JACKSONVILLE — The Arboretum is the Young family's favorite place to hike, explore and observe wildlife. Most importantly, it's good for them to get out here and bond as a family.
It doesn't matter what Mary and Gavin Young are doing in Scouts, whether its hiking, archery or competing in the Pinewood Derby.
"I pretty much like everything in scouting," Mary said.
Seven-year-old Mary wanted to be like her 9-year-old brother Gavin.
Candice Young says her little girl decided to leave the Girl Scouts and join the Boy Scouts.
"It was incredibly important for us to be together as a family and do something together as a family, to spend our weekends together, to go on adventures together, that was incredibly important to all of us," Young said.
The decision to let girls into Boy Scouts worked for the family's busy schedule.
Boy Scouts North Florida Council CEO Jack Sears says they “are proud to make our scouting programs available to both boys and girls.”
More than 80 Cub Scout Pack’s in North Florida have signaled an interest in welcoming girls, according to Sears.
Sears says through the end of September, 504 girls have joined a den in one of those packs.
Young knows this is a major achievement for her daughter and daughters across the country.
"To see this little one grow up and get the recognition she has craved, to be able to wear the uniform and earn the loops she participated in long before, it's a very proud moment,” Young said.
The Girl Scouts are disappointed with Boy Scouts’ decision to let girls in, according to the Girl Scouts of Gateway Council CEO Mary Anne Jacobs.
Jacobs wrote in a statement, this competitor can’t meet today’s girls' needs in the modern world they live in.
Jacobs says that Girl Scouts will focus on moving forward at the pace of girls.