Cub Scouts Pack 248 is embracing the decision made by the Boy Scouts of America to drop the word 'boy' from its name.
The Boy Scouts will now be called Scouts BSA. The change comes less than a year since the organization began allowing girls to join.
Chris Collins, leader of Pack 248, is in favor of the changes being made to make the group more inclusive. He said his pack is one of three in the district that accepts girls through the Early Adopter Program.
"The mission statement talks about young people, not young men, not young boys. So the goal has really always been there," Chris said. "Girls are just as capable of the boys and that's really what a lot of us believe."
His son, Mikey, has already been in the Cub Scouts for a few years and now his little sister Brianna is able to adventure alongside him.
"I like earning awards and I like going camping and having fun," Brianna said.
Mikey has the exact same mentality and enjoys spending more time with his sibling.
"I don't just get to learn all the stuff, my sister gets to do it also," Mikey said. "She gets to learn it too and it's epic because we can talk to each other about it."
Their mother, Amber Collins, is also the den leader for Pack 248. She's happy that they can all participate in the Cub Scouts together.
"We get to do it as a family now," Amber said. "I mean, she was already excited about camping every time that we'd go so she was so used to the program. She was finally like 'okay what can I do to get this badge now.'"
There are now four girls in Cub Scout Pack 248 and Chris is hoping even more join in the coming months.
"We carry around business cards that talk about joining Cub Scouts," Chris said. "We just hand them out to people and let them know this isn't just for boys anymore. Girls can get dirty too and sometimes they do it better than the boys."
Boy Scouts of America said more than 3,000 girls are participating in Cub Scouts ahead of the full launch later this year.
Shortly after the decision to accept girls was made, the Girl Scouts of the USA defended the importance of an all-girl, girl-led and girl-friendly environment.
If you have a son or daughter interested in becoming a Cub Scout Pack 248, you can email Chris Collins at cubscouts248@gmail.com.
Copyright 2018 KXXV. All rights reserved.
