It is 2017 and the world is advancing rapidly. As society moves forward in our understanding of one another, new issues arise that we have never encountered before. One such issue is the debate about genders and the divisions between them.The Boy Scouts recently announced they will begin accepting girls as members in order to make opportunities presented by the organization available to girls as well as boys. This has caused some turmoil and confusion: after more than a century, why make such a drastic change? The way we see it, the pros outweigh the cons.One of the advantages of the merge is the stress it will take off parents. They will be able to enroll their children in one organization instead of two, making transportation and communication much simpler. Plus, allowing girls to join will boost their confidence and help integrate children into a multi-gender, multi-cultural society.In his book, Child Development: Principles and Perspectives, J.L. Cook states that separation of gender can be detrimental to child development. As they age, children inherit ideas about themselves and their peers based on what they are exposed to at an early age. Separating Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts only feeds stereotypes about gender roles and behaviors, causing children to believe that they have to follow these roles in order to fit into society. By allowing girls to join the Boy Scouts, the switch is benefiting all children by promoting gender equality and the “girls can do anything boys can do” mentality.In addition to the mental benefits, the switch will also provide girls across America with skills they can use later in life. One of the biggest differences between the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts is the values prioritized. The Boy Scouts focus more on building character and developing physical fitness, while the Girl Scouts focus on leadership and confidence-building. Through this new change, the girls that join the Boy Scouts will have the opportunity to partake in different activities and lessons that they wouldn't in the Girl Scouts. Soon, they will have the best of both worlds, and they can learn more skills that will better suit them later in life.This change in such a well-known organization is the indicator of more good things to come; our world is making progress in tolerance and equality. By adapting to this new standard, the Boy Scouts are opening up many opportunities for girls and boys, all while boosting a sense of confidence in young women.It is crucial for organizations to conform to fit the times, and the Boy Scouts are a great example of this open-mindedness. We believe that changes like this will raise up our youth to build a better, stronger, more unified America, and we hope to see more change to come.

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