Around
the time of World War I, two organizations set out to mold young
Americans into resourceful and virtuous future leaders, instilling in
them the admirable traits of citizenship, loyalty and courage. Members
of both groups wore uniforms, explored the wilderness and swore to
uphold their values.
There was one major difference: The
Boy Scouts admitted young men, and the
Girl Scouts let in young women — a fundamental distinction still largely true a century later.
But
in a blistering letter this week, the president of Girl Scouts of the
U.S.A. accused Boy Scouts of America of trying to undercut the
organization through a “covert campaign to recruit girls.” The letter
became public on Tuesday, laying bare an exceptional and surprising
fissure in what had been an amicable relationship between two ubiquitous
organizations.
“I
formally request that your organization stay focused on serving the 90
percent of American boys not currently participating in Boy Scouts,”
Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, the president of the Girl Scouts, wrote to her
counterpart, Randall Stephenson of the Boy Scouts.
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