Boy Scouts of America changing name to gender-inclusive 'Scouting America'
The Boy Scouts of America has announced it will change its name to “Scouting America” to reflect a more gender-inclusive tone in its programs, which allow girls to enroll.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the BSA said the change to Scouting America will take effect on Feb. 8, 2025, the 115th anniversary of the organization's founding.
Roger A. Krone, president and chief executive officer of the BSA, was quoted in the announcement as saying that the change “will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in scouting.”
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“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” Krone said.
“Scouting America provides a welcoming, safe environment where youth can become the best version of themselves by learning from and respecting each other. … I encourage everyone to join us and experience the benefits of Scouting.”
Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA, a conservative Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts that was launched in 2013, reacted to the announcement in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
“When an organization with a remarkable past that provided us with presidents and astronauts and generals and civic leaders for over 100 years decides to abandon its laser focus on boys and its commitment to the core strengths that made them and this country great, what would you expect?” stated Hancock.
In 2018, the BSA announced that it would allow girls to enroll in troops for the first time in the prominent scouting organization’s more than a century of operation.
The announcement was met with backlash by some, including the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, which filed a trademark lawsuit against the BSA in November 2018.
"Since BSA's announcement that it would admit girls to its core programs, GSUSA's fears about the damage that would be caused to its trademarks and the mission those trademarks symbolize have been realized," alleged the complaint.
"Throughout the country, families, schools and communities have been told that GSUSA and BSA have merged, or even that GSUSA no longer exists. Parents interested in signing up for Girl Scouts programs have instead mistakenly signed up for the new girls' programs offered by BSA.”
The two youth scouting groups eventually reached a settlement in July 2022, in which they each agreed to drop trademark challenges, and the Girl Scouts dropped its lawsuit.
In recent years, the BSA has experienced an overall decline in membership due to various reasons, as well as ongoing controversy and legal fallout from an abuse scandal.
Last year, the Boy Scouts began processing claims under a $2.4 billion bankruptcy plan for more than 80,000 alleged victims who claimed they were abused while in the scouting program.
