BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY — A Bridgehampton teen who has advocated tirelessly for years for the right for young women to join Boy Scouts saw victory recently — but, sadly, by the time girls are allowed to join Boy Scout troops in 2019, she will have aged out of the program.
To that end, her father Gary Ireland and the rest of Sydney Ireland's family are urging people to write to Boy Scout President Randall Stephenson and Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh and ask them to allow Sydney "to join the organization immediately so that she can have the opportunity to work towards the Eagle Rank. . . Please give her the opportunity to be part of the change and finish what she started," Ireland wrote.
"I am so proud that the Boy Scouts have made the historic change to open up the Boy Scout program to all children," Sydney said. "I am asking that the Scout President Randall Stephenson and Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh allow girls to join troops immediately, so that we girls can attend the 2019 International Jamboree. Of course, I am also asking that these leaders will allow me to join the troop now and give me the opportunity to work towards earning the Eagle Rank."
Those wishing to help can write to Randall.Stephenson@scouting.org; pr@scouting.org; myscouting@scouting.org; rs2982@att.com; and michael.surbaugh@scouting.org, Ireland said.
It was a day of victory in October for Ireland, 16, who, for years, has been crusading for the right to join Boy Scouts and earn her Eagle Scout rank.
The Boy Scouts of America's board of directors unanimously approved a measure that welcomes girls into the Cub Scout program — it will deliver a scouting program for older girls that will enable them to earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
The historic decision comes after years of receiving requests from families and girls; the organization evaluated the results of numerous research efforts — getting input from current members and leaders, as well as parents and girls who've never been involved in scouting — to understand how to offer families choices in meeting character development needs for all of their children, a release from the Boy Scouts of America said.
Sydney was thrilled at the news. "This historic change by the Boy Scouts will provide opportunities for unparalleled leadership training that is offered by the organization and important recognition, including earning the Eagle rank," she said. "It will also provide opportunities for young people to work together towards common goals in positive outdoor activities and service projects to benefit our communities."
Her father Gary added: "We could not be more proud of Sydney and the scout leadership for opening up the great leadership training we have in Scouting, to all our children. Scouting in the United States is now preparing for the next 100 years, including girls."
The news made history."This decision is true to the BSA's mission and core values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law. The values of scouting — trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example — are important for both young men and women," said Michael Surbaugh, the BSA's chief Scout executive.
"Please give her the opportunity to be part of the change and finish what she started"
And now, as Sydney continues her quest to join Boy Scouts before she ages out, her family has voiced their support.
"I am honored to be working with my sister Sydney and my family towards equality in the Boy Scouts. Of course, I look forward to participating in her Eagle Court of Honor," said Bryan Ireland, Sydney's brother. Scouting, he added, has given him the tools to develop his skills as a leader. "I am so glad that girls will have the same opportunities," he said.
Gary Ireland added, "Thank you Council Member Dan Garodnick for introducing to the New York City Council, the Proclamation recognizing the efforts of Sydney and Bryan Ireland to increase diversity in the Boy Scouts by welcoming young women. I hope that Mr. Stephenson will allow Sydney to join her troop immediately and work to earn the Eagle Rank."
Boy Scouts for a new age
"We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children," Surbaugh added in October. "We strive to bring what our organization does best — developing character and leadership for young people — to as many families and youth as possible as we help shape the next generation of leaders."
According to the BSA, families "are busier and more diverse than ever. Most are dual-earners and there are more single-parent households than ever before . . . making convenient programs that serve the whole family more appealing."
Also, the BSA said, groups "currently underserved by Scouting, including the Hispanic and Asian communities, prefer to participate in activities as a family. Recent surveys of parents not involved with Scouting showed high interest in getting their daughters signed up for programs like Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, with 90 percent expressing interest in a program like Cub Scouts and 87 percent expressing interest in a program like Boy Scouts."
Education experts also evaluated the curriculum and content and confirmed relevancy of the program for young women, the BSA said.
"The BSA's record of producing leaders with high character and integrity is amazing," said Stephenson, BSA's national board chairman. "I've seen nothing that develops leadership skills and discipline like this organization. It is time to make these outstanding leadership development programs available to girls."
Starting in the 2018 program year, families will be able to sign up both their sons and daughters for Cub Scouts.
