There was big news at the Boy Scouts of America’s annual meeting in May, where it was announcement that the name of the 114-year-old youth organization is changing to Scouting America. You may have seen stories in the media that said the new name “reflects the organization’s continuing efforts to welcome everyone to experience the benefits of Scouting.”

This new name honors the long tradition of Scouting in this country, while at the same time acknowledging and embracing the future. And that future includes more young people and families than ever before. Scouting welcomes all eligible youth, regardless of race, ethnic background, or orientation, who are willing to accept Scouting’s values and meet any other requirements of membership.

The announcement comes as Scouting celebrates five years of welcoming girls into the traditional Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA programs. Nationwide, more than 176,000 girls and young women are active across all programs. More than 6,000 have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. That’s a big step in the right direction, and the new name is a fitting way to mark this milestone.

To be clear, the traditional Scouting programs are not changing, nor are the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Scouting America simply tells all young people that they are welcome to take part in the fun and adventure of a lifetime.

The W. D Boyce Council’s Scout Executive, Ben Blumenberg, had this to say about the recent move: “We’re proud to continue moving forward in serving ALL youth and their families. As a council, our commitment to advancing the Scouting movement in Central Illinois is stronger than ever.”

On the global stage, Scouting America fits right in with the names and missions of Scouting organizations around the world. Gender-specific monikers were dropped years ago by the vast majority of national Scouting groups, from Canada (Scouts Canada) and the Dominican Republic (Asociación de Scouts Dominicanos) to the United Kingdom (The Scout Association), Japan (Scout Association of Japan) and Papua New Guinea (The Scout Association of Papua New Guinea). 

You may have missed another, less hyped announcement in May. The National Executive Committee authorized Scouts BSA to conduct a limited pilot program to test the viability of “combined troops” that include male and female members. Venturing (ages 11-20) has always welcomed male and female members, but currently, Scouts BSA troops must be either all male or all female. I don’t know if any of these pilot troops will be formed around here, but I will be anxious to hear the feedback when it is presented next year.

The goal of Scouting America — the name and the organization — is to show Scouting to be a safe place where everyone is welcome to learn, have fun, and grow to be the best version of themselves. The name change doesn’t officially take place until February 8, 2025, the 115th birthday of Scouting in the United States, but we are being encouraged to start using it right away. So, don’t be surprised if you hear young people across the region proudly proclaiming, “We Are Scouting America!”

Scout On!

Scott Fishel wears several hats in Scouting, including a longtime association with Troop 178 and Troop 1178 in Morton. You can contact him at [email protected]. Find a Scout unit in your community at beascout.org.