Neighbor News
Elmhurst Exploring Club Girls Headed to Boy Scout Summer Camp
Girls to Attend to Camp Freeland Leslie in July with Troop and Crew
The girls of Exploring Club #1 of Elmhurst are going to Boy Scout summer camp this July along with the boys in their affiliated Boy Scout Troop. Local middle school and high school girls who are interested in joining Boy Scouts in February of 2019, when girls are officially allowed to join Boy Scout Troops, are welcome now to join the Exploring Club or affiliated Venturing Crew unit.
This is a great chance for girls who are interested in the adventures available in Boy Scouts to get a head start.
“I think the best way to get Boy Scout Troops for girls started in Elmhurst is to build on the leadership and success of Exploring Club #1 and build as big a Troop as we can to deliver the full Boy Scout program for the girls,” said John Lothian, Exploring Club Advisor and Venturing Crew Advisor.
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Exploring Club is headed to Camp Freeland Leslie, near Oxford, Wisconsin, the week of July 22 to 28, They will share a campsite with Troop 117 and Venturing Crew 711. All units will use the patrol method with separate patrol sites during the week.
Boy Scouts are expected to officially open the door to girls for Boy Scout Troops in February, 2019. However, the Cub Scout program had an early adopter program that allowed girls to join starting in February of 2018. The official start for Cub Scouts accepting girls is during the 2018-19 program year, which begins in the fall.
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
There is a chance an early adopter program for Boy Scouts could be announced and opened before July, which would allow the Exploring Club #1 girls to register as a new troop and attend summer camp as an official Boy Scout Troop. This would give them a head start on their journey to earn the rank of Eagle.
Girl Troops will be separate from boy Troops, but can share common chartering organizations and adult committees. Each must have its own Scoutmaster. John Lothian, who was recently awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Pathway to Adventure Council, is expected to become the Scoutmaster when Exploring Club #1 converts to a Troop. Lothian formerly served as Scoutmaster of Troop 117 for eight years.
For more information about Exploring Club #1, please contact John Lothian at lothian.john@gmail.com or visit www.elmhurstscouts.org.
