[fusiongyro]

I feel like I always hear about girl scout fundraising (not just the cookies) but never about girl scouting. In contrast, I hear a lot about camping and whatnot with the boy scouts, yet they never seem to be in my face raising money. What's all that girl scout money going towards? More fundraising?

[VLM]

Parent of both, some anecdotes and generalities follow.

Girl scouting is indoors and out of sight, Boy scouting is outdoors and in view. Therefore you will see a lot more "boy activity". They spend a similar amount of time.

For whatever weird traditional reason its assumed the boys families will pay maybe a hundred per year for boy scouting stuff, and girls do not pay or only pay a symbolic tiny amount of money. WRT family budget, Girl scouting is like a tenth the cost of Boy scouting, maybe less.

Boys do indeed sell a heck of a lot of popcorn and holiday decor like wreaths, but mostly at special events or to family members, girl scouts seem to sell most of their cookies door to door or at the grocery store very much to the general un distracted public.

Boy scouting activities, well, bluntly sound cooler and more memorable. There's no reason a girl couldn't pick up a boys merit badge book for archery and have tons of fun, but girl scout activities just are not as cool, sorry but true. "Eco Friend" just doesn't excite the imagination like shot gun shooting merit badge or welding or car maintenance. Why aren't girl scout activities as cool as boy scout activities? I honestly do not know.

Girl scout activities are very risk adverse, worst case scenario is a paper cut. Boy scout activities (at the higher ages) involve firearms and fire and safety glasses and danger in general.

Gender integration is a weird topic because boy scouts has always involved over 18 women and preteen female siblings since the old days and no one really cares; however girl scouts is absolutely fanatic about no-males-allowed in any form. Its definitely like integrating the white schools only and not the black ones, or whatever historical analogy. Girl scouts absolutely forbids males and AFAIK they are not integrating like the boy scouts at all.

[jrnichols]

> Why aren't girl scout activities as cool as boy scout activities? I honestly do not know.

You're right. A Boy Scout camp I worked at was trying to get Girl Scout groups to come use the facilities, but parents resisted because the facility had a shooting range. They said that they didn't want the Girl Scouts involved in or exposed to "violent activities" and they wouldn't come unless the shooting range was removed. Other parents felt that the majority of the outdoor activities were too dangerous.

There was one group that wanted to use the shooting range, though, and despite freezing rainy weather, the girls (and parents) came out anyway. That was great to see.

There's not much stopping the Girl Scouts from adding the other activities except for the female leadership themselves.

I'd love to see more cross-organization Merit Badges.

[DavidNielsen]

To be honest “eco friend” sounds a lot more like what I’d want my children to be involved with than “shotgun shooting”. According to the website the requirements for “Eco Friend” are essentially doing no harm to the environment, making a safe campfire and attempting to be kind. All worthwhile skills but perhaps it could be rebranded to sound cooler, like “Ecosystem management engineer”.

Also if the Girl Scouts could see their way to making merit badges for “fighting the man”, “radical feminism” and “understanding white privilege”, I think their members would be better armed to understand the world in a useful manner. I’d be happy to sew on those to any piece of clothing.

Maybe some Boy Scout badges for “non fire related cooking”, “hanging pictures straight” and “basic household budgeting” would also improve the world and give their members useful skills.

[fusiongyro]

Thanks for answering. I really appreciate that you took the time to explain this.

[watwut]

Depending on country you live in, girl version may do different activities then boy version. In some places it is more crafting and similar thing. The history of boy vs girl versions are different. Boy version evolved from "boys need activities/guidance and to be better prepared for next war with activities inspired by special unit" and packed with proper boy activities, while girl version started off with proper girl activities.

[gaius]

Both need to get back to their roots. Scouts locate the enemy and report back. Guides find routes through hostile terrain. Neither has to be a specific sex to complete their mission.

[watwut]

The origin of girl guides is not in guiding through hostile terrain despite what the name suggests. It is an trying to create an organization for girls inspires by boy scouts, but focusing more on proper feminine activities. You don't need to be girl to enjoy crafts and plenty boys are handy, but these activities were considered feminine and still largely are.

Boy scouts origin is in veteran thinking boys are growing too meek to be good future soldiers and also lack adult guidance messing around aimlessly not getting themselves ready. They were trying to give them something fun and good to spend time with.

[ryanmercer]

Not sure why you are being downvoted. Some scouting organizations required their scouts to carry firearms, for example The American Boy Scouts (ABS), formed by William Randolph Hearst, carried rifles chambered in .22 and .32 rimfire.