Hundreds of girls from Bergen County took part in a weekend event to learn skills closely associated with the Boy Scouts.

The girls were between 11 and 17 years old. They participated in the “I am Scouting” program held in Alpine Saturday. 

The girls learned about camping, knot making, fire building, cooking, using a knife and climbing. The training is part of the Boys Scouts’ transition to a group that welcomes boys and girls to join.

“Many of our young men have had an opportunity to be in Cub Scouting before and they have grown up in the program, so they come in already having some of that basic knowledge,” says Tom Pendleton with the Boy Scouts of America. “Some of those girls joining now have not had that opportunity.”

Boy Scouts of America announced it was changing its name to Scouts, BSA earlier this year. It officially launches Feb. 1, 2019.