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The Boy Scouts of America, a staple of youth organizations for over a century, is renaming itself Scouting America.
This significant shift reflects the organization’s renewed focus on inclusivity and diversity, following a period of legal and financial challenges. Based in Irving, Texas, the 114-year-old organization has been a symbol of tradition and youth development since its inception.
“In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs,” said Roger Krone, who took over last fall as president and chief executive officer, in an interview with the Associated Press.
The name change will take effect in February 2025. The announcement prompted criticism that the group has gone too far in a nod to wokeness.
“The Left has now taken ‘Boy’ out of ‘Boy Scouts,’” said Rep. Andrew Clyde, Georgia Republican, on X. “Wokeness destroys everything it touches.”
Membership has seen a decline, further impacted by the pandemic. From a peak of over 2 million members in 2018, the BSA’s current membership stands at just over 1 million youths, which includes more than 176,000 girls and young women. This is a significant reduction from the organization’s 1972 peak of almost 5 million members.
Over the past few years, BSA has undertaken several key initiatives to open its doors wider and become more inclusive. Starting in 2013, the organization began accepting gay youth members, followed by a lift on the ban against gay adult leaders in 2015. In 2017, it was announced that girls would be welcomed into its programs.
The inclusion saw the launch of female Eagle Scouts in 2021, with nearly 1,000 young women earning the prestigious rank, highlighting the success and acceptance of the initiative.
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