Additional Coverage:
- Boy Scouts of America changes its name- but spectators are divided over ‘woke’ rebrand (themirror.com)
Local Scouts See Membership Bump After Rebranding
Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, has seen a modest increase in membership following its recent rebranding and renewed focus on inclusivity. The organization is celebrating its 115th anniversary this weekend.
President and CEO Roger Krone says the name change, while initially met with some resistance, has sparked curiosity and been generally well-received. He noted that the shift to a more gender-neutral name has prompted many to learn more about the organization.
Membership is up by about 16,000 scouts. This growth, while small, is considered significant, especially after pandemic-related declines.
Scouting America currently has over one million members, including over 196,000 girls. Over 8,000 girls have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
The Cub Scouts program saw a nearly 3% increase in participation, a positive sign for the organization’s future.
The official name change will be marked during this weekend’s anniversary celebrations. Landmarks across the country will be lit in red, white, and blue. A new flag featuring the Scouting America logo will be raised at the organization’s headquarters near Dallas next week.
The rebranding comes as the organization continues to grapple with its past. In 2020, Scouting America filed for bankruptcy following numerous sexual abuse claims. The organization has since enacted a $2.4 billion reorganization plan to compensate survivors.
Scouting America has undergone significant changes in recent years. The organization began accepting gay youth in 2013 and gay adult leaders in 2015. Girls were welcomed into Cub Scouts in 2018 and Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts) in 2019.
The organization is also working to modernize its resources. CEO Krone says they are digitizing materials and creating a multilingual platform to make programs more accessible.
Local scout leader Wally Tirado emphasized that the core values of the organization remain unchanged. “It’s still the same program,” Tirado said. “Just because we changed our name doesn’t mean we changed what we do.”
Despite the positive message, some have expressed discontent with the changes on social media, longing for the organization’s past.