Webelo to Arrow of Light

One of the first Cub Scout packs in the country to register girls in the program, the Bigfork pack 4923 launched two of the eight girls in the pack into the final stretch of their journey to becoming Boy Scouts in an advancement ceremony last month.

Gabrielle Thorsen, 11, and Sasha Jepson, 10, handed in their Webelo kerchiefs and stepped forward to begin working toward completing the requirements for Arrow of Light.

Pack 4923 was the first in the state of Montana to register girls as part of the new Family Scouting initiative, which the recently renamed Scouting BSA national organization will officially launch this month.

According to den leader Keri Barr of Bigfork, their pack was one of a handful selected nationwide to launch the initiative early because they already showed a high level of family orientation, with several scouts’ sisters attending regular meetings before plans for the new initiative were even announced.

Montana’s first eight female Cub Scouts registered in February of this year, giving them the distinction of some of the first girls to advance in scout rank in the country.

Thorsen, who began as a Girl Scout and remains active in the program, said she wanted to join the Cub Scouts because of the opportunities it offered that the Girl Scouts lacked.

“Now I feel like I can do more and learn more things,” Thorsen said. “Especially since my family does more of the outdoor activities.”

Montana Council Commissioner Gary Ely has 46 years in the scouting program under his belt and said it was about time that the family oriented program opened its doors to all members of the family.

“Scouting was founded on moral development, physical fitness and citizen development. Frankly, you tell me between the sexes who should have more right to that,” Ely said. “It’s not just that we’re accommodating families. We are. It’s not just that we’re bringing up membership. We are. But that doesn’t change that it’s the right thing to do.”

Thorsen said that while she has enjoyed and learned from the Girl Scouts, she feels that through the Cub Scouts, she is gaining the skills and participating in more of the activities that her family enjoys together.

Her father, Eric Thorsen, gained his Eagle Scout status 17 years ago and said he was glad to see his daughter join the scouts as well.

“It’s totally awesome,” he said. “Now I can share with her the things that I learned when I was in scouts.”

Despite the change that will allow girls to enter the program, Ely said that all Cub Scouts are held to the same standard.

“The program is the program,” Ely said. “We don’t have a bench. Everybody plays.”

Before achieving Arrow of Light rank, all scouts must complete the four required adventures and three elective adventures.

Both Thorsen and Jepson expressed their excitement at moving forward, anticipating the day when they get to join first the Boy Scouts and then, some day, achieve the rank of Eagle Scouts.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.