The Boy Scouts of America, which has multiple troops in Montgomery County, has announced that it will be changing its name to Scouting America.
The group says the new name reflects the continuing efforts to welcome everyone to experience the benefits of Scouting.
Per the news release: The Boy Scouts of America today announced that it will be changing its name to Scouting America. This change reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to welcoming every youth in America to experience the benefits of Scouting. The name change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th birthday.
This announcement also comes as the organization celebrates the fifth anniversary of welcoming girls into Cub Scouting and Scouts BSA programs. Boy Scouts of America currently serves 176,234 girls and young women across all programs, including more than 6,000 who have earned Eagle Scout status.
“Our commitment is to all youth in our community,” stated Scout Executive/CEO Mario A. Pérez. “In the National Capital Area Council, BSA (NCAC) we know that one of our greatest assets is the rich diversity that characterizes our community. Inclusivity broadens our perspectives, makes us stronger, and better equips our youth to navigate the challenges in life. The use of Scouting America will help us connect with more youth from all backgrounds as we continue our work 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.”
Scouting America builds on the organization’s 114 years of helping America’s youth. Its ongoing goal is to provide young people with a safe environment where they can learn meaningful life skills and have fun, educational experiences, fostering their growth and future outcomes as leaders, and be prepared for life. At the same time, values instilled by the Scout Oath and Law help prepare young people for lives of purpose and impact.
More than 130 million Americans have been through Scouting programs since its founding in 1910, and currently, more than 1 million youth, including both men and women, are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To date, more than 2.75 million youth have earned Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout.
Last year, National Capital Area Council delivered the promise of Scouting to over 33,000 youth including 4,315 girls and young women across all programs. NCAC’s programs train the next generation of leaders; give back to the community through service; and teach young people to “Be Prepared” for life, adventure, and education.
In addition to supporting the nation’s youth, Scouting America will continue to be an important asset to strengthen our communities, having provided more than 7 million hours of volunteer services for community improvement and other projects across the country.