The Girl Guides of Canada has renamed its Brownies branch the B次元官网网址淓mbersB次元官网网址� in a bid to become more inclusive and welcoming to all girls.

The organization said Wednesday that the new name applies immediately to its program for kids aged seven and eight.

CEO Jill Zelmanovits said the previous name dissuaded some racialized girls and women from joining the outdoor adventure and activity group and that members embraced the chance to change that.

B次元官网网址淲e were really thrilled with the support from within the organization, and especially that girls understood this change,B次元官网网址� said Zelmanovits.

B次元官网网址淲hen you say to a girl, you know, at a very basic level, this name makes some girls feel like they donB次元官网网址檛 belong, their automatic reaction is: B次元官网网址榊ou should change it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� What we thought might have been a difficult conversation was not a difficult conversation for them. For them it was a very automatic response.B次元官网网址�

Zelmanovits said current and former members chose B次元官网网址淓mbersB次元官网网址� over B次元官网网址淐ometsB次元官网网址� in an online vote conducted Nov. 29 to Dec. 13.

She added it will take several months to update various websites, marketing materials and resources and that the name will be fully adopted by Sept. 1.

Other branches of the Guides include Sparks for those aged five and six; Guides, who are nine to 11; Pathfinders who are 12 to 14; and Rangers who are 15 to 17.

The Guides said in November they would change the name of the seven and eight-year-old branch after hearing from current and former members that the previous name caused harm and was a barrier to belonging for racialized girls and women.

Zelmanovits also acknowledged the move addresses one B次元官网网址渟pecific concernB次元官网网址� and that there B次元官网网址渁re always more things that organizations can do.B次元官网网址�

For one thing, she described the Girl Guides of Canada B次元官网网址渁s overwhelmingly B次元官网网址� a non-racialized organization.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 something that the organization and the board of directors is very conscious of, and obviously (our) mission of and vision B次元官网网址� the vision being a better world by girls B次元官网网址� (is) we want as many girls as possible to be involved in that, and we want to have girls from every background involved in that.B次元官网网址�

Although boosting members was not the goal of the name change, Zelmanovits said theyB次元官网网址檝e already heard some families have signed up for the first time because of the move.

She said sheB次元官网网址檚 inspired by the eagerness of the GuidesB次元官网网址� young members to take action when they see the need.

B次元官网网址淪ometimes I wish adults could take a page from that, because it is a great reaction to just say: Well, if itB次元官网网址檚 causing harm, you should change it,B次元官网网址� said Zelmanovits.

B次元官网网址淚f we just took their lead I think we could probably solve a lot of problems in the world.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擟assandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press