The Boy Scouts of America, a 114-year-old organization deeply rooted in tradition, is undergoing a significant transformation, including changing its name to the gender neutrl Scouting America for the first time in its history.
This change comes as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims. The Boy Scouts are desperate to increase its dwindling membership numbers, down to just under a million after a peak for 5 million in the 1970s.
Over the past decade, the Boy Scouts have made several groundbreaking changes, such as allowing gay youth to join in 2013, welcoming opnely gay adult leaders in 2015, and accepting girls into the Cub Scouts and the flagship Boy Scout program (renamed Scouts BSA) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. These changes have led to nearly 1,000 young women achieving the prestigious Eagle Scout rank in 2021, with many more joining since then.
The decision to allow girls into the organization strained the Boy Scouts’ relationship with the Girl Scouts of the USA, who filed a lawsuit claiming marketplace confusion and damage to their recruitment efforts. However, a judge rejected these claims, stating that both groups are free to use terms like “scouts” and “scouting.”
While camping remains a core activity for the Boy Scouts, the organization now offers a wide range of programs, from high adventures to merit badges in robotics and digital technology. The organization’s leadership, including its first woman chairperson, Angelique Minett, is excited about the future of scouting and the role of the youth council in raising important issues and guiding the program’s direction.
The Boy Scouts’ $2.4 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan took effect last year, allowing the organization to continue operating while compensating the more than 80,000 men who alleged they were sexually abused as children while scouting.
Although the official name change to Scouting America won’t take place until February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th birthday, CEO Roger Krone expects people to start using the new name immediately.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.