Overview

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Trail Life USA is a Christian adventure, character, and leadership program for young men. Living the Trail Life is a journey established on timeless values derived from the Bible. It is a K-12 program that centers on outdoor experiences designed to build a young man’s skills and allow him to grow on a personal level as a role model and leader for his peers. 

The mission of Trail Life is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. 

The motto is “Walk Worthy”, which is taken from Colossians 1:10  “… that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”. 

Trail Life is unapologetically Christ-centered and has a Statement of Faith and Values that align with a Biblical worldview.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch this introductory video.

Trail Life USA: Engage Men, Build Boys, Strengthen Families, Grow The Church

More information on Trail Life USA can be found at www.traillifeusa.com .

Troop GA-0456 was chartered in June 2015 at Church of the Apostles (COTA). Meetings are generally on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings, during the Fall and Spring semesters, from 6:30-8:00 PM win the STS Gym at Church of the Apostles 3585 Northside Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30327.

Activities and program curriculum vary by age group, with an emphasis on outdoor activities and service projects. We will have one planned outdoor activity each month, generally on the 3rd Weekend. These activities will vary from camping trips, to day hikes, to service projects, etc. For more details please see the events page on this website. 

The answer is, yes! Trail Life has developed age-appropriate programming for the following age ranges, which are designed to produce specific outcomes in the hearts and minds of our sons. You may notice these outcomes are very similar to the developmental stages in a “classical” approach to education.

Age Range  Program Name  Outcome

K-5th Grade  -  Woodlands Trail  -  Knowledge

• Adult led - fun based learning
• Awards are mostly participation based
• Advanced awards are available to be earned

6th-8th Grade  -  Navigators  -  Understanding

• Beginning to transition from boy to young man
• Introduction to the patrol method of leadership with positions such as Junior Patrol Leader 
• Advancement is assisted by adults but responsibility shifts to the Trailman
• Skills are learned and mastered

9th-12th Grade  -  Adventurers  -  Wisdom

• Troop Leadership - these youth are developed as the leadership for the troop with officer positions such as First Officer, Second Officer, Quartermaster,  Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader
• Adults act more in a coaching type of role

Age Cut-Off Dates and Required Parental Involvement

Woodlands Trail (K-5th Grade)

Foxes (Kindergarten and 1st grade)

o  Must at least 5 years old by October 31st

o  A parent must attend each meeting and activity with this age group

Hawks (2nd and 3rd grade)

o  Must be at least 7 years old by October 31st

o  A parent must attend activities with this age group

Mountain Lions (4th and 5th grade)

o  Must be at least 9 years old by October 31st 

Navigators (6th to 8th Grade)

●  Must be least 11 years old by October 31st

●  Adult volunteers needed to support this age group

Adventurers (9th to 12th Grade)

●  Must be at least 14 years old by October 31st

●  Adult volunteers needed to support this age group 

Our desire is to build a community characterized by discipleship within Troop GA-0456. Stated another way, we are not interested in creating a place where parents just drop off their sons several times a month with little to no personal involvement. We look to Deuteronomy 6:5-7 for inspiration in this endeavor. 

In order to promote this type of community, our troop desires that at least one parent be a Registered Adult. Registered Adults must pay the regular member fee, agree with the Statement of Faith, submit to a background check, and complete the Child Safety Youth Protection Training. As a part of the 1-2-3 youth protection plan, all direct contact leaders need to be Registered Adults.  This does not require the Registered Adult to be at every activity or meeting (varies by age group), but we strongly encourage involvement.  

Dues: Dues to the national Trail Life organization are about $35.00 per year for youth members, paid directly on-line when a member is registered. Our local troop dues are $125.00 per year ($250.00 max per family) with our accounting year beginning on September 1st . Once an adult is invited to be a Leader/Registered Adult, dues are also about $35.00 per year for national registration.  Adults do not pay any local troop dues. 

Other Costs: Monthly adventures include camping and backpacking. Expenses may include food, parking fees, needed equipment. However, the Navigators / Adventurers do cook for the group at times and we have some gear that can be checked out from the troop.

Fund Raisers: One or two targeted fundraisers will be planned allowing Trailmen to "earn" enough to cover expenses.

Uniforms: The formal Trailman uniform can be found online at https://shop.traillifeusa.com  The cost is $65-$110 per Trailman/Leader.

Communication: We have moved solely to the Trailife platform for communications, planning and awards tracking  https://www.traillifeconnect.com/login

If you are already convinced that Trail Life USA and Troop GA-0456 are the kind of program and community you want for you and your son(s), then come to one of meetings and begin experiencing the Trail Life. Visitors are always welcome.  (See the Events Page for the schedule.)

If you have more question, click the Find Out More button below to be taken to the contact us page.

We hope this information has answered many of your questions about Trail Life and Troop GA-0456. We are very excited about what God is accomplishing amongst us and hope you and your son(s) will make the decision to join us!