Fort Thomas Cub Scout Pack First Co-ed Group in Kentucky

The face of cub scouting may look a little different at one Fort Thomas, Kentucky Pack this Spring. Cub Scout Pack 437, chartered out of the Campbell County Family YMCA, is the first Cub Scout pack in Kentucky to offer cub scouts as an option to local girls as well as boys.

Cub scouting, which originally only allowed boys in grades one through five, expanded their program last year to allow Kindergarten boys. A recent ruling by the National Boy Scout Council, expanded the program to allow female scouts at the Cub Scout level in 2018 and in troops beginning in February 2019.

The Committee of Boy Scout Troop 437, Venturing Crew 437 and the YMCA, saw this move as a call to action and Pack 437 was formed.  When there was an opportunity to apply to the council and allow girls into the Pack early, they jumped at the chance.

"Siblings have attended scout meetings and participated alongside their brothers by tagging along in the past with many local packs," said Michelle Hathorn, Cub Master and Scout Master. "This enables those youth to be recognized for their work in the pack and have the same opportunities to enjoy the Cub Scout program."

Cub Scout Pack 437 has enrolled three girls and nine boys into the Pack at their first meeting and are still enrolling scouts.

The Pack was informed last month they were the first to enroll girls in the state. History was made.

Deb Sheldon and her dog, Beans, show off their sign. Paid for by Friends of Lloyd Rogers. LloydRogersforCommissioner.com. This is an advertisement. 

"The scouts are loving the things we have planned. They love the outdoors and the fact that we incorporate STEM into scouting," said Melissa Burke, Den Leader and Venturing Crew Advisor. "We have planned blast cars, camping outings and archery in addition to the traditional scouting program. They are looking forward to it."

While female scouts are new for the Cub Scout and Troop levels within the Boy Scouts of America, female scouts are not new to the program. Venturing Crews and Sea Scout Ships, for ages 14-20, have been co-ed since 1998.  Venturing Crew 437 is no exception and Troop 437 will incorporate female scouts in a parallel Troop as soon as registration is open.

The Boys Scouts of America is comprised of more than 1.27 million volunteers working together for the sole purpose of helping its more than 3 million youth succeed in life.

For more information on Cub Scout Pack 437, Troop 437 or Venturing Crew 437 contact kyscouts437@gmail.com or go to beascout.org.