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Boys And Girls Now Welcome To Join Cub Scouts In Acadiana

Aug 15, 2018 12:54PM ● By Flint Zerangue, Sr.

Lafayette, La - The Boy Scouts of America® (BSA) - Evangeline Area Council (EAC), announced that for the first time in its 108-year history, they are inviting both boys and girls to join the Cub Scouts (ages 5-10).

According to Art Hawkins, Executive Director of EAC, the values of Scouting – being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent, are relevant and important for both boys and girls.

“This change is about inclusion,” says Hawkins. “…over the year, we’ve seen countless families bring their daughters to our meeting and events; these girls participate and learn right alongside their brothers, but until now, they did not have the opportunity to earn any badges or receive any credit for their achievements. This change in policy will allow both boys and girls the ability to learn and grow as young individuals.”

The Cub Scouts are a program renowned for character-building fun and adventure. Through adventures big and small, Scouting embraces the outdoors and helps our communities through service projects, STEM development and building confidence through a wide range of activities.

Over the next few weeks, the Evangeline Area Council will be hosting Cub Scout sign-ups throughout Acadiana. Each Cub Scout Den will be single gender — all boys or all girls. Cub Scout Packs, meanwhile, can include any combination of all-boy or all-girl Dens. This unique approach allows the organization to maintain the integrity of the single-gender model while also meeting the needs of today’s families.

Hawkins also stated that in February of 2019, the Boy Scouts would be called “Scouts BSA” programs.

About Boy Scouts of America Evangeline Area Council

The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program for character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” Chartered by the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council in 1924, the Evangeline Area Council continues to improve families and our community by serving more than 3,000 youth within the eight traditional parishes of Acadiana: Acadia, Evangeline, Lafayette, Iberia St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermillion. 

The Evangeline Area Council is divided into 92 Scouting units including Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Venturing Crews, and Exploring Posts that are chartered to a local school, religious organization or community center. Boys and girls, ages 5 – 20, are supported by over 1,000 volunteer leaders who help teach new skills, build self-esteem and reinforce Scouting values. We care passionately about what is happening to kids and our communities, and we are dedicated to supporting an exciting, quality program that builds better young people and our future leaders.       

To learn more about local Scouting visit the Evangeline Area Council’s website at www.eacbsa.org  or call 337-235-8551.  

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