Welcome to

Trail Life USA

Troop 317

Open House

Agenda

• Trail Life USA – Overview

• Why Troop 317

• Troop Activities

• Troop Structure and Programs

• Faith Studies

• Next Steps

Vision and MissionThe Vision of Trail Life USA

• Our vision is to be the premier national character

development organization for young men which produces

Godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens.

The Mission of Trail Life USA

• Our mission is simple and clear: to guide generations of

courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity,

serve others, and experience outdoor adventure.

Motto and OathTrail Life USA Motto – “Walk Worthy”

• From Colossians 1:10, an encouragement to Christian

believers to “live a life worthy of the Lord, and please Him in

every way.” Trail Life works to develop young men who will

strive to walk through their lives in a manner worthy of their

faith

Trail Life USA Oath

• On my honor, I will do my best to serve God and my country,

to respect authority, to be a good steward of creation, and to

treat others as I want to be treated.

Statement of Faith and ValuesWe Believe

• In One Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• In the Holy Scriptures – inspired and authoritative

• Each Trailman is created in God’s image

• We are enabled by the Holy Spirit

• We are called to love the Lord our God and love our

neighbors as ourselves

• In our Core Values: Purity, Service, Stewardship, and

Integrity

Why Troop 317?• Christ-centered –

– Basis of our Troop’s numeral is Colossians 3:17

• Discipleship focused –

– Mentoring by positive adult male role models

– Trail Guides are “Patrol Disciplers”

• Service oriented –

– Building and equipping young men to serve others

• Leadership focused –

– Youth-led model of leadership development

• Adventure oriented –

– “Wild at Heart” opportunities for young men

Why Trail Life at Perimeter Church?

“Attempt something so great

for God that it is doomed to

fail lest He be in it.”

Next Generation Now: “Giving

ourselves away to the least

and the lost.”

Vision: To train and equip young men to be

mature and impactful disciples of Jesus Christ

through an Outdoor Program emphasizing

Adventure, Character and Leadership.

Troop 317 Verse

“And whatever you do, whether in

word or deed, do it all in the name

of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks

to God the Father through Him.”

Colossians 3:17

Troop 317 CharterPurpose of Troop 317

Troop 317’s purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Vision of Troop 317

At all times and in every way, Troop 317 will strive to be a place where:

1. Young men become mature and impactful disciples of Christ,

2. Young men become outstanding Trailmen who demonstrate the ideals and Biblical

principles of the Trailman Oath,

3. Parents develop a closer relationship with their sons,

4. Adult volunteers serve in the areas of their giftedness and are affirmed for their support,

5. Perimeter Church benefits from our faithful stewardship of its facilities and collaboration

with its ministries.

Troop Structure

And

Programs

Troop 317 At-A-Glance

Adventurers(Grades 9-12)

7

Navigators(Grades 6-8)

8

Woodlands Trail(Grades K-5)

20

Troop Membersby Program

• 35 Young Men

• Ages 5-17

• 26 < 13 years old

• Grades K-12

• 26 Families

• 16 Male Direct

Contact Leaders

Other, 8, 31%

Perimeter, 18, 69%

Troop Family Church Affiliation

Sample Monthly Schedule• 1st Tuesday – Troop Meeting / Outing Prep / Program Activity

• 2nd Tuesday – Troop Meeting / Outing Prep / Program Activity

• 3rd Tuesday – Troop Meeting / Outing Prep / Program Activity

• 3rd Weekend – Navigator/Adventurer Weekend Campout

• 4th Tuesday – Troop Meeting / Advancement / NO WOODLANDS TRAIL MEETING

• 4th Saturday – Woodlands Trail Outing

• Meetings are Tuesday nights @ 7:00pm

• Tuesday night meetings are topic focused, with plenty of hands-on activities

Sample Weekly Meeting• Opening / Colors – ALL (7:00pm)

• Wisdom for the Wild

• Program Breakout (Woodlands Trail, Navigators, Adventurers)

• Foxes / Hawks Dismissal (~8:10pm)

• Mountain Lions re-join larger Troop for closing (~8:20pm)

• Closing / Colors

• Wisdom for the Wild Debrief

• Closing Prayer

• Mountain Lions / Navigators / Adventurers Dismissal (8:30pm)

Troop Structure

Navigators

Adventurers

Freedom Award

Woodlands Trail

Program

Woodlands Trail

Grades K-1 – Foxes

Grades 2-3 – Hawks

Grades 4-5 – Mountain Lions

Woodlands Trail

Woodlands Trail

Fox Hawk Mountain

Lion

• Heritage Branch (Brown leaves): An exploration of American Heritage, Christian

heritage, and a boy’s own family heritage. Emphasis is placed on upholding the

finest traditions of the heritage we obtain from our forefathers.

• Hobbies Branch (Black leaves): An exploration of various indoor and outdoor

hobbies that demand varying levels of knowledge, skill, or aptitude.

• Life Skills Branch (Burgundy leaves): Teaching life lessons ranging from the

practical and mundane to higher-level interpersonal skill sets.

• Outdoor Skills Branch (Blue leaves): Gaining basic understanding of woodcraft,

hiking, exploration, and camping skills.

• Science and Technology Branch (Yellow leaves): An exploration of physical and

natural science concerning our created world.

• Sports and Fitness Branch (Green leaves): Having fun in the outdoors with

sports and other activities.

• Values Branch (Red leaves): Instilling Biblical-based values within the boys

regarding any number of pertinent topics. The central focus of this branch is

teachings of the Christian faith.

