Pr. Jae said:
That girls were also to Be permette to Be scouts. Gavent Heard yet That boys Can Be Guides. The Old double standard.
If Scouting and Guiding were equal the double standard criticism would be warranted.
Scouting and Guiding are not equal so the double standard criticism is a red herring. There are similarities certainly but the programming has historically been different.
The emphasis for inclusion in the scouting movement (as far as Canada is concerned) originates in the fact that the oldest age groups (Rovers and Venturers were co-ed). While Scouts Canada went co-ed across the board in 1998 Rovers and Venturers were co-ed about 20 years earlier. It wasn't commonplace but I remember it fairly well.
My Crew was a great bunch of guys. We had been friends since Cubs, swimming up together time after time. Typical teenage guys. When in uniform a credit to scouting and when out of uniform typical, teenage, guys. I remember belching contests in Algonquin Park, the good-natured ribbing, the nick-names. Pretty mild stuff but also not the kind of thing one would do in front of a girl for some reason. Probably some hormonal reason. Sometimes being a typical teen is just awkward.
I still remember my buddy Walt at our first flag football game with a nominally co-ed Crew (they had one). As we lined up to scrimmage Walt bellows out, "Don't let Johnny cover their girl she'll have him wrapped around her finger before we count steamboats." I blushed and then noticed their girl smirking my way, "You must be Johnny" then the ball was snapped and she blew by me like a gazelle, took the pass and ran the field for a touchdown. I was still blushing at the line of scrimmage as Walt crowed, "See! See! absolutely useless anywhere near a girl."
It was a very long afternoon of getting it from both sides.
I never got her name and I hope she forgot mine.
