8 ways the Boy Scouts has evolved over the years

• The Boy Scouts has a complicated history as it's struggled to adapt to modern times. 
• The Boy Scouts of America has especially been criticized for its lack of diversity and unwillingness to open the program up to all people.
• Over its 111-year history, the organization has evolved to welcome younger ages, girls, homosexuals, and transgender people. 

The Boy Scouts is a global organization with universal reach, but it hasn't always been that way. 

Lieutenant general and author Robert Baden-Powell of England started the Boy Scouts in 1907 doing a trial camp to test out its activities, meanwhile writing an outline for the movement. Soon, similar troops started popping up throughout Britain, and his handbook "Scouting for Boys" was published for their use in 1908.

Over 100 years later, and the Boy Scouts has spread to nearly every corner of the globe, offering lessons in survival, community service, and faith. Although the teachings have remained largely the same, the organization itself and who it allows in have changed dramatically. 

Since the organization is founded on faith-based principles, its core beliefs and its ability to adapt to modern times have been at odds. Here are some of the ways the Boy Scouts organization has changed over its 111-year history to become more progressive. 

The organization made its first big change when it started operating in the US as a separate entity.

William Boyce — an American newspaperman and publisher — took a trip to London in 1909. When he asked a young boy for directions, Boyce attempted to give him a tip, but the boy refused. He told Boyce that he was a scout and that they do not accept money for good deeds. Boyce was so moved that he went back to the states and founded the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1910. By the first World War, there were troops all over the world, including Sweden, Mexico, and Argentina.

Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes then created a separate arm of the organization for girls, the Girl Guides.

In 1909, girls picked up on the growing scout movement and even attended a Boy Scouts rally. In response, Baden-Powell created the Girl Guides that same year, and it quickly spread to countries like Australia, Canada, and South Africa. It wasn't until 1912, however, that Juliette Low formed the Girl Scouts in the US. While the Boy Scouts focused on survival and camping, the Girl Scouts focused on writing, cooking, first aid, and finance. 

The organization changed again to allow younger boys to participate, creating the Cub Scouts.

In 1916, Baden-Powell created the Wolf Cubs for boys who were under the age of 11. It became popular and eventually took on the name Cub Scouts. Today the Cub Scouts is still operating and aims to help children "start with their best right now selves and grow into their very best future selves."