Boy Scouts changes name to Scouting America

Scouts of BSA present colors at Houston Texans game — "We want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome"

(Image credit: Bob Levey / Getty Images)

What happened

The Boy Scouts of America said Tuesday that after 114 years it is officially changing its name to the more inclusive Scouting America. The change, announced at the BSA's annual meeting in Florida, follows the organization's acceptance of female scouts in 2018 and gay scouts in 2013, plus a $2.4 billion bankruptcy reorganization last year tied to compensating tens of thousands of sexual abuse survivors.

Who said what

"We want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome" in Scouting, BSA chief executive Roger Krone told The Associated Press. "Part of my job is to reduce all the barriers I possibly can for people to accept us as an organization and to join."

The rebrand drew some criticism, and much of it "invoked the word 'woke,'" the AP said. But Scouting America is a savvy name that hews closely to the century-old mission, said marketing expert David Aaker. "It's a one-time chance to tell a new story."

What next?

The name change officially takes effect Feb. 8, 2025, the organization's 115th birthday. But Krone said he expects people to start using the Scouting America name immediately.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.