(CNN) The Boy Scouts of America's board of directors has unanimously agreed to welcome girls into the Cub Scout program and to forge a path for older girls to pursue and earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout, the organization said Wednesday. "The historic decision comes after years of receiving requests from families and girls," Boy Scouts of America said in a statement. BSA said the move is also aimed at helping busy families consolidate programs for their children. Most are dual-earners and there are more single-parent households than ever before, making convenient programs that serve the whole family more appealing," the BSA statement said. Boy Scouts of America has about 2.3 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 21 and about 960,000 volunteers in the United States and its territories.

Source: CNN October 11, 2017 17:15 UTC