Anyone know why Girl Scouts starts in Kindergarten but Boy Scouts start a year later in first grade?

Question

Anyone know why Girl Scouts starts in Kindergarten but Boy Scouts start a year later in first grade?

Answer 1

Hello zimmertime:

When Boy Scouting was founded in 1908-1910, boys had to be 12 years old to join. This rule stayed in effect for the next 60 years. Younger boys would hang around the Scout meetings, and wanted to participate. In 1930, the BSA introduced the official Cub Scouting program. The Den was run by a first class Boy Scout. Boys had to be 8 years old to join. The program got off to a rough start, and within a few years the trained Den Mother was introduced to take over the den leadership, and the Boy Scout became a Den Chief helper.

In the 1970's participation in the Scouting program was declining, after many years of successful membership. The program was re-vamped to focus more on "urban" units and to make the program open to younger boys. A boy could join in the second grade, rather than waiting for his 8th birthday, and a sixth grader or 11 year old boys could join Boy Scouts rather than waiting for his 12th birthday.

Membership dropped more, so a new program called "Tiger" cubs was introduced in the 1980s to make the program accessible to younger boys in the first grade, and boys could join Boy Scouts at 10 & 1/2 years.

To be honest, it is very difficult to get first grade boys to do much of anything, so going younger would be hard on the boy and the leader. Girls, as a general rule, tend to be more calm at a younger age, and have a desire to be with a group and to socialize. Boys want to run, wrestle, tumble, play ball, and yell and scream. From my daughter's brownie meeting last week, it seems that girls also want to run, wrestle, tumble, play ball, and yell and scream, but it is easier to get them to calm down and participate in the meeting afterwards.

Keep on Scoutin'

Answer 2

Boy Scouts have Tiger Scouts that start in kindergarten.

Answer 3

Boy scouts used to start earlier with Tiger cubs, but they got rid of that a few years back so now they just start as bobcats scouts in the first grade.

Answer 4

yep that y. its very fun to get in sc.

Answer 5

girl scouts used to start later then they invented the part where they are daisys. Used to be brownies was the first step. Boys start out at cub scouts I believe. Call your local boy scout office.

Answer 6

In kindergarten they are called Daisy girl scouts. It's a great program. I don't know the real answer but I have a guess. Girls are calmer and more mature then boys are.

Answer 7

cuz girls arent as loud or active as boys

Answer 8

Maturity.

Answer 9

Different organizations started for different reasons - boys usually start cub scouts at 8 years old, the original was 11-18 years, but younger boys wanted to participate.

Girls scouts was started after, because girls weren't allowed into boy scouts, and they decided to start at school age instead of 8.

Answer 10

First of all, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are completely separate organizations.  They have nothing at all to do with one another, and have completely different requirements and goals.   Boys are in Cub Scouts until they are in 5th grade, at which time they become Boy Scouts.  They start in 1st grade, as Tiger Cubs.  They Cub Scout organization deems that at 1st grade, boys can have certain expectations that are reasonable to expect of them, and that they are old enough to understand that they have to EARN their beads to make ranks, rather than just getting them for showing up.

Girl Scouts used to begin at 1st grade as well, with Brownies.    The girl scout program has had dwindling membership for years and years, with 95% of girls starting as Brownies, and over 70% of those girls quitting scouts by the age of 12.  They wanted a program to teach younger girls about scouts, in hopes to keep them interested longer.  They started Daisys, which was originally for Pre K and Kindergarten in an effort to aquaint girls and their parents with the basic principles of girl scouts.  Pre K was quickly dropped, mostly because most people didn't even know about the program, but also because since Daisys aren't allowed to sell cookies, they have no means to raise funds, and too much of the financial burden is placed on the parents.  Girl scouts is now doing yet another restructuring which with put Kindergarten and 1st graders in Daisys (and I believe they are going to start allowing them to sell cookies too).  This will make more sense, because most of the Brownie requirements are geared toward girls who can read and do basic math.

Answer 11

No idea...my thought is maturity reasons. In anycase the Daisy Girl Scouts is a great way for girls to get a foundation for what Girl Scouts is all about.

Answer 12

Tiger scouts start in first grade. I have to say that after going through tigers with my son I wouldn't have started him any sooner, even if we were able to.  He and the other boys had enough trouble sitting still and focusing as it was.