FOLSOM, Calif. — At 16 years old, Katherine Boggs is one of the first girls to join the Scout BSA program within the Golden Empire Council, which covers most of the Greater Sacramento region.
Girls were welcomed into the program Feb. 1, nearly a year after the organization announced it was changing its name from Boys Scouts to Scout BSA to be more inclusive to girls.
"It's not necessarily anything weird or special I would say," Boggs said. "It's just really really cool to be the first people to be able to do that."
Boggs said she was interested in the boy scouts growing up. Her grandfather, father, and brother were all boy scouts.
"I saw my father and brother being able to go out on all these campouts and all these fun different things," Boggs said. "I just want to be part of it."
She joined the Girl Scouts before and tried three different troops, but she couldn't find the right fit. When she joined Scouts BSA a few weeks ago, she said she felt at home.
Boggs said that she's well aware of people's opinions on her decision to join the boy scouts — both the positive and negative comments.
"It's Boy Scouts, and it's kind of in the title," Boggs said. "It's scouting for boys, but, in my opinion, if we can open up that same program that's taught thousands of young boys to become amazing leaders and do these amazing things, why not open it up to the girls, too?"
Currently, there are about 10 troops of girls with the Scout BSA program, and the organization estimates about 120 girls have joined or are in the process of signing up.
"We've been startled by the interest," said Ron Ellis, a Golden Empire Council board member. "It's been amazing. There are young women like Kathy all over our council that are interested."
Boggs has big dreams with the boy scouts and wants to become an Eagle Scout.
"To me, it represents somebody who is a leader, [and] who is very dedicated to the program, because it requires a bunch of volunteer hours," Boggs said.
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