- The Boy Scouts of America has officially changed its name to Scouting America on its 115th anniversary to reflect increasing inclusivity. The rebrand follows policy changes allowing girls and LGBTQ+ members and comes as the organization recovers from a bankruptcy settlement related to sexual abuse claims.
- The name change took effect on Feb. 8, and has led to a slight increase in membership, with 16,000 new members joining, bringing total enrollment to over 1 million scouts.
- The organization has also begun digitizing its programs and creating multilingual resources, while celebrating the rebrand with landmark light displays and a new Scouting America flag at its Texas headquarters.
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The Boy Scouts of America has officially changed its name to Scouting America, marking a historic milestone on the organization’s 115th anniversary. The rebrand, which follows past policy changes allowing girls and LGBTQ+ members, comes as the group seeks to modernize while recovering from a bankruptcy settlement tied to decades of sexual abuse claims.
Why did the Boy Scouts change its name?
The rebrand, which took effect on Feb. 8, is meant to reflect the organization’s increasing inclusivity. It follows the 2018 decision to allow girls to join Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, as well as previous policy shifts in 2013 and 2015 that allowed gay youth and adult leaders.
“The fact that we were going with a more kind of gender-neutral name, a lot of people kind of wanted to know more about it,” CEO Roger Krone told The Associated Press, acknowledging both backlash and increased interest in the change.
The organization first removed “Boy” from the Boy Scouts program in 2018 when it was renamed Scouts BSA, and the transition to Scouting America completes that shift.
Did membership increase or decrease after the name change?
Despite some controversy, membership has slightly increased, with 16,000 new members joining in the past year. The organization’s total enrollment now exceeds 1 million.
- Cub Scouts saw a 3% membership boost, marking the largest growth.
- More than 196,000 girls are currently involved.
- Over 8,000 girls have earned the rank of Eagle Scout since 2019.
What happened to the Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy and abuse scandal?
The rebranding comes just two years after the organization exited bankruptcy following a massive sexual abuse lawsuit.
- In 2020, BSA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid over 82,000 sexual abuse claims from former members.
- A $2.4 billion settlement fund was created to compensate survivors.
- To finance payouts, the organization sold off campgrounds and Norman Rockwell paintings.
Despite these financial and legal struggles, the organization has continued to operate and remains committed to youth development.
How is Scouting America celebrating the rebrand?
To mark the name change and its 115th anniversary, Scouting America launched nationwide celebrations, including:
- Illuminating landmarks such as Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building in red, white, and blue.
- Raising a redesigned Scouting America flag at headquarters in Irving, Texas.
“It’s still the same program,” said Wally Tirado, a district commissioner for Scouting America in Texas. “Just because we changed our name doesn’t mean we changed what we do.”
