Boy Scouts to drop 'boy' from namesake program upon welcoming girls

In 2017, the Boy Scouts of America announced after 107 years that the organization would finally allow girls to join in 2018.

Now, before the historical change takes place, the BSA organization announced it's dropping the word "boy" from its namesake program.

On Wednesday, the organization revealed its new gender inclusive campaign, "Scout Me In," which aims to welcome both boys and girls to the organization.

While the organization will remain Boy Scouts of America, the older youth program for 11 to 17 years olds, known as "Boy Scouts," will become "Scouts BSA" in 2019.

"As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible," Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of BSA, said in a statement. "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."

Back in October 2017, after a unanimous vote decided girls would be allowed to join and even attain the highest rank of Eagle Scout, the Girl Scouts of America published a blog post expressing concerns and highlighting the importance of "free space for girls."

Despite mixed reactions from members of the Girl Scout community, the BSA shared that more than 3,000 girls have already enrolled in the Early Adopter program and plan to participate in the Cub Scout program this year.

"Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids," Stephen Medlicott, BSA's National Marketing Group Director, said in a 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.'"

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