The Boy Scouts of America announced Wednesday that the organization will begin to accept girls into their program.
After a unanimous vote by its board of directors, girls will be allowed to join as Cub Scouts and earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
The move comes after a recent history of progressive moves. The BSA opened its doors to openly gay scouts in 2013, openly gay scout leaders in 2015 and transgender boys in 2017.
"We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children," BSA Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh said in a statement.
While the inclusive move may be exciting for girls, it has left another organization unhappy.
The national president of the Girl Scouts accused the Boy Scouts of America of a “covert campaign to recruit girls,” as a way to boost flagging membership, in a letter published by BuzzFeed News in August.
“We are confused as to why, rather than working to appeal to the 90 percent of boys who are not involved in BSA programs, you would choose to target girls," Girl Scouts National President Kathy Hopinkah Hannan wrote in the letter sent to the Boy Scouts national president.
