Former
Boy Scout and Scoutmaster Ron Orr stands outside his home in North
Richland Hills, Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013. Orr, a business
consultant, is signing up local units for a new conservative alternative
to the Boy Scouts of America called Trail Life USA, after the BSA, in
the most contentious change of membership policy in their 103-year
history, opened their ranks to openly gay boys. Orr is part of a family
that has four generations of Eagle Scouts. His older son recently earned
his Eagle rank and his younger son was on the verge of doing likewise.
But Orr said he could not stand by after the policy change. (AP/LM
Otero)
Bible-Based Alternative to Boy Scouts Launches After Policy Change for Gay Scouts
With the new year came a new group for
youth, based on Christian principles, as a response to the Boy Scouts of
America’s decision to allow gay scouts. Trail Life USA formally began
operating Jan. 1.
The new organization’s motto is “Walk
Worthy,” taken from Colossians 1:10 “that you may walk worthy of the
Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God.”
“Our vision is to be the premier
national character development organization for young men which produces
godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens,” the
organization’s website states.
Though it’s based on Christian and biblical principles, its open to people of all faiths.
“While the program is undergirded by
Biblical values and unapologetically reflects a Christian worldview,
there is also a clearly defined inclusion policy for youth,” according
to the membership standards.
“Accordingly, all boys are welcome irrespective of religion, race,
national origin or socio-economic status. Our goal is for parents and
families of every faith to be able to place their boys in a youth
program that endeavors to provide moral consistency and ethical
integrity in its adult leaders.”
Larry Wagner, who is a leader recruiting members and host churches for organization in Northeast Florida told WTEV
in Jacksonville, Fla., “as a Christian, I see Trail Life USA as a way
to be more explicit with my Christianity and imparting that aspect of it
as they grow into manhood.”
Wagner said that potential troop
leaders agree to a statement of faith, that includes defining marriage
as a union between a man and a woman, according to the Jacksonville
station. “For the youth who are still exploring
who they are or might be having a conception of who they might be, we
make no such constraint,” Wagner said. “Come on board, walk with us for a
while. We’ll see where this leads.”
The idea for the organization came
last September in Nashville, when 1,200 former scout masters, Eagle
Scouts, parents, church leaders and other former professions with the
Boy Scouts of America form 44 states gathered. The Boy Scouts of America, a
103-year-old organization, sparked controversy last year when it lifted a
ban on gay youth scout members. It did not lift a ban on adult gay
scout masters. The new policy for the Boy Scouts also took effect
Wednesday.
The Trail Life USA membership standards
for the organization includes, “The basis for the program’s ethical and
moral standards is found in the Bible. In terms of sexual
identification and behavior, we affirm that any sexual activity outside
the context of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman is
sinful before God and therefore inconsistent with the values and
principles of the program.”
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