Matt Gidney

Service Masculinity History

Davy Crockett: A Trailman’s Kind of Hero

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.
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Matt Gidney

Service Masculinity History

Raising the Next Great Generation: Why Remembering the Past Is the First Step Toward Building Strong Men

“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
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Matt Gidney

Leadership Masculinity

Don't Invite Me to Church: The Power of Presence

"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.”
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Matt Gidney

Mentoring Parenting Leadership Masculinity

God Sent Men: A Story of Single Motherhood, Mentorship, and the Power of a Troop Family

“When my husband left our family, my prayer for my sons was simple: ‘God, please send godly men into their lives.’”
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Mark Hancock

In The News

Too Woke For Warriors? The Military Pushes Back— Trail Life Steps Up

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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Matt Gidney

Let Boys be Boys Leadership Troop Adventures

Adventure in the Everglades

As the last light faded over Fisheating Creek, the Everglades came alive. Palmettos glowed gold in the twilight. Cypress trees cast long shadows in the tannin-stained water. Crickets chirped. Tree frogs sang. And the boys—well, the boys were stirring chili.
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Stephen Ashton

Parenting Let Boys be Boys

Delaying Manhood, Developing Manliness

Let Boys Be Boys There was a time when boyhood was an untamed, unhurried thing. When creek beds turned into racetracks for hand-carved boats, the tops of hay bales became mountain peaks to be conquered, and backyard disputes ended in a wrestling match and a handshake.
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Matt Gidney

Troop Adventures History

Two Nights Aboard the USS Yorktown: Hands-On History and Lessons in Duty

Imagine being 12 years old, bunking with your dad and best friends aboard a real aircraft carrier, drifting off to sleep after a full day of hands-on exploration. The creak of the ship, the distant hum of the harbor, the lingering excitement of standing where real sailors once stood—it’s the kind of experience that ...
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Matt Gidney

Let Boys be Boys Troop Adventures Masculinity

Trailmen Don't Hibernate!

There's No Offseason for Adventure When the world falls asleep beneath a blanket of snow, when bears slumber in their dens and squirrels hunker down, waiting for warmer days—boys see something different. To them, winter is a blank canvas for adventure.
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