Boy Scouts Will Drop the ‘Boy’ in Its Namesake Program, Welcomes Girls

Boy Scouts of America Will Soon Accept Girls Into All Programs

The Boy Scouts of America’s flagship program; Boy Scouts announced they are changing its name because girls are now entering the program. It was announced the new name for the Boy Scouts program: Scouts BSA. This program is for children ages eleven through seventeen. The new change will take effect in February 2019.

Because the term ‘Cub Scouts’ is gender neutral, there will be no change for the younger age group of scouts. But, whereas teenagers in the organization have historically taken on the classification of Boy Scouts in their later years, the entrance of girls into the program has caused the need for the teen scout title to be more inclusive. Therefore, scouts who graduate into or enroll in the elder bracket will now be called “Scouts BSA.”

“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible,” chief scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Michael Surbaugh, said in a statement confirming the change. “That is why it is important that the name for our Scouting program for older youth remain consistent with the single name approach used for the Cub Scouts.”

Boy Scouts of America has been going through an evolution for some years now. Following its ban on gay scout leaders in 2015, the organization extended an invitation for transgender youth to register. The decision to begin opening its programs to girls was made this past October.