Female Webelos proves boys, girls have more in common than you might think

Brianna Brady’s bedroom has pink walls, a flower-print valance and a basket full of Barbies.

“And you want to be a Boy Scout?” the host asks. “How come?”

“Because you get to do stuff with your family,” the 10-year-old replies.

It’s really that simple.

As a Webelos Scout, Brianna gets to enjoy the things she loves with the people she loves.

Now that the Cub Scout program has opened its doors to girls, we’re seeing more and more stories like Brianna’s.

We’re hearing about moms, dads, daughters and sons who are joining Scouting as a family. While dens remain single-gender (made up of all boys or all girls), many Cub Scout packs are choosing to include both boys and girls. This means the entire family can enjoy pack meetings and campouts together.

Brianna’s story gains national attention

By joining Pack 150 of the Patriots’ Path Council in New Jersey, Brianna can experience the program that shaped her dad’s life. Bob Brady is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow — the highest honor in Scouting’s national honor society.

“As a longtime Scout that gained so much from the program, I’m glad that not only our sons, but now our daughters can take advantage,” Bob Brady wrote on Facebook. “In the end, wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone lived by the Scout Oath and Law?”

You can watch Brianna’s story in the latest episode of “More In Common,” a weekly series from ABC that showcases Americans from different backgrounds who come together in unexpected ways. The show airs exclusively on Facebook Watch, the social media site’s platform for original videos.

The episode about Brianna and Pack 150 was filmed during a pack activity held at Camp Somers in Stanhope, N.J. (Side note: This camp looks really cool, and I must visit immediately.)

As of this writing, more than a half-million people have watched the video, which I’ve included at the end of this post.

Boys and girls

The show is called “More In Common,” so what traits do boys and girls share?

“I think [what] boys and girls have in common is they’re both Scouts,” one boy says.

“That’s the new thing boys and girls have in common,” the host adds. “They can all be Scouts.”

You see, the values Cub Scouts memorize in the Scout Oath and Scout Law aren’t gendered. Every young person should be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

While each of the Scout Law’s 12 points is vital to a young person’s development, Brianna places extra emphasis on No. 6: kind.

“Because if you’re not kind to somebody, then they’re not going to want to be your friend,” she says.

That’s the whole point of this “More in Common” series. To illustrate that, especially in these divided times, we could all use a little more kindness.

Watch this

Here’s the video, embedded below.

Before you watch, I did want to clarify one thing. While the video mentions that Brianna is among the first girls to be a Boy Scout, that’s not exactly right.

She’s a Webelos in the Cub Scout program, which is for boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grades. Beginning in February 2019, Brianna (and other boys and girls) can join Scouts BSA — the new name for the program for youth ages 11 to 17.