Woodlands TrailProgram of Activities

• Two Elements:

– Weekly meetings

– Monthly Activities (Usually 4th Saturday)

• Mountain Lions – 2-3 overnight campouts per year

– Summer Adventure (Mountain Lions - Adventurers

Woodlands Trail Monthly Meeting Plans

• Program consists of a two-year program for each level

(Year A and Year B)

• 12 months of plans AND lessons for each year

Woodlands Trail

The Timberline AwardThe Timberline Award is the highest

award that a Trailman can earn in the

Woodlands Trail program. It designates

that a young man has completed his time

in the Woodlands Trail program and

celebrates his readiness to join the

Navigators.

Navigators / Adventurers

Program

Monthly Campouts• Weekend Campouts (Navs/Advs) – Usually the 3rd

weekend of each month.

Summer Adventure

Navs/Advs/Mtn Lions

Trail Life USA

Troop 317

Financial Details

Financial Details• One-time costs

– (1) Travel / Meeting shirt (Polo-style, collared shirt) = $26

– (1) Activity shirt (T-shirt) = $15

– (1) Formal Uniform = ~$125 (Mountain Lions +)

• Annual Costs

– Trooptrack Registration = $26

• National Registration Fees, Insurance, Trooptrack access, etc.

– Troop 317 Dues – Woodlands Trail=$60, Navigators/Adventurers=$100

• Advancement, Rank and Award Insignia, Leader Training, Meeting

Supplies, website, Trail Life Home Office fees, Troop equipment,

advertising, other operating expenses

Financial Details – Activities• Navigators / Adventurers

– Dependent on scope, distance, and direct costs involved.

– Will generally be in the neighborhood of $40-$50

• Woodlands Trail

– Dependent on scope, distance, and direct costs involved.

– Will generally be FREE or in the neighborhood of $5-$10

Financial Details – Full-YearAnnual

Dues

National

Registration

Monthly

Outings

Summer

Experience TOTAL

Foxes (K-1) 60 26 20 N/A 106

Hawks (2-3) 60 26 20 N/A 106

Mountain Lions (4-5) 60 26 60 350 516

Navigators (6-8) 100 26 400 350 876

Adventurers (9-12) 100 26 400 350 876

• Financial Aid is available for any or all of the charges shown.

• See your Program Leader or Luke Van Cleave for details.

Trail Life USA

Troop 317

Parental Involvement

Parental Involvement1. Trail Life Troop 317 is managed by and completely dependent upon volunteers.

Even at the national, regional and statewide levels, the leadership team of Trail

Life USA is comprised almost entirely of volunteers.

2. Trailmen in Troop 317 are required to volunteer for a set number of community

service hours in order to earn their Rank Advancement. Similarly, parents of

Troop 317 Trailmen are also expected to volunteer their services to help with

Troop activities.

3. All Troop parents will be required to participate in a pre-determined number of

volunteer activities/hours each year. With everyone participating, there will be

less work required for any one individual.

Parental Involvement4. The Troop 317 Committee will help identify and communicate volunteer

opportunities to parents, but parents are ultimately responsible for fulfilling

their volunteer requirements. Troop 317 parents will be able to choose from

multiple options to fulfill their “volunteer service requirement.”

5. Each Troop 317 parent will be required to attend a set number of Troop

meetings (program dependent) each year; dads of Trailmen will also need to

attend a minimum number of outings or campouts per year.

6. Parents who are single mothers will be exempted from these volunteer service

requirements, but are encouraged to participate as their schedule allows.

An excellent program needs

Excellent Parental Support

Commitment to Trail Life

is a two-way street:

Troop Youth/Parent

Troop to Parent

• Supporting your efforts through Trail Life

• Developing your son

– Physically

– Mentally

– Spiritually

• Offering support/encouragement all the way to Freedom Award and beyond

• “Citizens” vs. “Consumers”

Consumers vs Citizens

Consumers Citizens

“What’s in it for me?” “How can I contribute?”

Focused on MY child Focused on the ministry

Self-centered Other-oriented

Involvement when there’s an obvious

advantage to me

Involvement because of the nature of

the community

Engaged when it fits my schedule Arranges schedule to facilitate

involvement

Parents to Troop• Your support is critical to our success

• Supporting your son’s activities and meetings

• Encouraging his advancement

• Committing to participate in some way…– Trail Guide

– Committee member opportunities

– Assist on outings & special projects

– Financial support / Fundraisers

– Moms of Troop 317

• Our desire is that every family would find a way to contribute to Troop 317 in their

particular area of interest, giftedness or passion.

• If you have a particular skill or interest, please see Luke Van Cleave or your son’s Trail

Guide to volunteer.

• Your support may be as simple as coming to a Troop meeting to assist the Trail Guide

with their tasks or it may involve “sharing” a role with a Committee Member.

• Weekly Meetings: Please commit to attending at least two months of Troop Meetings

during the Activity year.

• Weekend Campouts/Activities: Dads, please commit to attending four weekend activities

during the year.

• Parent Meeting TBD – Attendance for all Troop Families is mandatory

Troop 317 Parental Involvement

Trail Life USA

Troop 317

Next Steps

Next Steps• REGISTRATION DEADLINE = Tuesday, August 28

• National Registration (TroopTrack)

– Let us register you ON-THE-SPOT – OR

– Provide us with your email address TONIGHT (or as soon as you decide)

– Look for the link in your email

– Complete the sign-up process ($26) ASAP

• Complete and submit Weekend Health Form

• Order appropriate Travel / Meeting Uniform Shirt ($26) and appropriate Activity Shirt ($15)

• Order Formal Uniform ($125 – Mountain Lions and up)

• Receive www.troop317.net ID and password

– Login to www.troop317.net and complete profile

– Pay Dues of $60 or $100

• Sign and return Parent Covenant

• Start Having FUN!

Thank

You!