EG Girl Scout to CEO: Step Down and Let a Woman Run the Scouts

Eleven-year-old Emily Nutting of East Greenwich, a member of Girl Scouts Troop 285, has circulated a petition calling for Neil Stamps, CEO of Girls Scouts of Rhode Island, to resign so a woman can take his job.

"Girl Scouts of RI is an organization made by girls for girls. I feel that a man should not be running a girls' company," Nutting explains in her petition. "The point of Girl Scouts is to show girls that they can be whatever they want, and that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. It's to show that girls can be leaders!!! However, when a man is running this company, what it is showing us Girl Scouts is that we can do anything we set our minds to...except be a leader."

The petition, which has garnered more than 150 signatures, caught the attention of Stamps who has extended an invitation to have a face-to-face meeting.

"We applaud the initiative taken by Emmy Nutting, one of our own young Girl Scouts from East Greenwich," Stamps said in a statement posted by 630 WPRO. "I look forward to having her come in so we can listen to her concerns in person. The mission of Girl Scouting is to build girls of courage, confidence and character and, clearly, Emmy is just such a girl!” 

Numerous comments in support of Nutting's message have been posted on the change.org petition, with most saying they agree that a woman should be at the head of a female-focused organization that aims to empower girls to be assertive and independent.

"I have been a registered Girl Scout for 56 years. Having a male CEO sends a message that is contrary to everything that the Girl Scouts promote. If we are training girls to be leaders, why is our leader a man?" asked Michele Gariepy.

Check out the petition HERE.