The Boy Scouts of America, also known as the BSA, will be undergoing many changes throughout the next year. According to a news release issued yesterday, the BSA announced their new “Scout Me In” campaign, which will aim at welcoming both boys and girls into their Cub Scout Program. To follow, the name of the older youth program for ages 11 through 17, previously known as “Boy Scouts,” will be changed to “Scouts BSA.”
The name of the national organization, “Boy Scouts of America,” will remain the same.
In the news release, chief scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Michael Surbaugh, explained the name change.
“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible,” said Surbaugh. “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.”
As part of the “Scout Me In” campaign, the BSA Council in Cape Girardeau has been recruiting girls since February of this year from the 51 counties they serve throughout Illinois and Missouri. 300 have signed up for the Cub Scout Program for grades 1-4.
But, field director Jared White says while they are made up mostly of boys, their Boy Scout Exploring Program has been co-ed since the 1960’s.
“You know, we’ve had women involved in the program for a long time,” says White. “It’s just opening up the Cub Scout Program to the Boy Scout Program, that were all, at once, just boy-led; they were just tailored to boys.”
The Boy Scout Program will open up to girls in February of 2019. White says special accommodations will be made in various activities such as camping before the change takes place.
To read the news release, visit: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/scout-me-in/