Matt Gidney
Matt Gidney taught English at Covenant College and the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. He currently serves as the communications and compliance coordinator for Trail Life USA. He lives in Travelers Rest, South Carolina with his wife and 3 children.
Recent Posts
Matt Gidney
Let Boys be Boys Troop Adventures Masculinity
The van wound through the tunnel, headlights bouncing off granite walls before bursting into the open air — and suddenly, there it was. Yosemite Valley stretched before them in all its glory: the sheer face of El Capitan to the left, the distant crown of Half Dome rising on the horizon.
Read More
Matt Gidney
Mentoring Leadership Masculinity
A Father’s Search When Ken became a father in 2011, he wanted to make sure he spent quality time with his son. Like many dads, he thought of the Boy Scouts. But as the organization shifted away from its foundations, he began looking for something different—something Christ-centered, something that would build not only ...
Read More
Matt Gidney
Let Boys be Boys Troop Adventures Masculinity
Wheeler Peak Wilderness, Taos, NM – July 2025 On July 17, 2025, Trailmen of Troop TX-0022 stood on top of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest summit at 13,160 feet. But their story began long before the final summit. It began with a bold idea: a backpacking trip to conquer five rugged peaks above 11,000 feet in the ...
Read More
Matt Gidney
Parenting Let Boys be Boys Leadership Troop Adventures
When 16-year-old Noah laced up his boots to summit Guadalupe Peak—the highest point in Texas—he was ready for the challenge. But by the time he descended, his feet were raw with blisters and his spirit was wavering.
Read More
Matt Gidney
Service Leadership Masculinity
“They gave us a beautiful gift. They gave us hope.” - Kitty Gandee
Read More
Matt Gidney
It started with thunder. Ear-splitting, chest-rattling thunder. Black clouds rolled in and rain poured down as lightning lit up the Texas sky. And in the middle of it all, a small group of boys in uniform, rehearsing their Color Guard ceremony with a mixture of nerves, pride, and fierce determination.
Read More
Matt Gidney
There’s something about the frontier spirit that stirs a man’s soul. The call of the wild, the test of character, the proving ground of adventure—this is where boys become men. And few names loom larger on the American frontier than Davy Crockett.
Read More
Matt Gidney
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” —Laurence Binyon
Read More
Matt Gidney
"Don’t Invite Me to Church" Brandon didn’t mince words. He was here for Trail Life—for his son, for the boys—but church? No thanks. He’d seen too much. Pastor Darrell Cooper didn’t flinch. He didn’t argue. He didn’t push. He just smiled and said, “Okay.”
Read More

