Free Republic

The BSA’s leftist agenda results in a membership drop from 1.97 million to 762,000. *** The BSA announced last week its $850 million settlement with thousands of abuse claimants, the vast majority being from many decades ago. *** In January of 2013, in a “Letter to an Eagle Scout,” I responded to the dismay over a proposal by the BSA National Board to remove the membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. In May of that year, the BSA’s national board, under the “leadership” of wealthy corporate types who were completely out of touch with grassroots Scouting values, promoted and implemented a...

A Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts, Trail Life USA, is filling in the gap since membership in the Boy Scouts took a huge dive after moving to a more woke focus. Boy Scouts of America lost two million members in the past eight years. Trail Life USA started after the Boy Scouts decision to lift its ban on gay scout leaders. The Christian-based alternative group seeks to “guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure.”

A youth scouting group formed in response to the controversial changes within the Boy Scouts of America has reported an increase in the number of chapters during the pandemic. Trail Life USA , launched in 2014 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, is reporting dozens of new chapters and more than 30,000 members. Trail Life USA CEO Mark Hancock told The Christian Post that 65 new troops have been created thus far in 2021, with over 100 in the process of being chartered. “So far this year, we have seen a 70% increase in new members over this time last...

I’m writing more in anger than in sadness. As holder of an Eagle Scout badge, I went through the sadness stage back in 2013 when the Boy Scouts board caved to the LGBTQ lobby. Well, okay, I was pretty angry then, too, watching the saboteurs within and without the organization systematically undermine it in the name of “tolerance.” It didn’t matter that the Scouts won all their court battles, including at the Supreme Court, to maintain their moral standards. The saboteurs were intent on ending the Scouts’ common-sense, existentially necessary exclusion of boys who sexually desire males. And that was...

On May 31, Trailmen joined St. Joseph Parish in honoring Christ with a procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi. For approximately 800 years Catholics set aside the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday to acknowledge the awesome reality that Jesus meant what he said, “This is my Body” and “He who eats me will live because of me.” Along with the warning that, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.” The Feast of Corpus Christi and the procession with the Blessed...

Three amazing bishops have joined Catholic Trailmen and Traildads (is that a word?) to ensure a future for Catholic outdoor adventure.  With joy and gratitude Trail Life can announce that the Most Reverend James D. Conley, Bishop of Lincoln (Nebraska); the Most Reverend David Kagan, Bishop of Bismarck (North Dakota); and the Most Reverend Michael J. Sheridan, Bishop of Colorado Springs (Colorado), have agreed to join our new Episcopal Advisory Board and to offer their counsel to the National Catholic Committee for Trail Life. Bishop Conley is a wonderful, rock solid bishop known for his dynamic orthodoxy and willingness to...

An important part of membership into Trail Life is internalizing the oath: On my honor, I will do my best To serve God and my country; To respect authority; To be a good steward of creation; And to treat others as I want to be treated. On my honor… Today, many people equate “honor” with fame, awards, and recognition from the world. However, for the Trailman, honor is understood

It was Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 6, 2013. The huge hall was overflowing, the convention sold out. Over 1,200 attendees, with many spilling out into the foyer, eagerly awaited the announcement. What would this safe, moral and non-sexualized alternative to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) look like? With a stirring introductory video came the answer: “Trail Life USA” would now endeavor to “be the premier national character development organization for young men, which produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens.” The reveal, eagerly anticipated by hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of Americans was met with rousing...

Earlier this year, when the Boy Scouts of America changed its policy to allow openly gay members, a local council braced for repercussions. "We knew back in May that it might be a challenge, but we didn't know how great a challenge," said Bill Davis, executive with the Scouts' West Central Florida Council, serving Pinellas and West Pasco counties. "So far, the biggest fallout is the financial loss. We need about $75,000 to balance our budget this year." Also feeling the wrath of those who disapprove of the Boy Scouts' decision is the Gulf Ridge Council, which serves eight counties,...