CEO of Boy Scouts of America Alternative: ‘Saddened’ by Scouts Name Change

The CEO of Trail Life USA, an alternative to what used to be called the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), said the company was “saddened” by the BSA’s recent name change to Scouting America.

In a press release on Friday, Mark Hanock, the CEO of Trail Life USA, criticized the Boy Scouts organization for challenging the fact that “boys and girls are different” and leaving behind a “male-centric environment.”

“We are saddened by the Scouts’ continued challenge to the truth that boys and girls are different and deserve different programs,” Hancock said in the press release. “Trail Life USA remains committed to recognizing the unique design of boys through our proven process that is growing them into godly men.”

Hancock’s statement came after the BSA changed its 114-year-old name at the beginning of May in an attempt to send “a really strong message” that every person in American can join Scouting America and “bring their authentic self,” Scouting America President and CEO Roger Krone explained.

Hancock added:

Organizations like the Boy Scouts that previously upheld the uniqueness and wonder of boyhood have abandoned the male-centric environment that for centuries was the key to awakening the hearts of boys and men as, together, they experienced adventure, nurtured faith, and grew to become the men God called them to be.

Hancock went on to acknowledge that men and women are physically and emotionally different, adding that “pretending otherwise in the name of progress or permissiveness might be culturally acceptable, but it does both sexes a disservice.”

“Boys and girls deserve unique programs created with their specific needs in mind,” Hancock continued.

The BSA’s name change comes as, in recent years, the organization has made a wave of changes, such as  lifting a ban on gay employees and allowing transgender boys to become members of the scouting organization.

In 2019, the organization made history by allowing girls to join, changing its name to Scouts BSA.

Throughout the years, the Boy Scouts of America has faced numerous allegations by former boy scouts that leaders sexually abused them. In 2021, the organization reached a $850 million settlement over allegations of sexual abuse.

“Trail Life isn’t just a Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts; it’s an answer to the deep crisis affecting boys in America,” Hancock added. “While the Boy Scouts abandon their traditional boy-centered roots, we are dedicated to providing boys and their families a space that is geared towards boys.”