WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- A Girl Scouts official says attempts are under way to modernize the U.S. youth organization in an attempt to stop a decline in enrollment.
Eileen Doyle, the senior vice president of program development for the Girl Scouts, said with enrollment on the decline, Scout officials have begun changing the base activities of the group in order to appeal to modern young women, The Washington Post said Monday.
"We took a step back and asked, 'What do girls need from us right now?'" Doyle said. "There is consistency in our goals throughout our history, but we can maintain that while being fun, edgy and challenging for modern-day girls."
Among the changes being implemented is changing typical troop leaders from mothers to college students and a lessened focus on earning Scout badges.
The youth group is also planning video conferences with international scout groups and embracing modern topics such as environmental awareness, the Post said.
The newspaper said the Girl Scouts makeover follows a similar modernization on the part of the Boy Scouts, which embraced 21st century activities to stem a membership decline.
