Five weeks after the Boy Scouts voted to admit openly gay youth, about fifty people met in Louisville and founded Trail Life USA, which on its own figures is a small fraction of the Scouts' size. The largest departure was the Latter-day Saints Church, which ended a 105-year partnership. Yet the episode argues the real competition was calendars, cost and a shortage of adult volunteers.
Who's who
- John StembergerOrlando attorney who organized OnMyHonor.Net and helped found Trail Life USA
- Mark HancockChief executive of Trail Life USA from its launch
- Patti GaribayFounder of American Heritage Girls in 1995
- Robert PutnamPolitical scientist who wrote Bowling Alone on declining associational life
- Arthur SpaldingAdventist whose 1919 Scouts Missionaries are among Pathfinders' roots
Where it happens
- Louisville, Kentucky+2 more episodesHotel where Trail Life USA was founded on June 29, 2013
- West Chester, OhioWhere American Heritage Girls was founded in 1995
Timeline
- 1995American Heritage Girls founded with 10 troops and 100 girls
- May 2013Youth-membership vote passes 61 to 38
- June 29, 2013About fifty people meet in Louisville and found the replacement that becomes Trail Life USA
- May 2018Latter-day Saints announce the end of their Scouting partnership
- January 1, 2020Church's split takes effect; Children and Youth program launches
- February 8, 2025Boy Scouts of America begins operating as Scouting America
Still debated
No journalist has audited Trail Life USA's or American Heritage Girls' membership figures, and Scouting America's own 2025 count is contested at 907,950 versus 1,030,858. Why the Latter-day Saints left is also disputed; the Church cited global uniformity.