Well, yes! But surely it should be an international organization called simply The Scouts?

If that isn’t going to be the case, then continue to be sexist (!) but allow both sexes to join!

If they then wish to have a male football team or a male hockey team, then fair enough, but offer female equivalents at the same time.

That way, you’re catering to every child under one banner. They can work and play together or, in certain activities (such as those I’ve mentioned), they can split. Girls and boys do better when together, and it means that we don’t need two of everything (two ‘scout huts’ as they call them in the U.K., two organized field trips, etc.) – which will save money.

No-one need be worried about the girls not getting a fair share of things (or of the girls being at the mercy of the boys if on holiday together) because the masters and mistresses who would have run the individual organizations will now be together taking charge of the joint one.

So are there any downsides?

Not that I can think of. Not only will it permit the girls to do more than the ‘traditional’ female occupations undertaken in the Girl Guides or Girl Scouts, but it will permit (or, hopefully, force) the boys to learn cookery (always a useful task) and many other things besides.

I can’t imagine that even the least progressive man would want his son to learn ONLY macho sports and none of the things which will help him in his daily life.      

Most importantly it would show both genders that life exists of girls and boys – men and women – working and playing together, not one sex cooking while the other sex plays baseball, not one looking after children while the other eats and drinks.    

Girls don’t only need female rôle models doing active and passive things, they need male rôle models too – if we are ever to break through to become leaders in every occupation and pastime. A united Scout organization would ensure that both gender kids get both gender Scout leaders to follow (or ignore, as they wish), and that all Scout leaders become familiar with the wants and desires of all teens.   

If we are ever to gain some form of equality in the world we need to ensure that children and teenagers see it as normal to do the same things, regardless of gender.