to think that it's unfair their aren't clubs solely for boys anymore?

[notterrysmine]

And if there are - please point them out to me.

My children are girly girls and boy boys. No intention on my part, but that is the way it is.

They adore each other, but their friends are of the same sex, they have chosen to go to same sex schools.

Now my girls have done girl guiding - very much for the girls and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now my son wants to do scouting, and in his particular group there are higher majority of girls and boys, he is not keen on continuing.

Even our boys brigade has girls and boys in it.

Girl guides are girls only with no equality issues - why can't there be boys only clubs?

AIBU?

As I say if there are boys only clubs please point them out to me.

[canyou]

what about this
Our local branch run different nights for boys and girls they meet for duties and competition, it is all good fun, educational and keeps them busy at weekends.

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

I find it interesting that noone has engaged with the point I made below - the reason Scouts started to admit girls was nothing to do with equality but purely to boost its falling rolls. Similarly, it now has many female leaders because those are the people who have chosen to come forward. Without them, Scouting as a movement would no longer exist. Think about it.

[EduStuckintheSnow]

Would just like to point out that Scout Association and Girguiding UK are two separate entities - they might share some history and be very similar in ways, but they are different organisations with different rules.

It isn't a case of 'they' decided there the girls can have their own groups, but the boys had to share, the Scouts decided to let in girls. It had nothing to do with the guides. And they probably weren't very pleased, seeing as it created a rival and all.

[EcoLady]

Another Brownie Guider pitching in...

I wholeheartedly support Guiding being GIRLguiding. Anyone not familiar with our "Girls in the Lead" strapline could read about it here

In my Brownie pack are several naturally very shy girls. They are each growing in confidence in this girls-only space. You can speculate as to why, but that is the fact. If boys were there then some girls simply would not come along.

I ran one evening last term using "Girls in the Lead" as the theme, to emphasis to the girls that they could aim for ANY goal they wanted in life. So much of childhood has gender stereotypes, that boys and girls do set their expectations accordingly. Guiding can change that.

My daughter is a Brownie and loves it. She has been climbing, raft building and abseiling, as well as getting her Craft and Cook badges. It's not all cliches.

My son is a Beaver and, tbh, his activities are far more art-and-craft based than hers have been! Our local Beaver and Cub units are all-male at the moment, with female Leaders. The Scout unit has 2 girls. The Beavers have a new chap as an Assistant Leader who has promised campfires next term.

And to anyone who is judging Guiding on their experience of 20-30 years ago ... do please try to familarise yourself with what we do now! Guiding is an amazing, modern and vibrant organisation which is relevant to today's women and girls.

[MumNWLondon]

DD (age 7) loves brownies. She has 2 brothers, (no sister) and is at a mixed school. Swimming is mixed. (Although ballet do let boys in there have never been any boys in her class). I think its nice for her to have some girly time.

To the OP - I suspect that football club type activities would be all or mostly boys.

[OnthefirsdayofMrsDeVere]

I dont think its particularly wrong to have one sex clubs as long as both sexes get equal opps to do fun things.

But your boys go to single sex schools already. Isnt that enough? Why on earth would they want to segregate themselves further?

I am not trying to be rude, I really dont understand. Could their reluctance be perhaps because they could do with mixing a bit more rather than less?

Do you not worry that if they go to single sex schools and single sex activities they could be at a massive disadvantage when the go to university/start work?

[TiggyD]

From a CAB leaflet about the Equality Act 2010:

"The new law doesn't stop clubs for people who share a protected characteristic- for example women only and men only clubs and social clubs for Turkish people."

Scouts let in girls because they want to not because they're forced. Why not start a club for boys only?

[ChickensAreFlyingUnderTheRadar]

My DS's are in the Cubs/Beavers and both groups have some girl members. It isn't an issue at all. I didn't know that boys couldn't join the Guides though. I also thought that Scouts/Guides were two branches of the same organisation

[bruffin]

YANBU
Saying that my DD has been a cub and now a scout but was also a rainbow, brownie and guide.
MY DS 15 has been in scouting since beavers. I would not be happy if the girls were allowed to change the scout group and "girlyfy" it.
Scouts was a brilliant way for DS to run off a bit of testosterone on a Friday night. He is not sporty but loved the chance of letting off steam on a Friday night, running on the field,wrestling etc

DDs guide group really wasn't that good, going to camp was ridiculous performance compared to scouts. They were going to the same camp but for guides we had to have a lesson on how to bring their stuff , scouts it's heres what they need, just bring it.

