The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) just made a major announcement by agreeing to accept girls into its programs for older kids. This announcement comes as part of the new Scout Me In campaign, which aims to show “the fun, adventure and character-building opportunities found in Cub Scouts,” in an inclusive way. Boys AND GIRLS will now be able to join the iconic Cub Scout program and we are thrilled!
The program will also receive a new name to better reflect its new members and will now be called Scouts BSA. These changes are in line with the BSA’s Scout Oath and Scout Law, which are its core values and which promise a “inclusive and foundational for both young men and women.”
“Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids,” said Stephen Medlicott, National Marketing Group Director of Boy Scouts of America, in the official press release. “That’s why we love ‘Scout Me In’ – because it speaks to girls and boys and tells them, ‘This is for you. We want you to join!’”
And join they have! Since making this announcement more than 3,000 girls have enrolled in the BSA’s Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts, states the press release.
“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. 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,” said Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, in the press release. “Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be ‘Scouts BSA,’ and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.”
As we become a more inclusive society, it’s great to see heritage companies, such as the Boy Scouts of America, taking steps to keep up!
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