Controversial Boy Scouts Rebrand Draws Mixed Reactions

Boy Scouts of America is officially updating its name in an effort to be more inclusive.

Starting on Feb. 8, 2025, on their 115th anniversary, the organization will become Scouting America.

The name change is meant to show “ongoing commitment to welcome every youth and family in America to experience the benefits of Scouting,” according to a statement, per ABC.

“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be prepared for life. This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting,” Roger A. Krone, president and CEO, said in a news release, according to the outlet.

“Scouting America provides a welcoming, safe environment where youth can become the best version of themselves by learning from and respecting each other,” Krone added.

Naturally, the big change has drawn tons of mixed reactions.

Some people noted that the name change seems to distract from other more important issues within the organization, such as the rampant abuse faced by many children involved in Boy Scouts.

“Some are pissed because they say the group formerly known as the Boy Scouts have gone woke and are too inclusive. Others are pissed because 82,000+ men say they were abused as children by the original organization. I’m the latter,” one person tweeted.

Another person agreed that “a rebrand is probably the way to go.”

One person rejected the idea of a rebranding after all that has been uncovered about the organization.

“F a rebranding, they should be shut down. They knew what was going on and chose to ignore it. I loved my time as a scout and would let trade it for anything, but this is inexcusable,” they tweeted.

“Name change… That’s probably not going to fix it,” someone else agreed in a tweet.

Other people wondered why Boy Scouts is changing while Girl Scouts remains the same.

“I’m kinda like why can’t boys just have their own space?” one person tweeted.

Another person said that the “sad downfall” of the organization is a loss of “positive force for boys.”

On the other hand, many people online complained about the Boy Scouts “going woke” and including girls in their activities.

“We have gone to woke scouts? We have to have gender neutral[?]” one woman tweeted.

However, Boy Scouts has featured co-ed programs for years, and officially instated them in 2019 with Scouts BSA, according to CBS News.