DD was a cub at the same time as a brownie and guide. She wsa invited to be the first girl cub in the whole pack, but guides were not happy and often made remarks to her about it, which I wasn't happy about.
She did not go onto scouts at the time but stayed with guides, eventually got bored and has gone to join the scouts as her BF dad runs the group.

[lisianthus]

YABU I agree with Sirzy and Annielobeseder. They are already at single sex schools- this will give them the chance to see girls as just other people rather than "Girls".

I must say, I am very impressed by the descriptions of the brownie and guide activities I have heard above. When I did brownies, we looked with envy at the cubs (boys only) as they got to do things such as camping and learning how to do campfires and having adventures. We never went outdoors at all and did mimsy "suitable" indoor games for girls, generally involving things like a competition between sixes as to which six could cut out more clothing shapes and peg them on a line. I wasn't allowed to quit, so I spent a lot of time trying to develop illnesses that would arise after school on a Wednesday. I note someone above has already mentioned the hostess badge :)

[KindleTheSky]

"Think on this - us mums of boys only get a couple of rails of clothes to choose from, a wee bit of an aisle of toys - give us at least one thing they can have without the dreaded pink creeping in!"

Please bear this in mind. For those of us with girls who wouldn't want to play with pink toys or wear tulle if it was the last item of clothing on earth there are still very few things to chose from. Lego and Mechano is all geared towards boys with boys on the packaging. They do have pink lego for girls but my girls think it is foul. My girls want to be up a tree or making knots. They want to play football.

[seeker]

I have very mixed feelings about this. My dd is a Scout- in our town we have Guides and Scouts and Sea Scouts. Dd joined Sea Scouts becausebif the water sports- if would definitely have been unfair if only boys had had access to the lake and the canoes. When she joined there were only a few girls but now, 5 years later it's 50/50 and the majoritybof patrol leaders are girls. It's still very physically focussed but has definitely been "girlified", which is a shame. At the same time I'm glad that guides remains girls only because there are a lot of girls who would nit be allowed to join if there were boys there. Difficult.

[WimpleOfTheBallet]

Annie...guides was never watered down when I went...we used to go camping and learn to make fires and tools and we did carving and all sorts of "manly" things.

I think they let girls into Scouts because they do MORE of that kind of stuff....which beg the question why can't boys join Guides to take advntage of the more girly things they get up to which some boys would love.

[WimpleOfTheBallet]

That's right Seeker....I HATE that lego and other toys like that are aimed at boys ...they're mostly sets of things to buid which appeal to boys...and I don't want pink bloody lego either...I want bright colours in sets which appeal to girls....and which are not in the boys section.

[JustAnother]

hasn't it got something to do with the fact that Scouts are a charity, and therefore they were forced to accept both sexes? Brownies are not a charity, so they can choose how they run themselves.

[Lamorna]

I think that it should work both ways. All the boys things are open to girls, but the girls also have the choice of girls only.
I can't see why the girl's clubs can't be open to boys.
Our culture is such that it is cool for girls to do activities that are seen as traditionally male, but frowned on for boys to do activities that are traditionally seen as female. In the way that people would quite happily take their 4 yr old DD out dressed as a cowboy, but might think twice about taking their 4 yr old DS dressed as a bride.
I am glad that I am female with the whole range of choice, males have so many restrictions placed on them and are expected to conform. I wonder if they will get the same freedom one day?

[Sirzy]

Bit even things like girls toys and boys toys are stereotypes we put on children really, most don't care until they start getting told they are playing with the 'wrong' things. Why are toys for young children available in proper colours and then just pink? Why the need to force pink upon girls?

[KindleTheSky]

Yes. I think the girls clubs should be open to boys as well. however, I can imagine a boys reaction if he was asked if he wanted to be a Brownie . It is a shame it doesn't work both ways. It should.

[WimpleOfTheBallet]

I think it may be changing Lamorna but veeeerrry slooowly. At least boys now feel it's ok to do dance and drama type activities...which not so long ago was seen as something for girls only.

[Lamorna]

I think it should work both ways. In the paper this weekend there was an article about a man who had had a career change from doctor to baker. He felt he couldn't do cooking at school as it was for 'girls' and so went down the science route. He is now very happy making biscuits.
Why should a boy feel bad about being the only boy in the class and yet a girl can be 'cool' to be the only girl?
I am quite happy that gilrs should have the full choice but I don't see why men have to be stereotyped. I don't think that a boy would join Brownies ,but that it because of the way society would view it, they may prefer the activities.

[seeker]

There are girls who would have to leave guides and brownies if boys joined. That's why I think they have to stay girls only.

[Lamorna]

You are right about the dance , drama and maybe the change will just take longer and one day a boy will be able to be a Brownie without anyone thinking it worthy of comment.