A Boy Scouts of America troop made up entirely of girls has formed in one Texas town.
Troop 4640 is the first Scouts BSA troop for girls in Pearland, Texas, ABC 7 reported.
“When we found out that girls were allowed, I instantly was like, ‘Yes, I want to do this,” said troop member Cheyenne Bland in an interview with ABC 7.
MORE: Alicia Keys Blames America After 4-Year-Old Son Rejects Rainbow Nail Polish: You Oppressed Him
17 girls, led by scoutmaster David Albee, have joined Troop 4640.
Many of the troop’s members have male siblings who were already part of the Boy Scouts.
At a recent event, Troop 4640 participated in events alongside all-male Boy Scout troops.
“The boys are still adjusting to seeing girls at their campouts, but overall it was a very good experience,” troop member Brenna Tate told ABC 7.
In October of 2017, the Boy Scouts of America announced it would be chartering girls troops under the new Scouts BSA banner.
“For the first time in its 100+ year history, the iconic program of the Boy Scouts of America is open to both young men and young women,” reads a statement on the organization’s website.
“This unique approach allows the organization to maintain the integrity of the single-gender model while also meeting the needs of today’s families,” the group said.
Boy Scouts of America has operated co-ed programs for the past 50 years. The Sea Scouts have been co-ed since their founding in 1953.
However, the Scouts BSA program uses the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts program and will allow eligible youth ages 11-17, to earn the Eagle Scout rank.
MORE: All-Girl Troops Join the Boy Scouts of America
In February, the first all-girl troops joined the Boy Scouts of America.
Some pundits criticized the decision to open up the organization.
.@wjmcgurn on Boy Scouts allowing girls: "It's just this war on boys and masculinity and we complain about guys like Harvey Weinstein." pic.twitter.com/eLwMqdFMx7
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 14, 2017
Appearing on Fox News shortly after the Boy Scouts of America made its announcement, Wall Street Journal writer William McGurn said progressives’ “war on boys and masculinity” had forced the group to allow girls.
Cover image:
- An illustrative image of a Boy Scouts of America troop member.: Screen grab
