What our organization’s name change means — and doesn’t mean — to Scouts and leaders

For more than 114 years, our organization has been dedicated to serving the youth of our country. As our country has evolved, so has our organization, all of which has led to this: The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name to Scouting America, as announced this morning at the 2024 National Annual Meeting.

The new name should be used immediately and will become official on Feb. 8, 2025, the organization’s 115^th birthday.

This is exciting news, and it’s a big deal to a lot of people. Let’s dive into what it means to the youth and adult members of Scouting America.

Why are we changing our name?

The change was made to reflect the organization’s ongoing commitment to welcoming every youth in America to experience the benefits of Scouting.

Scouting America is the reflection of years of work to create an organization where we prepare every youth in America to lead a life of purpose and impact. Our new name is representative of the path we want Scouting to chart for the next century. Our organization welcomes all youth. Scouting is an environment where everyone should feel respected and valued.

We recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of welcoming girls into the Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA programs. (Scouts BSA was formerly known as “Boy Scouts.”) There are currently 176,234 girls and young women across all BSA programs, including more than 6,000 who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

In 2021, we celebrated our inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. The incredible group of nearly 1,000 women collectively earned more than 30,000 merit badges, and they provided an estimated 130,000 hours of community service – even amid a pandemic.

Are the goals and purposes of the organization changing?

No.

The mission of the organization remains the same. As it has always been, Scouting America’s goal will be to continue providing young people fantastic experiences in both the outdoors and in their communities, where they can grow and learn with us in a safe environment.

Scouting America will continue to prepare youth for lives of purpose and impact, and to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: We are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” says Roger A. Krone, the organization’s president and chief executive officer. “This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.”

Is the Scout Oath and Law changing?

No.

Are the organization’s programs changing?

No. The Cub Scout program updates were developed by the Cub Scout leadership team separately and long before the organization’s name change was considered. Programs for Scouts BSA, Exploring, Sea Scouts and Venturing remain unchanged.

What does the name change mean to me, a Scout leader?

Though the name change doesn’t become official until Feb. 8, 2025, the new name should be used immediately. It’s important to note that though the overall organization is now known as Scouting America, the names of the programs offered by the organization — Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts and Exploring — remain unchanged.

When will the new logo be in the Brand Center?

It already is!

Click here to get logos and videos featuring the new Scouting America brand.

What’s the abbreviation for the organization now?

In some cases, we at Scouting America love our abbreviations. But in this case, we’re encouraging everyone to call the program simply Scouting America, as we want everyone to start to recognize that name.

Speaking of abbreviations, why aren’t we changing the name of the Scouts BSA program?

Scouts BSA is a trademarked name, and we don’t plan on changing it right away. It is, however, a topic that will continue to be explored in the future.

Are the uniforms changing?

There will be new uniforms with “Scouting America” lettering over the right pocket. The rest of the uniform will remain unchanged. You can continue to purchase the shirts currently available from your local Scout Shop, and you can continue to wear your current uniform as long as it remains in good condition.

BSA file photo