Goodbye “Boy Scouts.” Hello “Scouts BSA.”
Less than a year after the Boy Scouts of America decided to invite girls to join, the organization announced that it will refer to its older youth program as “Scouts BSA” starting in February 2019.
The name change comes amid a new campaign slogan, “Scout Me In,” that was made to emphasize the group’s expansion from just boys to boys and girls.
“Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids,” Stephen Medlicott, National Marketing Group Director of Boy Scouts of America, said in a statement. “That’s why we love ‘Scout Me In’ — because it speaks to girls and boys and tells them, ‘This is for you. We want you to join!'”
The name change only applies to the program currently called Boy Scouts, which is available for teens ages 11-17. The Cub Scouts program, for children ages 5-10, will not undergo a name change. The name of the organization will remain Boy Scouts of America.
The decision to open the scouting program to girls last October was both a reflection of growing progressive attitudes as well as a business decision. The Boy Scouts of America has seen declining numbers for years. The organization says it has nearly 2.3 million youth members between 5 and 21, a decrease from the 2.8 million members in 2012.
In its statements, the Boy Scouts of America said more than 3,000 girls have joined the Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts ahead of the full launch later this year.