Scouting for all
Supergirls
No longer is any activity the rightful preserve of either gender
off on some training. To everyone’s surprise, she ended up doing a weekend’s shooting course and is now qualified to teach the Scouts air rifles. Not only did she enjoy learning a skill not stereotypically associated with women, she came third in the competition at the end of the course, beating someone who’d been in the Territorial Army.’ He adds: ‘It’s important that girls and women in Scouting are given the opportunity to take part in all activities, not just those traditionally associated with women, so they can fulfil their potential. It’s exactly why I’d encourage the boys to do the cooking and washingup. Everyone deserves the full experience. They’re all Scouts, after all.’
Not a boys’ club At an Explorer Scout meeting in Blackburn, the girls and boys are working together cooking global cuisine on gas stoves. ‘We like that everyone’s treated the same,’ says Halie. ‘We don’t think of it as a boys’ club that we’re invading. Everyone’s equal here.’ The boys certainly seem to like having the girls around and are extremely comfortable in their company, falling over themselves to be photographed together. I’m not sure this is the case everywhere, particularly among the younger age groupings, but it occurs to me that exposure to both sexes at an early age in the informal setting of Cub camp or a Beaver nature walk could play a positive developmental role.
‘We don’t think of it as a boys’ club that we’re invading. Everyone’s equal here’
Read more about Lucie Jones in our Facebook interview with her, and see the special interview with Bonita Norris on page 42. Find out more about Scouting for All at www.scouts.org.uk/scoutingforall
Among girls, growing up in Scouts is a helpful influence in deciding what sort of women they will be as adults. ‘I see myself as a normal teenage girl with tomboyish traits,’ says Rachel, an Explorer Scout in Eddie’s Ayers Xtreme Unit. ‘Sometimes I feel like making an effort and dolling myself up, but often I’m not bothered about the way I look at Scouts. You can say that Scouting attracts both tomboys and girly girls, but many girls are both.’
Scouting for all She’s right, of course, and Scouting is at its strongest when it’s appealing to everyone. Paulina Sekrecka works for The Scout Association on projects that build on Scouting’s inclusive mission, and is keen to promote the benefits of Scouting to girls who wouldn’t naturally assume it’s for them. ‘There are already 66,000 girls in Scouting, with all sorts of personalities and needs. Girls shouldn’t miss out because we assume some of them don’t want to join – they already have.’ For Paulina, it’s about delivering Scouting for all: ‘We want Scouting that reflects local communities. A mixed environment allows boys and girls to learn about each other, and about themselves. There may be girls who think Scouting is all about rock climbing and hiking; let them know that we have 200 activities including cooking and performing. Scouting is too good to leave anyone out of it.’ With positive role models like Bonita Norris and Lucie Jones for girl Scouts to look up to, we can offer an inclusive welcome to all girls in all sections, and not worry too much about labels. In fact, the way I see it, even the girliest girls would enjoy the thrill of a zipwire, so what’s stopping them? If it’s only our attitudes, these can easily be changed. www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
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