If you think girls wouldn’t want to be part of the Cub Scouts, you probably aren’t aware of all the fun stuff they get to do.
"You get to go to parks, you get to ride your bike, you get to pet a bug," exclaims one young girl about why she loves being a Cub Scout.
And now, thanks to a historic change, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the country's oldest ongoing youth programs, is giving girls the chance to get in on these awesome adventure-filled activities that build character and leadership skills.
All photos via Cub Scouts/Upworthy.
In October 2017, the 108-year-old organization announced it would officially open the doors to girls in the Cub Scouting program for the first time ever. And in January 2018, the very first girl Cub Scouts (kids in kindergarten through 5th grade) took their pledge to join and recited the same Scout Law: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”
To date, there are more than 32,000 girls registered in Cub Scout packs all across the country.
In order to keep that momentum up, BSA launched "Scout Me In," a campaign to recruit more young girls and boys into the Cub Scouts.
BSA wants parents and kids to know that all boys and girls, no matter their gender, will be welcomed into the Scouting program. They’ll be given equal opportunity to participate in the same activities, learn the same skills, and vie for the same badges and levels of distinction, like the coveted Eagle Scout rank.
There will be times where boys and girls will be together, and other times they’ll work as dens of all girls or dens of all boys so that they can benefit from both dynamics.
All Cub Scouts get to do things like hike, learn emergency preparedness skills, play games, and give back to the community through service projects, just to name a few. It's no surprise that girls would want to get in on the fun.
And the boy Cub Scouts are excited to welcome the girls.
"I think girls are going to enjoy being in the Cub Scouts, because I think it's fun for everybody. Not just boys," said one boy.
In a time when women are fighting to get the same treatment and respect as men in the workplace, it's comforting to see younger generations being given a much more even playing field. Together, this new group of Scouts will help build a better, brighter future.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."