In a continued appeal to girls, the Boy Scouts of America announced that it will drop the “boy” from its namesake program next February. The organization, which has been around for a century, said it would also start welcoming older girls, allowing them an opportunity to earn the organization’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. The Boy Scouts, which accepts children 11 to 17 years old, will be renamed Scouts BSA, reports The New York Times. This move is part of the organization’s new ‘Scout Me In’ marketing campaign, which targets both boys and girls.
“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in scouting in every way possible,” Michael Surbaugh, the chief executive of the Boy Scouts of America, told The Times. “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.”
For the first time this summer, Cub Scouts, which is designated for younger, elementary school-age children, will also welcome girls. In October, the Boy Scouts of America directors voted unanimously for expansion. The incorporation of girls may also be a way to buoy the organization’s slumping membership. In its peak in the 1970s, the Boy Scouts of America had close to five million members, but this year, the organization said they had about 1.25 million Cub Scouts and over 800,000 Boy Scouts.
Overall, the Boy Scouts of America have significantly loosened its membership requirements. In Jan. 2017, they announced they would accept transgender members. Back in 2013, the group lifted a ban on openly gay members and in 2015, it dropped its prohibition against gay scout leaders.
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