Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are involved in a tug-of-war. Boy Scouts have been accused by Girl Scouts of preying on potential members.
The girls’ organization says American Boy Scout, Or BSA, amid a significantly declining enrollment in both groups, according to the legal abbreviation, is favorably recruiting girls to its positions.
The Boy Scouts have allowed girls to join its programs since 2018, the highest honor given by the organization “after years of requests from families” for the opportunity for boys and girls to venture and train together and for girls to become Eagle Scouts.
But Girl Scouts say BSA’s new recruitment drive is “very damaging” to its own brand and that “violation” has caused a wave of confusion among parents who mistakenly signed their daughters up for the wrong organization.
Insult to the scout?
In 2018, Girl Scouts sued BSA for trademark infringement, alleging that the boys’ organization used the image and slogan of Girl Scout – including the words “scout,” “scouting” and “scout mean in” in its ad. Is.
“As a result of Boy Scout violations, parents mistakenly noticed their daughter being in Girl Scouts in Boy Scouts,” Girl Scout lawyers said, adding that this was not the first 2018 issue when change occurred. Created first.
Last month, the Boy Scouts called the suit “of full quality” and asked a judge to toss it.
The day before Christmas, the Girl Scouts filed documents in federal court challenging the move, saying the BSA was about to spread confusion about institutions in recruitment.
“Boy Scouts have known for decades that its use by terms such as scout or scouting would be confusing until it specifies the sponsor of the services offered under that mark, but it went ahead and used these terms anyway,” filing Thursday. Reed. “The young Scout brand predicted impressive confusion and loss and had consequences.”
The BSA said in a statement to CBS News that young people join the organization for a variety of reasons and generally do not choose to join by mistake.
“To say that confusion is the main reason for their choice is not only inaccurate – this is not a legally acceptable example offered in this case to date – but it rejects the decision of more than 120,000 girls and young women who have joined,” the BSA said. , Cub Scouts or Scout BSA after applications become available to them.
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