Scouting America: A New Era for the Boy Scouts of America
IRVING, Texas — Following a significant rebranding effort, the Boy Scouts of America, now known as Scouting America, has experienced a slight increase in youth membership, a positive indication for the organization as it seeks to recover from recent challenges related to scandals and bankruptcy. This change comes as the organization prepares to celebrate its 115th anniversary this Saturday, with President and CEO Roger Krone highlighting a commitment to an inclusive message despite some mixed reactions to the name change.
Krone noted that the shift to a more gender-neutral name has sparked curiosity among the public, which may translate into broader engagement with the organization. “The fact that we were going with a more kind of gender-neutral name, a lot of people kind of wanted to know more about it,” he commented on the interest generated by the rebranding, which was announced last year.
Though the increase in membership numbers is modest, totaling around 16,000 new participants—less than a 2% rise compared to the previous year—it represents a hopeful sign for Scouting America after membership had sharply declined during the pandemic. Currently, the organization boasts slightly over 1 million members. Notably, the Cub Scouts level, which caters to younger children, reported an increase of nearly 3% in attendance.
While most of the members continue to be boys, the inclusivity of Scouting America has resulted in over 196,000 girls engaging in its programs last year, with more than 8,000 girls achieving the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. The official transition to the new name will coincide with the birthday celebrations, during which various landmarks across the United States, such as Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building, will be illuminated in patriotic colors. A new flag representing Scouting America is slated to be raised next week at its headquarters in Irving.
The rebranding of the organization is part of a larger series of significant transformations that the Boy Scouts of America has undergone in recent years. This includes a bankruptcy filing in 2020 following a wave of sexual abuse claims from thousands of individuals, primarily men, who reported incidents occurring during their time as scouts. Additionally, the organization began to accept gay youth in 2013, lifted the ban on gay adult leaders in 2015, and welcomed girls into Cub Scouts in 2018, followed by their inclusion in the flagship program, now known as Scouts BSA, in 2019.
The organization’s bankruptcy reorganization plan, amounting to $2.4 billion, was activated in 2023, allowing it to continue its operations while compensating survivors of abuse. Over 82,000 claims have been registered during this process. To finance the settlement trust for abuse survivors, the organization has sold several campgrounds and properties, as well as notable artworks, including pieces by Norman Rockwell featuring scenes of scouting life.
In a bid to modernize its operations, Krone mentioned that Scouting America is in the process of digitizing its materials and developing a platform for multilingual programs, which could enhance accessibility for non-English speaking parents wishing to engage with their child’s scouting experience.
Wally Tirado, who plays a key role in the scouting community around Dallas, expressed his appreciation for the diverse array of cultures represented within the organization, particularly noted during a recent dinner event for newly minted Eagle Scouts. “It’s still the same program,” he affirmed, indicating that while the name has changed, the core values and activities of Scouting America remain intact.
