Frankfort Square Boy Scouts Opens Troop For Girls

FRANKFORT SQUARE — One of the first Boy Scouts troops to accept girls in Chicago’s southwest suburbs is looking teens and preteens to join its new unit. Frankfort Square will debut Scouts BSA Girls Troop 732 in February.

Girls ages 11 to 17 are welcome to join. Four have signed up so far, said Earl Bonovich, one of the adult volunteers founding the group.

“This is an opportunity for girls to take part in this leadership program,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for them to experience something that hasn’t been offered to them before in this manner.”

Leaders are looking to open with at least 10 youth. They’re optimistic they’ll hit that target, Bonovich said — nearby, established all-boy troops draw dozens of scouts. Troop 237, where Bonovich is a Scoutmaster, will enroll about 65 boys by next month, he said.

Those who sign up will have opportunities to earn badges from the start, Bonovich said. Spring and summer camping trips already are planned.

In May 2018, the Boy Scouts, which accepts youth ages 11 to 17, announced it would begin accepting girls in February 2019 and will change its name to Scouts BSA . Its umbrella organization, Boy Scouts of America, is keeping its name. As part of this change, all units will be single-gender — all boy or all girl — and at least one adult leader be female. Troop 732 will be an all-girl troop. It was the latest change to the century-old organization’s gender-based membership requirements.

In 2013, Boy Scouts of America permitted openly gay members. In 2015, it permitted gay scout leaders. By 2017, it accepted transgender members. And last year, the Cub Scouts, which accepts youth ages 5 to 10, began creating packs for girls only. More than 76,000 girls have since joined, an organization’s spokeswoman said.

At least nine Cub Scouts packs in the south suburbs offer dens for girls. Frankfort Square is among the first in the area to open an all-girls Scouts BSA troop.

An information session about Troop 732 will be held at 7 p.m., Jan. 22 at the Frankfort Square Park District at 540 W. Braemar Lane. Visit the troop’s Facebook page or email Earl Bonovich at earl.bonovich@troop237bsa.org for more information.

Photos via Boy Scouts of America and Dave Geekie.