New Boy Scouts alternative, Trail Life, starting up in Hixson

While at Fall Creek Falls, the Hixson Presbyterian Church Trail Life Troop got to take turns looking through a special telescope to safely observe the sun. (Contributed Photo)
While at Fall Creek Falls, the Hixson Presbyterian Church Trail Life Troop got to take turns looking through a special telescope to safely observe the sun. (Contributed Photo)

When Jim Swearingen prepared for Hixson Presbyterian Church's first Trail Life USA Troop meeting in May, he told himself he and the church's other adult leaders would be lucky to get 10 boys to sign up.

It blew him away when 35 boys made it to the meeting, full of questions about joining the troop.

"We weren't quite prepared for those numbers, but we survived," he laughed.

Although not every attendee signed up that day, Swearingen said nearly 30 boys from kindergarten through 12th grade joined the fledgling troop and more are expected to sign up. The national Trail Life Organization is similarly new; the religious-based outdoor program started in 2013 to offer a more spiritual alternative to the Boy Scouts of America by focusing more on the relationship between the troop and the chartering organization, typically a Christian church.

Swearingen, a former Boy Scout and BSA adult leader, said the Trail Life program reminds him more of what it was like to be a Boy Scout when he was growing up in the 1960s with the program's greater emphasis on spirituality and faith.

"A fellow former Scouter pointed me to Trail Life, and I was pulled into this pretty quick," Swearingen said, adding that though he has no children young enough to participate in the troop, he enjoyed his time as an adult leader with the Boy Scouts and wants to provide a similar experience for the young men in his community.

photo The focus of the troop will be outdoor activities and adventures while also focusing on Christian morals and faith. (Contributed Photo)

Swearingen noted that Hixson Presbyterian considers the troop an official outreach program and boys throughout the community are invited to join. By his estimates, about half of the members of the troop are not from the church.

The younger members of the troop, called Woodlands, recently took a trip to Fall Creek Falls State Park as a day camping trip, hiking down to the falls and getting to learn from park rangers. Swearingen said several other outings are currently in the works, including a hiking trip through Chickamauga Battlefield, an introduction to climbing at High Point Climbing downtown, and a camping trip for the older troop members, called Navigators or Adventurers depending on the age group.

Although faith is a key part of the Trail Life USA program, the "trail" part is still present, and so outdoor activities will be a focus.

There are yearly dues of $53 and a registration fee of $26 to be a part of the troop, but Swearingen said the church has budgeted money for kids and families who might struggle with the financial burden.

The troop has an open house planned for the community to attend in August, the exact date for which had yet to be determined as of press time. For more information about the troop or the church, call 875-0616.

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