The Chicago Tribune/AP has a new article up titled: With girls joining the ranks, Boy Scouts plan a name change. Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh explains that moving forward there won’t be “girl” scouts and “boy” scouts, just scouts:

Surbaugh predicted that both boys and girls in Scouts BSA would refer to themselves simply as scouts, rather than adding “boy” or “girl.”

But in the very next paragraph, the article explains that boys and girls will be separated in order to advantage the girls.

The program for the older boys and girls will largely be divided along gender-lines, with single-sex units pursuing the same types of activities, earning the same array of merit badges and potentially having the same pathway to the coveted Eagle Scout award. Surbaugh said that having separate units for boys and girls should alleviate concerns that girls joining the BSA for the first time might be at a disadvantage in seeking leadership opportunities.

The Girl Scouts aren’t taking the BSA intrusion into their territory lying down; they are counterattacking with the power of STEM:

Girl Scout leaders said they were blindsided by the move, and they are gearing up an aggressive campaign to recruit and retain girls as members. Among the initiatives is creation of numerous new badges that girls can earn, focusing on outdoor activities and on science, engineering, technology and math.

H/T Instapundit