WHO WE ARE:

For more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has offered the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, helping young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” Scouting America will build on more than 114 years of guiding America’s youth, and it represents the next chapter of Scouting.

  • More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our 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, 2,752,000 youth have earned Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout. Historically, that represents about 2.5% of those involved with Scouting. The current rate of today’s youth earning Eagle Scout is 7% of those in the Scouts BSA program.

WHY WE ARE REBRANDING:

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 charter for the next century. Our organization welcomes all youth. Scouting is an environment where everyone should feel respected and valued.

  • We recently celebrated the 5-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.

OUR MISSION 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.
  • Our mission remains the same. Prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

YOUTH SAFETY:

Scouting has some of the most vigorous safety measures in place of any youth serving organization. We aim to ensure families know their children will be safe, whether their child is attending a weekly Scout meeting, going on a weekend camping trip with the troop, or attending the National Jamboree with thousands of other Scouts. Underpinning our approach to safeguarding youth is a singular focus on PREVENTION – identifying and addressing small issues so that we never have to deal with big ones.

  • Through decades of work with national experts, we’ve developed rigorous safety procedures and policies, and we provide extensive training resources and tools for leaders in our programs. The guidelines we provide our leaders include required youth protection training, criminal background checks, no one-on-one adult and youth interactions, two-deep leadership, mandatory reporting of suspected abuse to law enforcement, a volunteer screening database, and more.
  • The work of continually assessing our approach to prevention and to safeguard youth will never be done. The BSA is constantly improving and refining its programs and training to empower leaders, parents, and youth to protect each other and themselves – inside and outside of Scouting. In 2023, the BSA hired a Chief Safeguarding Officer reporting directly to the CEO and established a youth protection committee made up of experts in child protection and survivors of abuse in Scouting.
  • We’ll continue to work with external partners, law enforcement, academia and fellow youth serving organizations to ensure that all youth will have the opportunity to learn the values of Scouting in a safe environment.

WE ARE SCOUTING AMERICA:

Scouting America is committed to providing a welcoming, safe environment where Scouts can become the best version of themselves by learning from and respecting each other. Whether you come from a family of Scouts, or have never known a Scout, if the thought of joining an organization that helps you live a life of purpose and impact excites you, we hope you’ll join us.

Frequently Asked Questions

A: Updating the organization’s name is one more way to demonstrate a full commitment to serving all youth and preparing them for life. The Boy Scouts of America welcomed girls into Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA more than 5 years ago.

A: Scouting America will become official on Feb 8, 2025. All councils will need to make the shift on or before that date. All platforms should reflect the new name, logo and identity on or before Feb. 8, 2025.

A: Our marks and logos are critical shorthand for the brand, so we must be consistent in the presentation of our logo and name. As the nation’s premier youth serving organization, it is critical that we present a united and consistent brand presence.

A: No.

A: Yes.

A: Beginning May 7, the National Council is launching a communications campaign to inform the families about Scouting America and invite them to join the adventure of Scouting.

A: Consistency in the presentation of the logo and name is paramount. The Scouting America brand guide provides information about how to use the marks and logos, as well as the approved typefaces. Changes to the mark or treatment beyond what is specified in the brand guide are not permitted.

A: You can combine the council format to create a district version.

A: There is no need to retract or update older recognition materials. Use the new mark on any new materials.

A: If it makes sense locally, yes, but there is no mandate to change legacy names such as those associated with parks, roads, etc.

A: Consistency is important. Update the marks as materials are replaced or reordered.