They hike for miles in the woods carrying heavy packs, use axes and knives, camp without tents, and sleep on the deck of a sailboat. These are the adventures that girls in Scouting America are enjoying right here in Southwest Florida.
Ever since the organization formerly known as Boy Scouts of America officially allowed girls to join its core programs in 2019, girls have been embarking on the same adventures as boys. They are also earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.
Girls in Scouting America by the Numbers
About 20.7% of the Scouts in the Southwest Florida Council, which covers seven counties from Manatee to Collier, are girls. Nationwide, over 176,000 of Scouting America’s more than one million members are girls.
Girls in grades K-5 are Cub Scouts, while girls ages 11-17 are in Scouts BSA. Some troops are coed, while others are single gender. Either way, girls in Scouting America complete identical rank requirements, service projects, and leadership milestones.
The First Girl in a Collier County Troop
Genevieve Blitch, 14, was the first girl in Collier County to join a troop. She signed up as soon as girls were allowed, when she was just six years old.
She loves the rugged adventures her troop embarks on. Genevieve’s favorite was a trip to New Mexico, where her troop took long hikes in very rural conditions.
“We had to scare off bears,” she said. “We got lost a bit and walked nine more miles than planned.”
She also loved a recent trip to the Florida Keys.
“We got to paddle seven miles out to an island. We went fishing for lobsters and caught 13,” she said. “We stayed on an island that had no permanent structures.”
Next up is a winter trip to Minnesota, where her troop will camp without tents on a frozen lake.
“We are going to sleep on the ice and go ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and dog sledding,” she said.
Life in a High Adventure Troop
Her father, Andrew Blitch, said Troop 2001 is perfect for his daughter.
“We are a high adventure troop,” he said. “We are always out hiking, snorkeling, and staying on a private island with no facilities. It is because of things like that that she wanted to join a troop.”
Other girls in Troop 2001 feel the same way. Macy Van Wart, 17, has been in Scouting America since she was nine years old. Now a high school senior, she is just finishing her Eagle Scout project.
“My family is a huge scouting family,” Macy said. “My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were Scouts, and I was already a Scout because I had been to my brother’s scouting events. My brother was my role model so doing the things he could do was a great opportunity.”
Macy said it has helped her learn and grow.
“I love how it challenges me,” she said. “It doesn’t let me stay in my comfort zone. It forces me to take the next step and have an adventure. I attribute a lot of my leadership skills to this.”
Imogene Simon, 11, recently moved up to Scouts BSA from Cub Scouts and is excited about the things she gets to do now.
“Boys get to do more dangerous, exciting things,” she said when asked why she chose Scouting America. “For the knife badge they teach you how to use an axe, hatchet, saw, and pocket knives. It is my favorite badge. Mountaineering was also fun because we are always in the woods and I love being in the woods.”
Abi Nye-Schmtz, 13, is in both Scouting America and Girl Scouts.
“I like them both the same. Each one has its perks,” Abi said. “In Girl Scouts you learn more about sisterhood and friendship, and [Scouting America] is more camping and learning different skills. There are more high adventures.”
A Family Affair in a Naples Coed Troop
Troop 2 in Naples is coed, with three of its 12 members being girls. One of those girls is Iris Schneider, 13. She is also a Girl Scout and plans to earn both her Girl Scout Gold Award and Eagle Scout rank.
“I sell both cookies and popcorn,” she said.
Iris’s younger brother is in her troop and her sister is a Cub Scout. Parents say having a coed troop makes it easier for families to do things together.
“You are limited in getting your daughter to her extracurriculars and your son to his. This, they can do together and when they go camping it can be a family thing,” said Shelby Finger, a committee chairperson in SWFL. Committee members are troop administrative volunteers.
Charlie Scholten, a committee member, says safety is a top priority. Female leaders are always with the girls. During camping trips, the girls’ and boys’ tents are on different sides of the camping area.
“It is good that families can now join together,” Scholten said. “We were the first ones in Collier County to integrate.”
“When I was a Scout 20 years ago, I thought that it was a little absurd that girls were not allowed to participate,” said troop leader Kris Knudson. “The best thing about it is knowing that the families can stay together, and it ensures a level of participation among parents that you can’t really demand if you are splitting up their family.”
“A Whole World Out There”
Ariel Schneider, 10, is a Cub Scout who is looking forward to joining her siblings in Scouts BSA.
“I like the fact that we learn knife safety skills and learn how to tie up stuff,” Ariel said. “I also like that we go camping and learn survival skills.”
Miyla Saintervil, 15, is one of the biggest fans of Scouting America.
“My brother had joined first and he got to do really cool stuff so I wanted to join,” Miyla said. “I learned there is a whole world out there and you can go exploring.”
She recently spent a week sleeping on the deck of a boat in the Florida Keys, snorkeling, swimming, cooking, and learning how to sail.
“That is something I would never be able to experience if I wasn’t a Scout. I am very happy that I joined because the experiences are unique,” Miyla said.
The boys in the troop seem comfortable with the coed arrangement.
“It’s fine,” said Eli Nordin, 15. “It’s neither better nor worse. They exist; we exist.”
“It provides more people in the troop,” added Mason Gordon. “It’s about the same just with more people.”
Why Scouting Opened Its Doors to Girls
Charles Vonderheid, CEO of the Southwest Florida Council based in Fort Myers, said the evolution of scouting came slowly, but it was a response to changes in society.
“It was more a reflection of our families,” Vonderheid explained. “We had a lot of younger siblings tag along to scouting events. My daughter, who is 25 now, got dragged along to a lot of events that she could not participate in. Scouting is not on the cutting edge of societal evolution. It is a result of it.”
Visit swflcouncilbsa.org for information about Scouting America in Collier and Lee Counties. You can also learn more about the benefits of scouting for kids of all ages, or find Scouting America programs nationwide at scouting.org.