This week the United States Mint began sales of the 2010 Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollar. Ever since the final designs for the coin were officially unveiled, there have been frequent comments and questions about the female, which appears on the obverse of the coin. Specifically, many have asked: Why is there a girl on the Boy Scouts coin?
The 2010 Boy Scouts Silver Dollar obverse features a Boy Scout, Cub Scout, and female Venturer saluting with the inscription "Continuing the Journey" above and centennial dates "1910" and "2010" to the side. Additional inscriptions "In God We Trust" and "Liberty" appear below.
The Venturing program, which began in 1998, allows both male and female members, aged 14 to 21. According to information from the literature and press releases for the commemorative coin, the inclusion of the female Venturer is intended to reflect the diversity of the nation and the evolution of the Boy Scouts organization.
From the US Mint's website:
This design represents the Boy Scouts of America of today, as the organization has recognized the need to include other programs for younger boys (cub scouts) and older boys and girls (venturers), reflecting the great diversity of our nation. It is a dramatic representation of how the Boy Scouts of America has evolved over the past century to form a strong foundation of leadership, service, and community for all the youth of America.
Officially, Public Law 110-363 requires the design of the Boy Scouts coins to be "emblematic of the 100 years of the largest youth organization in the United States, the Boy Scouts of America." The only required inscriptions are value of the coin, the year "2010", and the words "Liberty", "In God We Trust", "United States of America", and "E Pluribus Unum".
The final design was selected by the United States Treasury Secretary, following consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).
Originally, seventeen different obverse design candidates prepared by the United States Mint, which focused on two distinct themes. Five candidate designs included portraits of three scouts to represent the diversity of the three major divisions of Scouting. The remaining twelve design candidates relate present-day scouts to their 1910 counterparts to represent the continuity of the scouting tradition.
The official recommendations and some the related discussions of the CFA and CCAC are known to the public. The minutes of the CFA meeting also shed some light into the preference of the Boy Scouts of America, which seem to have played a big role in the final selection.
While the CFA was discussing the two different design themes, a representative of the US Mint indicated that the Boy Scouts of America has supported both themes, but after reviewing the design candidates their "top preferences" were designs showing the modern diversity. However, the organization would not make its final recommendation until considering the advice of the CFA and CCAC.
After additional discussion, the CFA Vice-Chairman summarized the CFA's support of a design depicting a scout and adviser on a rock ledge, but noted their concern that the design would not be acceptable compared to diversity themed designs. It seems that it was on this basis that the CFA offered two design recommendations, the scout and adviser on a rock ledge and the design featuring three scouts saluting (Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and female Venturer).
Fewer details are available regarding the specific discussions of the CCAC. They recommended a design depicting a 1910 scout offering a helping hand to a modern scout and commented, "CCAC members appreciated the theme of this motif, which shows the spirit of giving that is so important in scouting, and also admired the effectiveness of its composition and the design’s sense of motion."
The candidate designs recommended by the CFA and CCAC which were not selected are shown below.
Despite the mixed opinions on the design, early indications suggest strong opening sales for the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollars. The maximum authorized mintage for the coins is 350,000, which seems like a small amount when compared to the US Mint's audience of commemorative coin collectors and the potential interest from millions of current and former Boy Scouts, parents, guardians, and others associated with the organization.
On a final note, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America will also get their own silver dollar coin in 2013. A bill authorizing the commemorative coin program was signed into law on October 29, 2009. Design requirements provided by Public Law No. 111-86 state that the design of the coins will be "emblematic of the centennial of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America." It will be a few years before candidate designs for the coin are prepared.
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Why didn’t they just say it was a den mother!?
Before people start crying LIKE GIRLS about a girl being on the coin, someone needs to explain to me how a girl doesn’t belong on the coin!
Just because “boy” is in the name of the organization doesn’t change anything… it would be stupid to exclude girls from this coins and very dishonest!
Take that dose of the facts!
Bob, can you imagine the outcry though if a boy was on a girl scout coin?
