Photo by Charles Krupa/AP
No, no, I'm sorry, no. I am a proud supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and an Eagle Scout myself. The name change is a step too far for the Boy Scouts.
The headline is deceiving. Supposedly, only the program is changing names and not the organization. But that is total BS. Scouting is synonymous with the Boy Scouts. I would honestly prefer BSA to change the name of the entire organization to reflect the changes they have made in the past 5 or so years.
I propose the Boy Scouts of America change their name to The Scouting Association of America. This is similar to other organizations in the Scouting movement and would allow BSA to restructure the programs while maintaining the legacy of the Boy Scouts.
As the attached NPR article points out, there are already programs in the BSA that allow girls, including Cub Scouts for little girls and Venturing for older girls. You want to allow girls into the main program? Fine, I understand that. Most other countries already have their programs co-ed. Let's reflect that the organization has fundamentally changed since it's inception.
The proposed name for the program, Scouts BSA, is stupid. Just call it Scouting. That's what everyone in the organization calls it already. Hell, the website is https://www.scouting.org/
Also, here is a free example of a bad marketing campaign and how to fix it. The proposed marketing campaign is called "Scout Me In".
...
Ok, I understand that the marketing team at BSA is probably comprised of a bunch of dad-joke loving dudes, but this seems pretty basic. I get that they are trying to do a play on "count me in" as a playful way to show that girls are now included, but here is a better solution using the exact same words.
"Scout In Me"
What does this image conjure up? Scouting still has a reputation for building boys into better men. If I was creating the TV ad for BSA, this is how I would do it.
(Open on nature scene with scouts hiking though the woods)
(Soft, reflective music plays in the background)
"A Scout is"
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Curteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
and Reverent
(Each line read by a different kid with changing background scenes showcasing the different elements of the Scout Law)
"That is the Scout In Me"
That brings a sense of morality. A sense of duty. A sense of purpose. Scouting is a place to learn and grow, not to dump your kids for an hour every week.
This may be a long post, but this is something I am very passionate about. I have been with Scouting in some capacity for almost 20 years. It is an organization that I respected and has helped make me the person I am today.
Thank you for reading.