There are many people of faith that believe the Boy Scouts of America has lost its way. Where once the organization was almost a rite of passage for boys on the way to becoming men, today it is not just about boys or affirming their strengths. Girls are also invited to join, even though there’s such an organization called, “Girl Scouts”. And the BSA is not about character based on serving God and country, but about individual achievements. Then there’s the tragedy of thousands of boys who now claim they were sexually abused by troop leaders or older boys in authority positions, leading to hundreds of millions of dollars paid out to settle those claims. Whatever you think of the BSA, there has arisen an alternative to the 110-year-old organization. It’s called Trail Life USA. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Trail Life’s CEO Mark Hancock talks about how his organization is growing by leaps and bounds, while BSA’s membership is shrinking. Hancock has said that the Boy Scouts of America abandoned its ‘laser focus on boys’, it’s faith-based mission, and it’s moral compass. Trail Life has made all three parts of its core principles. It is unapologetically Christ centered in its mission to help boys cultivate their God-given strengths. And they’re making it clear that the phrase, ‘boys will be boys’ means something positive.
