Girl Scouts File Lawsuit Against Boy Scouts for Name Change
November 16, 2018
The Girl Scouts of America recently filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America for changing the name of its main program from “Boy Scouts” to “Scouts BSA,” part of the century-old organization’s recent shift towards gender-inclusion.
The Girl Scouts explained the motivation behind the lawsuit in a recent statement, according to the New York Times, claiming that their competitor’s plans were causing confusion and violating the Girl Scouts’ established domain.
“We did what any brand, company, corporation or organization would do to protect its intellectual property, the value of its brand in the marketplace and to defend its good name,” the statement said.
According to ABC News, the Girls Scouts also alleged that the declining state of the BSA was its main reason for accepting girls. The move, they claim, is an attempt to extinguish a “house fire” of problems and infuse life into the program.
“Instead of addressing systemic issues of continuing sexual assault, financial mismanagement and deficient programming, BSA’s senior management wants to add an accelerant to the house fire by recruiting girls,” the Girl Scouts said.
Junior Daniel Pauk, a Boy Scout, feels that the BSA’s move is a step in the right direction. He said that presenting both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts as options will give girls more control over the direction they take.
“It’s a different opportunity being offered,” he said. “Some girls will prefer one, but some will prefer the other. I believe over all it’ll create a bigger ‘scouting’ movement just through two different organizations offering two different programs.”
Junior Colleen McCracken, a Girl Scout, said that she would have chosen Girl Scouts over Boy Scouts if she had the choice as a child.
“BSA always seemed very intense, with everything set in stone…Girl Scouts never had that feel for me, as my troop has always chosen what we want to do,” she said. “We may want to go camping one month, or learn to make Persian food the next.”
While the BSA’s actions may be noteworthy, McCracken said she is concerned about the effect it will have on her organization, and she understands the reasoning behind the Girl Scouts’ lawsuit.
“I do feel that the BSA’s move is stealing from our base,” she said. “Girl Scouts includes a wide variety of activities, and I don’t feel that another organization is needed to supplement anything for these girls.”
