Troop 12, based out of Paul Smiths, will have an information and interest meeting at Paul Smith’s College on the second floor of the Freer Science Hall on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. to found a sister troop.

“For years we’ve had this great program that covers outdoor skills and leadership,” said Sherry Fieroh, scoutmaster for the proposed girls troop. “I’ve known girls over the years that said they wished they could have done it.”

Calling this initiative “Family Scouting,” BSA cites survey research saying that 90 percent of parents not involved in the program would like a similar program for their daughters.

Fieroh said the new sister troop for girls will do the exact same programs as the boys do.

Boy Scouts pause from making crafts to pose for a group photo at Massawepie Scout Camps’ Pioneer Camp in the town of Piercefield in August 2017. (Enterprise photo — Dana Hatton)

“We do a lot of camping, every month of the year, even in winter — that’s a real skill builder,” she said. “You just don’t see a lot of programs that encourage outdoor activity for girls like rock climbing.”

The Cub Scouts have been accepting girls since June, and according to the BSA, 77,000 girls joined last year. Now, girls 11 to 17 can join and have the option to reach the rank of Eagle Scout.

“If you’re an Eagle Scout,” Fieroh said, “it tells lot about the kind of person you are.”

According to BSA guidelines, girls troops will be separate but will have the option to do activities together with the boys and share adult committees.

“The parents can be as involved as they like,” Fieroh said. “We welcome all. There’s a place for everybody.”

Mike Martin, scoutmaster of the boys Troop 12, said the boys and girls troops will meet on Sunday nights alongside one another and join each other on outings.

“We have enough leaders to make that happen,” Mike said.

Mike’s oldest daughter Sadie, 11, is so far the only girl signed up for the troop, but she said she’s been working to convince her friends to join. The troop will need five girls to get started.

“I’m looking forward to being outdoors more and learning new skills,” Sadie said.

Mike said his other two daughters have expressed interest in joining the troop when they’re old enough as well.

“They’ve already said, ‘Well I’m going to be a Scout, too, right?'” Mike said.

Assistant Scoutmaster Bob Eckert said that globally, the U.S. is an exception in Scouting, as in most countries, both boy and girl Scouts are under the same organization. This is not the case here in the United States, where the two are run by separate nonprofit organizations.

In fact, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the BSA in 2018 when BSA announced its name change.

“The program will be exactly the same — what boys and girls will in access in the program,” Eckert said. “The same level of intense service and learning.”

To find out more about the program, visit the Troop 12 website or call Fieroh at 518-891-0347.

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(Corrections: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Scouts BSA as Scouts USA, and to Girl Scouts of the United States of America as Girl Scouts of America.)