Trail Life USA Blog

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.

Matt Gidney Jul 13, 2026

Mentoring, Trail Life USA, Leadership, Troop Adventures, Masculinity, Troop, Raising Godly Boys

Sons of Liberty, Sons of Legacy: Titus—Protector

“When I first met Titus, I think he probably would have rather poked himself in the eye with an ice pick than stand up and talk to people,” Darren, a Trail Life leader in Denton, Texas, recalls.

Matt Gidney Jul 09, 2026

Parenting, Trail Life USA, Boy Scout Alternative, Leadership, Masculinity, Raising Godly Boys, Rescue Boys

We No Longer Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident

What ever happened to common sense? What happened to those truths we all held to be self-evident?

Matt Gidney Jul 06, 2026

Trail Life USA, Leadership, Masculinity, History, Raising Godly Boys

Sons of Liberty, Sons of Legacy: John Hancock — Protector

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?”1 John 3:17

Matt Gidney Jun 24, 2026

Trail Life USA, Let Boys be Boys, Boy Scout Alternative, Troop Adventures, Masculinity

Stepping into Adventure: How Small Adventures Shape Strong Men

Details of this story and quotes are drawn directly from an account written by Richard Hembree, Troop Ministry Liaison for Troop GA-0456 The Call of Adventure In Trail Life, we’re all about adventure—not for the sake of thrill-seeking, but because adventure calls to something deep in the heart of…

Matt Gidney Jun 18, 2026

Mentoring, Trail Life USA, Leadership, Troop Adventures, Masculinity, Troop, Raising Godly Boys

Faithful Fathers, Future Men

Today, too many boys are growing up with smartphones in their hands but without a father’s steady hand on their shoulder.

Matt Gidney Jun 15, 2026

Mentoring, Trail Life USA, Leadership, Troop Adventures, Masculinity, Troop, Raising Godly Boys

Sons of Liberty, Sons of Legacy: Jackson Ream—Strength

There are different kinds of strength. We tend to associate the word with big muscles and athletic prowess. Or maybe we think of inner strength, a kind of unshakable resilience that allows a man to weather life’s storms and accomplish something noteworthy. But whatever form it takes, masculine…

Matt Gidney Jun 08, 2026

Trail Life USA, Leadership, Masculinity, History, Raising Godly Boys

Sons of Liberty, Sons of Legacy: Francis Marion — Strength

Some men mistake swagger for strength. They picture the clenched fist, the raised voice, the man who gets his way because others are afraid to stand in his path. But true strength is not merely the ability to overpower. It is the ability to govern oneself, to channel power toward worthy ends, to…

Matt Gidney May 18, 2026

Mentoring, Trail Life USA, Leadership, Troop Adventures, Masculinity, Troop, Raising Godly Boys

Sons of Liberty, Sons of Legacy: Christopher — Service

Some men walk well-worn paths. Others have to blaze the trail themselves. When Christopher first walked into his Trail Life Troop in upstate New York, there was no blueprint waiting for him. The Troop was new—still small, uncertain, and figuring things out. There were no older boys to follow, no…

Matt Gidney May 11, 2026

Trail Life USA, Leadership, Masculinity, History, Raising Godly Boys

Sons of Liberty, Sons of Legacy: Nathanael Greene—Service

“We fight get beat and fight again.” - Nathanael Greene, in a letter to George Washington, on May 1, 1781