(RepublicanReport.org) – In 1910, William Boyce founded the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), modeling a similar group started in the United Kingdom just a few years before. Attendance ballooned in the club, reaching its highest membership of nearly five million in 1972. In 2013, the BSA began accepting gay members and allowed girls to join in 2019. Now, the scouts are changing again.
On May 7, the BSA announced it was officially changing its name on the club’s 115th anniversary in February 2025. At that time, the scouts will become Scouting America, although clubs across the nation will likely start using the name sooner.
BSA President and CEO Roger Krone said the organization wants to ensure that all youths in America feel “very welcome over the next 100 years.” Krone said it was “part of [his] job” to ensure that nothing stops people from not only accepting the organization but also joining.
Participation in the Boy Scouts has dwindled over the years, plummeting to just over a million youths in America today — including a portion of girls totaling around 176,000. A national branding marketing firm vice chairman, David Aaker, called the move “excellent.” He said it allows the BSA to start a new chapter without straying from its mission — to instill values in young people and prepare them for life. A 16-year-old Eagle Scout in Massachusetts, Emily Greene, said it was “about time.” She said it was “important” that other girls joining the organization feel included in the scouts. Another Eagle Scout, Lois Alvar, believes the change will make girls feel more “welcomed and included” while giving all the organization’s members a better “safe space, just in general.”
However, not everyone was happy about the change. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) criticized the move on social media, stating that “wokeness destroys everything it touches.” The Republican lawmaker didn’t note his specific objection to the name change.
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