The Girl Guides of Canada has renamed its Brownies branch the 鈥淓mbers鈥� 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.

鈥淲e were really thrilled with the support from within the organization, and especially that girls understood this change,鈥� said Zelmanovits.

鈥淲hen you say to a girl, you know, at a very basic level, this name makes some girls feel like they don鈥檛 belong, their automatic reaction is: 鈥榊ou should change it.鈥欌�� What we thought might have been a difficult conversation was not a difficult conversation for them. For them it was a very automatic response.鈥�

Zelmanovits said current and former members chose 鈥淓mbers鈥� over 鈥淐omets鈥� 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 鈥渟pecific concern鈥� and that there 鈥渁re always more things that organizations can do.鈥�

For one thing, she described the Girl Guides of Canada 鈥渁s overwhelmingly 鈥� a non-racialized organization.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that the organization and the board of directors is very conscious of, and obviously (our) mission of and vision 鈥� the vision being a better world by girls 鈥� (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.鈥�

Although boosting members was not the goal of the name change, Zelmanovits said they鈥檝e already heard some families have signed up for the first time because of the move.

She said she鈥檚 inspired by the eagerness of the Guides鈥� young members to take action when they see the need.

鈥淪ometimes I wish adults could take a page from that, because it is a great reaction to just say: Well, if it鈥檚 causing harm, you should change it,鈥� said Zelmanovits.

鈥淚f we just took their lead I think we could probably solve a lot of problems in the world.鈥�

鈥擟assandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press