Boy Scouts drop ‘Boy’ from name of program
Girl Scouts claim to remain ‘first choice’ for females
The Boy Scouts of America doubled down Wednesday on its quest to become the youth organization of choice for boys and girls, announcing it will drop “Boy” from the name of its signature program.
The decision didn’t impress the Girl Scout organization, which noted no new, “girl-specific” programming.
“Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development organization for girls,” Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, said in a statement. “We are, and will remain, the first choice for girls and parents.”
Both groups, which have been at odds since the Boy Scouts decided to open its doors to girls, have struggled with declining membership.
The umbrella organization will retain its name, Boy Scouts of America, or BSA. The term Cub Scouts, for kids 7-10 years old, is gender-neutral and will go unchanged. Boy Scouts, which includes kids from 10 to 17, will become Scouts BSA in February.
Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh unveiled the group’s “Scout Me In” marketing campaign aimed at promoting inclusiveness. “As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible,” Surbaugh said.
Change has come quickly to the iconic but shrinking organization. In October, it announced it would provide programs for girls. Several months before that, the group announced it would accept and register transgender youths into its organization. In 2015, it ended its ban on gay leaders.
Cub Scouts will formally accept girls starting this summer. Surbaugh said more than 3,000 girls nationwide already enrolled in the BSA’s Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts before the full launch.
Allowing girls into the organization helps busy families consolidate programs for their kids, BSA said, though most of the Cub packs and Scout troops will be single gender. Girls and boys can work toward the prestigious title of Eagle Scout.
“Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids,” said Stephen Medlicott, BSA marketing director. “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!’ ”
Boy Scouts of America claims almost 2.3 million members, down from 2.6 million five years ago. That includes Venturing and Sea Scouting programs, the latter allowing membership up to 21 years of age. In its peak years, BSA had more than 4 million participants.
Adults play a major role in the program: Almost 1 million adult volunteers serve as the backbone of the organization.
It’s too early to determine what impact the aggressive BSA effort to recruit girls will have on the Girl Scouts, an organization best known for its lucrative annual cookie sales. The organization, founded two years after Boy Scouts, claims a membership of about 1.8 million.