Why did Boy Scouts let girls in?

Technically "The Boy Scouts" [as in Boy Scouts of America] have not let girls in. Girls cannot be Boy Scouts and they cannot earn ranks such as Eagle Scout.

Venturing is a coed older program of the Boy Scouts of America. While it officially started in 1998, it split of from Exploring, keeping the traditional Scouting areas of Outdoors, Sea Scouts, Hobbies, Sports, and Religious in Venturing.

Sea Scouts is the second oldest program in the BSA, starting in 1912, and falls under Venturing. See the Related Link below.

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The above is true for Boy Scouts of America, however, around the world, the trend has been toward co-educational scouting programs since 1970. In the United Kingdom, the Scout Association has been co-educational at all levels since 1991.

As to why, the World Organization of the Scouting Movement says that since mixed gender relationships are becoming socially acceptable, especially in school and professional life, Scouting has a role to play in helping young people prepare for that mixed social environment and are encouraging National Scout Associations to use a co-educational approach.

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