One of the proposals the Editorial Policy Committee approved at Meeting 141 updated the schedules for the world scouting movement, especially Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts / Girl Guides. These changes are live in WebDewey.
You’ve probably heard that here in the US, the Boy Scouts are opening their ranks to girls—and in fact, some of their programs, such as Venturing, have long allowed girls. In other countries, such as Norway, major scouting organizations have been coeducational for some time. But previously, the DDC only had classes for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts / Girl Guides, in 369.43 and 369.463, respectively.
Where would that leave works on coeducational scouting organizations, then, especially if their name, like the Norges Speiderforbund, doesn’t say anything about gender? Perhaps at 369.43, under the first-of-two rule, or perhaps up at 369.4 Young people’s societies? We needed a better solution.
When looking into scouting worldwide, we found a trend, exemplified by the United States, where boys’ scouting organizations have tended towards coeducation, while girls’ scouting organizations have not. We also noted that in the DDC, Boy Scouts at 369.43 were already removed from 369.42 in the structural hierarchy (though still in the notational hierarchy via a see reference), whereas Girl Scouts at 369.463 were firmly within the hierarchy of 369.46 Girls’ societies.
The changes approved by EPC broaden 369.43, changing the caption to Scouting organizations. Boy Scouts remain at the class, now in a class-here note, which should minimize the need for reclassification. We’ve also changed the caption at 369.463 from Girl Scouts and Girl Guides to Girls’ scouting organizations. Scouting organizations belong in these classes regardless of whether or not they call themselves Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or Girl Guides—for example, those groups affiliated with Traditional Scouting.
We’ve also developed some classes for specific age groups of scouting organizations, and given some common ranks or programs in class-here notes. For example, at 369.4634 Children six to eleven, under Girls’ scouting organizations, we have “Class here Rainbows, Brownies, Juniors.” We took names from major scouting organizations in Anglophone countries, though the same guidance would apply to equivalent groups from other countries.
To see all changes associated with this project in WebDewey, go to the Updates screen, select the “Selected projects” button, click the small orange pencil icon, choose EPC 141-S36.1, click the OK button, and then press the “Search” button.
We haven’t typically talked about specific exhibit titles here on the Dewey blog, but since you now have this search capability, expect to hear more! Note that WebDewey will give you projects for whatever time span you have selected. So the above screenshot, with 18 projects, is from the last 30 days. If you specify a larger time span, you’ll be able to search on more projects.
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