Today (October 11th, 2017) the National BSA Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve the introduction of females into the scouting program.
Starting next year in 2018. Families will have the ability to sign up both their sons and daughters for the Cub Scout program. The packs will decide if they want to remain single-gender and create another female-only pack. They also have the opportunity to become coed packs. Although, the dens in each pack would remain single gender.
Also in 2018, the BSA will announce a program that is projected to be available in 2019. This new program will give females the same opportunity to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
The National Order of the Arrow committee has not published a comment. They have recommended to read the full release from the BSA and to look at the FAQ section with any questions.
Female activity in scouting is not a new occurrence. The Venturing program has been around since 1998, also females have been able to be active in Sea Scouting, Exploring, and STEM.
The lodge leadership will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.