Existing packs may choose to establish a new girl pack, a pack that consists of girl dens and boy dens or remain an all-boy pack, the BSA said.
Cub Scout dens will be single-gender — all boys or all girls. Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts program, the organization will also deliver a program for older girls, which will be announced in 2018 and is projected to be available in 2019, that will enable them to earn the Eagle Scout rank, the BSA said.
The BSA has offered co-ed programs since 1971 through Exploring and the Venturing program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018. The STEM Scout pilot program is also available for both boys and girls, the BSA said.
Girl Scouts Speak Out
Girl Scouts of the USA spoke out about the BSA's announcement, issuing a statement on its blog: "Girl Scouts is the best girl leadership organization in the world, created with and for girls. We believe strongly in the importance of the all-girl, girl-led, and girl-friendly environment that Girl Scouts provides, which creates a free space for girls to learn and thrive. The benefit of the single-gender environment has been well-documented by educators, scholars, other girl- and youth-serving organizations, and Girl Scouts and their families," the statement read.
Girl Scouts, the statement said, offers a one-of-a-kind experience for girls with a program tailored specifically to their unique developmental needs.
"At Girl Scouts, we are the girl experts, and for more than a century we have provided millions of girls opportunities for adventure, inspiration, and valuable mentoring. Offering hands-on, girl-centered learning in STEM, the outdoors, and entrepreneurship, and abundant opportunities to develop invaluable life skills, Girl Scouts helps all girls take the lead early and often," the statement read.
In addition, the Girl Scouts said, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience "pairs girls with strong, caring female role models and mentors who prepare them to take the lead from age 5 to 18 and into adulthood. And we're backed by more than 100 years of experience and expertise in the field. . . .No one does girl leadership better than we do."
In the United States, the statement said, 90 percent of female astronauts, 80 percent of female tech leaders, 75 percent of current senators, and all U.S. Secretaries of State are Girl Scout alumnae.
"Girl Scouts works. We're committed to preparing the next generation of women leaders, and we're here to stay," the statement said.
Sydney's journey
Sydney has been working tirelessly for years to raise awareness, and in May was thrilled that a meeting of Boy Scouts of America chapter representatives and others took place at BSA headquarters in Irving, TX, Thursday, to discuss the possibility of allowing girls expanded opportunities in the 107-year old organization.
At the time, Gary Ireland said he and the National Organization for Women teamed up to send emails and letters to AT&T CEO/Boy Scout President Randall Stephenson, urging him to consider expanding the ranks to allow girls to pursue equal opportunities.
Sonia Ossorio, President, NOW New York, told Patch that two years ago at NOW's national conference, a resolution was passed to support the effort for Boy Scouts to further diversify and allows girls who want to strive for the "very top of U.S. Scouting to be allowed to do so."
She added that allowing girls to join Boy Scouts just makes sense. "It's a win-win for everyone. Boy Scouts could expand its ranks. And in today's polarized political climate, where there is less tolerance, what could be a better antidote than having young boys and girls working together?" Ossorio said.
Sydney's dream
In August 2016, Sydney spoke about her dream to Patch: She has long wanted to join the Boy Scouts of America and strive toward earning her Eagle Scout badge, scouting's highest rank.
Sydney says at a time when a woman (Hillary Clinton) ran for the nation's highest office, shattering the boundaries and allowing girls into Boy Scouts shouldn't be such a big deal.
To that end, she created a petition on change.org titled, "Tell the Boy Scouts to End Discrimination Against Young Women."
According to the BSA, she said, more than half of all astronauts were involved in Scouting and 16.3 percent of West Point cadets are Eagle Scouts. In addition, she said, 191 members of the current Congress were involved in Scouting, 18 current United States governors participated in Scouting and many of those politicians are Eagle Scouts.
"The facts say it all — high-level Scouting creates opportunity, and with opportunity comes a chance at success in the global community," the petition says.
Sydney, a student at the Nightingale-Bamford School on New York City's Upper West Side, currently attends Boy Scout events with her brother and father at Troop 414 in Manhattan, participating as a member of the World Fellowship of Scouting.
Photo of Sydney Ireland, and of Sydney and Gary Ireland, courtesy of Ireland family.
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