In 2014, a new scouting organization, Trail Life USA (Trail Life), will open its doors to America. The group was formed in response to Boy Scouts of America (BSA) allowing gays to join in May 2013.

Trail Life is currently designed for any boys who are biologically male and under the age of 18. According to its website, it is a Christian-based organization that values character development, leadership, moral purity, and ethical and moral standards found in the Bible.

Drew Casati, Eagle Scout and senior, said he is tolerant of the new organization. “I think it’s totally fine if they want to form their own organization, people can do what they want. I don’t know if I agree with it, but I can’t say that I’m against it,” Casati said.

Local BSA scoutmaster Mike Elliott said he agrees with Casati that the formation of Trail Life is acceptable. However, he said he completely disagrees with the overall message of the organization, which, according to Elliott, is that gays have no place in scouting.

“They can believe what they want to believe. I think it’s completely their right as an American and also their right to be completely wrong,” Elliott said.

According to Trail Life’s website, there are membership standards as well as a statement of faith and values that all members must sign in order to join. Elliott said he thinks the foundations of Trail Life that are described are narrow and unappealing.

“Reading their website they seem very focused on a small group of people and values. That just doesn’t appeal to a country of 310 million,” Elliott said. “The appeal of Boy Scouts is beyond that realm.”

Despite differing viewpoints on Trail Life, both Casati and Elliott said that they believe the BSA will remain the prominent scouting organization in America.

“I can’t say that Trail Life will ever overtake Boy Scouts. I think Boy Scouts is already too big and too popular,” Casati said.

Elliott said he believes Trail Life will be unable to catch the BSA because its messages are poor and the BSA has too much history.

“I don’t think they will ever grow to the level of Boy Scouts just because they are so narrow and closed-minded without any opportunity for different viewpoints,” Elliott said. “There’s over a hundred years of history with Boy Scouts and they have always been growing with the times. I don’t see that changing.”

Trail Life associates were not used in this story after several attempts to get in contact with the organization received no response.