Culture

Trail Life USA Sees 70% Increase in New Members, While Boy Scouts of America Declines 43%

Marti Pieper 3:09AM July 10, 2021

The Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA organizations have seen their total membership decline in 2020. Specifically, according to figures provided to The Associated Press, numbers for the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts plummeted from nearly 2 million in 2019 to 1.12 million in 2020, a 43% decline. During the same time, Trail Life USA (TrailLifeUSA.com) saw its new membership explode, increasing over 70%.

“It’s not the pandemic or social trends away from the outdoors that is hurting the Boy Scouts,” said Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA. “When an organization with a remarkable past that provided us with presidents and astronauts and generals and civic leaders for over 100 years decides to abandon its laser focus on boys and its commitment to the core strengths that made them and this country great, what would you expect?”

Trail Life USA’s mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others and experience outdoor adventure. Since 2014, Trail Life has remained faithful to its calling to produce godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens.

Camping, hiking and outdoor activities help build deep relationships and provide a special context for leadership, problem-solving, conflict-resolution and character-building. Trail Life USA values the outdoor focus of its programs as a unique means of helping a boy see and appreciate the wonder, majesty and grandness of God as reflected in His creation.

Trail Life USA continues to see tremendous demand for a solid Christ-centered and boy-focused mentoring program that resonates with the adventurous heart of a boy. “In just the past month, over 200 individuals have reached out to ask about how to start a Trail Life Troop in their community,” said Hancock. “Families are scrambling in search of an organization that will help them make godly men from the stuff of boys. Trail Life is that organization, and that’s why our numbers are exploding.”

Trail Life USA is the premier national character development organization for young men producing godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens. Trail Life’s mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others and experience outdoor adventure. Troops exist in all 50 states and are growing as Trail Life USA continues to expand across the country over the past eight years.

Since Trail Life USA launched on Jan. 1, 2014, it has grown to over 30,000 members in over 850 Troops across the nation. The K-12 program centers on outdoor experiences that build a young man’s skills. A robust awards program motivates young men to grow on a personal level to become role models and leaders among their peers. Living the Trail Life USA is a journey established on timeless values derived from the Bible.   {eoa}

Discover more about Trail Life USA at TrailLifeUSA.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Vimeo, or visit a troop near you or Start a troop.