Scouting America Evolves to Offer Opportunities for All

Wisconsin Rapids, WI (WFHR, WIRI)

The Boy Scouts of America isn’t just for boys. The organization opened up to girls several years ago. It is now going through a rebranding. Scouting America offers opportunities for youth and adults to develop skills and engage with the natural world.

History of Evolution to Offer Opportunities

    Since its establishment more than a decade ago, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has offered opportunities for boys to explore nature and trades. Through the earning of merit badges, boys can develop character and leadership skills. As it sought ways to retain older boys, it expanded to include a senior scout division for boys 15 and older.

     According to the Scouting America website, the age for inclusion dropped to 14 in 1949. In 1959 the program changed its name to the Exploring program.  In 1969  young women ages 14 to 20 were allowed to join special-interest Explorer posts. In 1971 they could have full membership to this program which raised the age limit to 21 year. In 1972 the BSA offered opportunities for women to participate in troop committees. This led to the organization offering opportunities to become Cubmasters.In 1988 the BSA opens all other Scouting positions in all Scouting programs.

   On February 9, 1998, Venturing was officially created by the Scouting America executive board. The old Exploring program was completely reorganized and split into two program categories. All the career-oriented posts were moved to Learning for Life under the name Exploring, while the rest (including outdoor-oriented posts) became the new Venturing program. But it wasn’t until October 2017 that BSA announced programs to allow females into single-gender Cub Scout dens and Boy Scout troops (Venturing, Sea Scouting, the STEM Scouts pilot program, and Exploring remain fully co-ed).

  In 2019 the Boy Scouts of America rebranded to be Scouts BSA. This name change reflected the more inclusive nature of the organization. This year the organization will once again be changing its name to Scouting America.

Samoset Council Offers Opportunity at Mid-State

     The council of which North-Central Wisconsin is a part is the Samoset Council. They offer opportunities for boys and girls to be a part of dens or packs. These are the local clubs. Through the earning of merit badges they grow their skills. 

    The Samoset Council is having an event called Ahdawagam Merit Badge Workshop 2025. This event will be held on January 18 at Midstate Technical College’s Wisconsin Rapids campus. It offers opportunities for participants to work for multiple Merit Badge programs. Registration is open until January 16. 

You can hear an interview with Kevin Krueger, District Chairman, and Sam Hansen, District Executive, with Scouting America on Midday Magazine. For more information on Scouting America go to their website. For information on Samoset Council merit badge events go to the Council’s website. You can also find more information by following their Facebook page.