Females were allowed to join Scouts BSA in 2018, and all seemed like it would be good. We saw strives with Female Scouts earning their Eagle Award, holding leadership positions, and getting to experience all the perks of Scouts BSA, such as joining the OA. However, now females are being told they cannot be involved in NYLT as in years past. 

Per the 2021 NYLT Syllabus, no co-ed patrols will be allowed, and there must be a separate troop designated for the girls. The example from the syllabus states on page 13 under the Troop Leadership Requirement section that: "an NYLT course with 34 male participants and 6 female participants will be conducted as two linked troops. If you have a smaller number of female participants, you may have a troop of 2 girls on your course with their own Scoutmaster and assistant Scoutmaster. Every effort shall be made to recruit female troop guides who would be assigned to the female patrols within that troop. Consideration shall be given to selecting a female senior patrol leader for the troop, as well."

This requirement allows for the exclusion of females to happen again after Scouts BSA released a new diversity and inclusion badge. How can we be inclusive if we exclude females from being in the same patrol and troop with boys? How can we be inclusive if a troop will be made specifically for females and could be as small as two participants? How can we ensure that there is inclusive learning when the staff will be comprised of separate members. How can Scouts BSA continue to say they want females involved and allow a leadership course to be segregated. 

For larger councils, this might be a doable task, but for smaller councils, this will kill them. It is hard enough to get females to participate in a male-dominated course, let alone get them to return to staff and move up to be Senior Leadership. Female participants and staffers add diversity to the team; they bring experiences and knowledge. Females are needed at NYLT in the same patrol and same troop, just as it has always been. 

National, we urge you to reconsider this decision. Stop excluding females from Scout activities. Scouts BSA has come so far; why are we going backward again.