture the excitement for generations to come by joining the ‘Scout Me In’ launch. They will hear from notable women in Cleveland cheering their achievement, receive exclusive gear, meet their fellow trailblazers and join them for the largest swearing-in of girls pledging the Scout Oath and Law in northeast Ohio,” an event description states.
In a video posted to the Lake Erie Council’s Facebook page, the presumed scout master can be seen leading the group of girls in the scout oath.
“Let’s say the scout oath together and let’s celebrate history,” he says. “I am so excited and we are so thrilled for the great future of this movement.”
Cleveland 19 News was on the ground for the event, and celebrated the occasion in a tweet.
YOU GO, GIRLS: More than 100 local girls sworn in as Scouts BSA, formerly known as Boy Scouts https://t.co/Yl1v5m1E3i pic.twitter.com/l74GjT3FF4
— Cleveland 19 News (@cleveland19news) February 23, 2019
“You go, girls. More than 100 local girls girls sworn in as Scouts BSA, formerly known as Boy Scouts,” the outlet reported.
The decision to accept girls into the organization was announced in May 2018, and has received substantial criticism since then. Scouts BSA officially launched at the beginning of February, and the group defended its decision in a statement to Cleveland 19 News.
“Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scout programs, all Scouts BSA troops will run the same scouting program, earn the same merit badges, and be able to achieve the same ranks, including the prestigious Eagle Scout rank,” Scouts BSA said in a statement. “We believe our programs are uniquely able to develop character and leadership skills in young people, and we are proud to be able to make them available to both boys and girls.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Taking the Oath” by Lake Erie BSA.
