CRESTVIEW — A Christ-centered program created as an alternative to Boy Scouts of America hasn't affected local BSA membership, officials said.
Trail Life USA Troop 77 — formed in May and chartered to Woodlawn Baptist Church — now has about 25 Woodland Trails members, the equivalent of Cub Scouts, and eight Navigators and Adventurers, similar to Boy Scouts, troop master Rob Rankin said.
The group “spawned from recent decisions made by the Boy Scouts,” Rankin said, referring to a May 2013 BSA membership standards revision allowing gay boys to join scouting.
OPEN TO ALL FAITHS
“We’re not by any stretch trying to besmirch Boy Scouts,” Rankin said. “We want to honor Boy Scouts but ratchet up the moral standards.”
Rankin, an Eagle Scout, said Troop 77 is open to “all religions and all boys,” with a focus, like Boy Scouts, on character and leadership and “to guide young men to honor God.”
However, Trailmen, as its members are called, don’t recognize homosexuality, Rankin said.
“We don’t put labels on a boy,” he said. “These types of labels don’t belong on young men.”
While Trail Life USA is faith-based, “it’s not a Bible study,” Rankin said. “It’s a masculine, outdoor program. The vision of our organization is to be the premier, national organization for young men that produces Godly husbands, fathers and leaders.”
Boy Scout merit badges and ranks transfer to Trailmen, he said, adding, “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
CO-EXISTING OUTDOOR PROGRAMS
Local BSA leaders said they've noticed no loss of scouts to the Trail Life troop, and noted scouts already serve alongside faith-based boys’ outdoor programs.
“We have coexisted with the Royal Rangers for years and years with no problems,” Boy Scouts Unit Commissioner Rae Schwartz said, referring to the small-group activity ministry with outposts, or troops, in Crestview, Baker and Milligan.
“We are trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient and cheerful, so I think if we follow all that we can get along well with the newcomers,” Schwartz said, paraphrasing the Scout Law.
“Obviously it’s competition for kids, but we wish them well in their mission,” Boy Scouts Gulf Council Executive Director Spencer Page said. “They will certainly fill a niche for folks who don’t think scouting meets their needs. It’s another choice that parents have in a community."
Still, there is a misunderstanding about Boy Scouting’s membership changes, Page said.
“I think a lot of people have a misconception about what our position is,” he said. “Sexual orientation and sexual behavior and sexual discussions have no place in scouting. We leave sexual discussions to church and family.”
‘IT WAS NEVER AN ISSUE’
Being gay and attaining Boy Scouts of America's highest rank before membership standards changed — to formally allow homosexual boys in May 2013 — was no concern for one Crestview Eagle Scout.
“It was never even an issue,” the Eagle, who requested anonymity, said. “We were just friends. We were just hanging out and having a good time. The only time it got awkward is when other guys started talking about their girlfriends, and you couldn’t really say much.”
However, the Eagle Scout said, he would have liked to have been more open with fellow scouts.
“It would’ve been nice,” he said. “But it’s one of those Catch-22s. You come out and people start treating you different. If they don’t know, they treat you the same way they always do.”
While being gay didn’t affect his success as a Boy Scout, it would work against him if he wanted to continue in scouting as an adult leader. Gay men aren’t allowed to serve in advisory roles.
“Being an adult now, I can’t really participate anymore because there’s an issue there, but what I do in my personal life wouldn’t carry over to scouts,” the Eagle said.
Fallout after the change in Boy Scouts membership standards is "pretty silly," he said.
“It is one of those things where people say, ‘Oh the youth are vulnerable,’ but we’re at a point now where youth have grown up with gay friends and it’s normal,” the Eagle said. “Now kids are like, ‘Oh, you’re gay? So what.’”
INTERESTED?
Crestview’s Trail Life USA Troop 0077 meets 6-7:30 p.m. Fridays at Woodlawn Baptist Church Life Center, 824 Ferdon Boulevard N. Call 682-2924 for more details.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Boy Scout, Trail Life leaders: Groups can co-exist despite different membership standards