Why is becoming an Eagle Scout so much more important than getting your Gold Award in Girl Scouting?

Question

I have been thinking about this for a few years. I have always wondered why the news makes such a big deal about a Boy Scout, becoming an Eagle Scout. And you do not hear much at all about a Girl Scout getting her Gold Award. The Gold Award and becoming an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts are equal to each other. So why all the attention to the Boy Scout??? Here is an article in our local news paper that came out this week, about a boy who has not even become an Eagle scout yet: http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2008/07/31/news/local/doc4891205257064714712330.txt

Does anybody know why the difference between the Eagle Scout getting all the attention and a Girl Scout who just put as much work as a Boy Scout getting her Gold award and she gets not much of anything in a news paper, if she is lucky.

Jennifer, Girl Scout 1976-1992

Gold Award Recipient - April 1992

Answer 1

because sadly boys mean more to the world then girls.... lets hope it changes...

Answer 2

Well, I think there are a few reasons.

First, the Girl Scouts has renamed their highest award several times, so off the bat, it's lost some name recognition.  First Class, Curved Bar, Gold Award... people from other generations, who may not remain actively involved in the organization, can easily lose track of what's what.

Speaking of that, many Councils don't make an effort to keep in touch with former Gold Award winners the way Boy Scouts do.  Not only does keeping in touch increase funding and mentoring opportunities, but Eagle Scouts are prone to help each other and make connections as such years later.  I know plenty of former GS, but I couldn't tell you who earned the highest award at the time.  It's just not mentioned.

And I think part of that is another wording issue - It's recognized as a life-long thing, to *become* an Eagle Scout, vs. just being a one time thing - *earning* a Gold Award.  It's funny how one word can make such a difference.  I've often thought it would be nice if GSUSA considered earning the Gold Award to be a rank of its own and convert to calling those girls Gold(en?) Girl Scouts.  "I'm a Gold Girl Scout" vs. "I earned my GS Gold Award."

And that brings me to *another* issue - women, in general, are not as self-promoting as men.  It's not how we're raised, and it's not something that's generally rewarded - especially within peer groups - as we're growing up.  Girls who tell others of their accomplishments are often perceived as "bragging" or "thinking they're all that" or whatever.  So even those who HAVE earned the Gold Award, and *know* what a fantastic accomplishment it is, have a hard time finding a way to bring it up.  

The publicity thing is interesting.  I think in some ways, it's an endless loop issue - since the Gold Award doesn't have the name recognition as the Eagle Scout, it is less likely to catch an editor's eye and be published, so fewer people read about what it actually is, so it has less name recognition, so... and so on.

Also, it seems many Councils, at least the ones I've seen, have a once a year event to recognize that year's Gold Award (and sometimes Silver and Bronze, too) recipients.  So, they send an announcement to the most local newspapers with all the girls listed at once - few editors are going to give up that much space at once to go into depth about the girls' projects, so what the girls actually did doesn't get out there.  Contrast that with the Eagle Scout announcements - they tend to focus on one boy, detail his project, and are sent as soon as the project is completed to the *boy's* local paper, not the Council's (which could be several towns over).  Easier to get press coverage that way!

Answer 3

Wow you know i never realized that. maybe this needs some exposure, Girls work just as hard for there Gold Award , they should get the same Respect.  

Answer 4

You've spent lots of time in Girl Scouts. I was too and my impression was that it really doesn't matter in the eyes of other people. Boys are still "better" I guess. But I think that they are equal in how much work/what kind of recognition one should get for it.