Boy Scouts of America announces rebrand to ‘Scouting America’
May 7, 2024, 11:54 AM | Updated: 11:56 am
FILE - A close up of a Boy Scout uniform is photographed on Feb. 4, 2013, in Irving, Texas. On Tuesday, March 28, 2023, a federal district court judge upheld the approval of a $2.4 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan aimed at resolving tens of thousands of child sexual abuse claim against the Boy Scouts of America. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
(CNN) — Boy Scouts of America announced Tuesday that it will change its name to Scouting America next February, to emphasize its commitment to inclusion.
The youth organization said the new name is meant to help everyone, including boys and girls, feel welcome. The change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th anniversary, the Boy Scouts of America said.
“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: We are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” Roger A. Krone, president and chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America, said in a statement. “This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.”
Girls were first able to join the Cub Scouts, the organization’s program for children 7 to 10 years old, in 2018. The following year, the organization welcomed older girls, 11 to 17 years old, to its flagship program Scouts BSA, CNN previously reported.
At the time, BSA said the program’s expansion had been requested for years and was aimed at helping busy families consolidate programs for their children.
More than 1 million youth are currently enrolled across the programs offered by Boys Scouts of America, according to the organization, including 176,234 girls and young women. So far, more than 6,000 girls and young women have earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, BSA said in a news release.
The Boy Scouts of America has faced a storm of controversy in recent years, including widespread allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. The organization filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after spending more than $150 million to settle abuse lawsuits, CNN previously reported.
Last year, the Boy Scouts of America began compensating thousands of victims of sexual abuse through a court established Victims Compensation Trust. The Trust is expected to pay out $2.4 billion to more than 82,000 survivors of abuse, CNN reported.
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