Boys Scouts of America is changing its name to Scouting America on February 8, 2025—the organization’s 115th anniversary. The rebranding won’t change the organization’s mission of preparing “young people over their lives to make ethical and moral choices by instilling the scout oath, and the scout law,” according to Roger Krone, president and chief executive officer. It will, however, continue to challenge the Girl Scouts.
Boy Scouts of America began admitting girls into its program in 2018, framing the decision as a convenience for busy families. At the time, Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, then president of the Girl Scouts, wrote to then Boy Scout president Randall Stephenson, “I formally request that your organization stay focused on serving the 90 percent of American boys not currently participating in Boy Scouts … and not consider expanding to recruit girls.” Kathy’s plea wasn’t enough, however.
Time will tell if the rebrand is enough to counter declines in membership and to grow female participation in what was previously a male organization. Rebranding is a terrific way to refocus, recalibrate, refresh, and reposition organizations—especially ones that have been around for a long time. A few examples:
- The American Society of Training Directors, founded in 1943, changed its name to the American Society of Training & Development in 1964. In 2000, the organization chose to refer to itself by just the letters ASTD (which I’m not a fan of). In 2014 the organization was rebranded to the Association of Talent Development, a clearer, more modern moniker.
- In 2020, in recognition of its 25th anniversary, the International Coach Federation became the International Coaching Federation. By adding just three letters (“ing”) the name becomes more active and marks the transition to a new way of service to the association’s stakeholders.
- As a result of a strategic plan and a focused commitment to evolve, the League of California Cities, founded in 1898, refreshed its brand with a new “shorthand” in 2021: Cal Cities. Their previous shorthand had been “The League,” which was generic and at times confusing (e.g., The League of Women Voters is often referred to as The League, as are other municipal leagues.). The refresh included a new color palette and logo emphasizing the shorter name reference.
- Mothers of Preschoolers, founded in 1973, started with seven women and now extends to more than 100 countries, 25 languages and influences over a million moms annually, rebranded to MomCo (which stands for Mom Community) in 2023 to avoid the association with housekeeping and to reflect a more international focus (the MOPS name was offensive in some countries).
While anniversaries are a great time to rebrand, you don’t have to wait for a milestone to clarify who you are focused on and what you stand for. A strong brand makes it easier to clarify and communicate your value proposition, something association executives tell me is difficult for their organizations. Rebranding is work, but it’s work that pays off!