Doesn’t make much sense to me to make a commemorative coin that nobody wants to buy. Maybe for a change the committee should consider asking the collectors what they want. Let the Boys have their day. I personally feel that putting a woman on the coin diminish the overall meaning and value of what the coin is really suppose to represent. No disrespect to women, but it’s a guy thing and this coin should have said that it’s ok for a young man to take a place along with other men and not have to play fair and share his manhood with a women. I myself will not buy this coin. I don’t see the point. Was there a reason why we put the presidents and their wives on separate coins? Yes, because it’s called the president dollar. So come on, this coin is called the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin. Unisex is fine, but in this instance I think these boys should have been portrayed as such and honored for who they are on there their own merit. And again no offence what so ever targeted toward women when I say that.
I have no problem with the diversity theme, but I will not buy because the coin lacks artistic merit! Why should you buy something that looks like it came from the pages of More fun with Dick and Jane?
I wonder if they will put a male leader on the girl scout coin in 2013,I have a feeling they will not because that’s not the way the world is geared.
So I suppose that since we must insure “…their concern that the design would not be acceptable compared to diversity themed designs” minorities will be present on 100% of the ommemoratives? What a strange world we live in. I am waiting for a challenge from disabled Scouts asking there token rep is at.
A girl is on the coin, not because she is a Den Mother, but because she is representing the Venturing Program. This program is a part of Boy Scouts. It is for 14 – 20 year olds and is co-ed. The short boy represents Cub Scouts, the tall boy in the back represents Boy Scouts, and the girl represents Venturing. So…it is totally appropriate to have a girl on the coin.
A girl doesn’t belong on a BOY Scout commemorative. It’s BOY Scouts – get it ?? There is a black, a girl and an Asian. Political correctness again forced upon us. Why not a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and an Explorer Scout have at least two being Caucasian MALES? I’m tired of others that push what they think is right for me. There will be a Girl Scout coin issued later; let’s see what the ‘powers’ force down our throats.
I ordered my coins last week and await their arrival.
My daughter is a long-term Girl Scout having just earned her Silver Award. As she was approaching age 14, she couldn’t wait to turn 14 in order to join Venturing and get into Boy Scouts. She wanted more outdoor adventures and boy did she find it. Camping at least one weekend a month and a member of a very active Venturing Crew. This past December, her Venturing Crew went winter camping and the ‘girls’ went on the Mountain Man experience.
My daughter has thrived and really enjoys BSA. I love that she is a wonderful young lady that appreciates the great outdoors. I also love that the coin includes young women.
From a father of an Eagle Scout with two Silver Palms who is also a Vigil Honor member in the Order of the Arrow.
Such anger from a handful of people. Don’t buy the coin if you don’t like it, but they’re plenty of people who do want it and they’re selling like hotcakes. Ethnic minorities are under-represented in scouts compared to Caucasian kids and are the very kids who can benefit immensely from participating in scouts and from developing closer connections to civic life from scouting programs. If I would have had a role in picking the designs for the coins, I’d pick the ones that include images of the people we’d want to recruit *into* the program, to help show that there is a place for them and that they are welcomed.
Why not just put a whole bunch of different ethnic people and genders on the coins for the next ten years dressed in different clothing according to what will be commemorated?
The Cub Scout is asian?
I’m not surprised Tim Geithner would pick this design. His politics and propensity for one-sided political correctness will be even more obvious when the girl scout coin comes out lacking a male figure.
Its just another example of PC run amok. The FIRST figure that should have gone on the coin is a BOY SCOUT. If you want to honor the original and longest tradition of the scouting program show what the prigram was about – young men who are mturing through experience of the scout program. I assure you that you will not see any men crying the blues when only females appear on the upcoming girl scout commemorative coin.
There is a girl in the group to commemorate Venture Scouting a group for boys and girls 14 – 21.
I myself am a venture Scout And am glad that they include us on the coin. While the venture crew does some stuff on our own we do an extream amount of helping out not only in the comunity but with our other younger scouts. we run alot of events for them. Boy scouts isnt about gender despite the name. I am a proud boy scout