Boy Scouts of America to allow girls to join, earn Eagle Scout rank

An Eagle Scout patch is pictured in Orlando, Florida in this May 30, 2012 file photograph. REUTERS/David Manning/Files

(Reuters) - In a historic shift, the Boy Scouts of America will let girls enroll in Cub Scouts starting next year and allow them to eventually earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout, the organization said on Wednesday.

The unanimous decision by the 100-year-old group's board of directors came after years of requests from families and girls, it said, though the announcement prompted a largely negative reaction on social media.