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IRVING, Texas (AP) -- A historic rebrand of the Boy Scouts of America has been followed by a small uptick in young people joining what will now be called Scouting America, a welcoming sign as the organization tries to move past scandal and bankruptcy.
The group will continue leaning into a broad message of inclusivity as it celebrates its 115th birthday Saturday, President and CEO Roger Krone said. He acknowledged some backlash to the rebrand after it was announced last year but described the overall response as a positive one that generated wider interest.
"The fact that we were going with a more kind of gender-neutral name, a lot of people kind of wanted to know more about it," Krone said.
Although the overall gain in membership was small -- about 16,000 new scouts, up less than 2% from the prior year -- it is still encouraging for the organization after participation plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization, which began allowing girls to join its scouting programs in 2018, has just over 1 million members.
Krone said Cub Scouts, the youngest scouting level, saw an increase of almost 3%.
Although the majority of scouts are still boys, over 196,000, girls participated in Scouting America's programs last year. More than 8,000 girls have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
The name change will officially take effect during the weekend birthday celebration, when sites across the U.S. will be illuminated in red, white and blue, including Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building. A redesigned flag with the Scouting America brand will be raised next week at the headquarters in the Dallas suburb of Irving.