INDIANAPOLIS - The Cub Scouts opened their doors to girls at the beginning of the year and hundreds of them have taken the opportunity to join a pack.
So far, 670 girls have joined the Cub Scouts across central Indiana - including Mackinleigh, who joined with her brother, Sean.
Mackinleigh’s parents say before she was able to officially join, their daughter was sort of an honorary pack member following her older brother Sean.
“She has always tagged along with everything, so she has learned the same things that her brother has,” said Jamie and Brian McGarth. “It’s just now she gets recognized for the things and she earns patches, which gives her more excitement.”
Mackinleigh did express interested in joining the Girl Scouts, but her parents say they decided the Cub Scouts would be best because of the different skills she would learn and things she would be able to do.
“They do learn different things. I personally was on the level of Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts learn survival skills. I was more wanting my kids to learn survival skills and that’s what she learns with Boy Scouts,” said the McGarths.
Another positive for their family is that Mackinleigh and her brother are in the same pack, although they are part of different dens. This allows their family to have more time together without rushing around town to catch different meetings.
“It’s been nice having her by my side,” said Sean.
More than 50,000 girls have signed up for Cub Scouts nationally. In central Indiana, more than 80 percent of Cub Scout packs have agreed to allow girls in. Starting in February, the scouts will open up their program for older young men to young women as well.
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