Woodlands Trail (K-5th Grades)
Proverbs 24:3-4 (Knowledge)
Adventure is at the heart of the Trail Life USA program. Boys love hiking, camping, fishing, tree-climbing, storytelling, and s’mores around campfires. Weekly meetings are designed to delight the raucous, rowdy, unruly nature of a boy. Young Trailmen engage in hands-on experiences that develop character, deepen faith, and hone practical skills following the model of Fun, Focus, Fingers, Family and Faith.
The Woodlands Trail Program is designed for boys of elementary-school age, comprising an introductory year followed by two consecutive two-year programs based upon the following age groups:
- Fox K – 1st grade (5 years old by October 31).
- Hawk 2nd – 3rd grade (7 years old by October 31)
- Mt Lion 4th – 5th grade (9 years old by October 31)
To ensure that activities are age-appropriate and progressively challenging, boys are grouped together with boys of their own age.
Fox 
During their initial year, Foxes are introduced to Trail Life USA, learn basic new skills, engage in social interaction and have fun. This is a year of practicing how to listen to instruction and follow through on simple tasks. Due to age, Foxes may only camp overnight with a male parent, guardian, or other responsible adult.
Hawk
Hawks begin the next step on the Trail, increasing their skills and demonstrating increased alertness, situational awareness, eagerness to contribute and desire to tackle new challenges. This is a time of more detailed instruction and information sharing, with Trailmen expected to grasp the significance and day to day impact of life on the Trail. Hawks also camp overnight with a male parent, guardian, or other responsible adult.
Mountain Lion
Mountain Lions show signs of greater independence, physical strength, and confidence, but still require strong adult guidance. The expectations of skill development increase significantly in anticipation of advancement to the Navigator program. Trailmen at this level should have the ability to receive more complex instruction and implement, with the awareness of when to seek assistance. They should model the values of a Trailman to younger participants. Mountain Lions may camp with members of their patrol or with a male parent, guardian, or other responsible adult.
PROGRAM BRANCHES
During the introductory and subsequent two-year programs, a Trailman will participate in activities from among seven areas (known as branches), including:
- Heritage Branch – 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 – An exploration of various indoor and outdoor hobbies that demand varying levels of knowledge, skill, or aptitude.
- Life Skills Branch – Teaching life lessons ranging from the practical and mundane to higher-level interpersonal skill sets.
- Outdoor Skills Branch – Gaining basic understanding of woodcraft, hiking, exploration, and camping skills.
- Science and Technology Branch – An exploration of physical and natural science concerning our created world.
- Sports and Fitness Branch – Having fun in the outdoors with sports and other activities.
- Values Branch – Instilling biblically based values in the boys. The central focus of this branch is teaching of the Christian faith.
AWARDS
Boys also love stickers, patches, pins, and awards. In Troop meetings or as part of a “Hit the Trail!” adventure, they work on various Steps along the Trail.
Patrol Branch Patch: When a boy qualifies to enter one of the three (3) Woodlands Trail program age groups, the boy may earn the Branch 
Patch for that group. This is a joining award supported by the following skills: learning the Trailman oath, motto, salute, sign, handshake and the Pledge of Allegiance. Mountain Lions must also demonstrate properly folding of the American flag.
Branch Awards: Seven distinct awards which correspond to the seven main instructional areas of the Woodlands Trail program. Each award is earned by completion of the required number of Steps. A pin is awarded for each Branch earned with a distinctive look for each consecutive age group.
A Trailman will complete the following in a particular Branch to earn a Branch Pin or Sylvan Star (second completion):
The required number of Core Steps
The required number of Elective Steps
One Hit the Trail! Activity for that Branch.
Forest Badge: Earned within each age group upon the first completion of all Branch Awards for that particular age group. Completion of 
additional branch steps allows the Trailman to earn a Sylvan Star which is displayed on the Forest Badge.
To allow a Trailman to make up a limited number of missed requirements, a series of Family Home Activities are also available.
While the Woodlands Trail Program includes numerous awards, it should be noted that acquiring awards is not the goal of the Woodlands Trail experience. The program provides a framework to motivate boys to actively participate in a program designed to teach essential life skills, develop character and shape them into godly men.
WORTHY LIFE AWARD
The Worthy Life Award is an integral part of the overall Trail Life discipleship process in the Trail Life program. For a Trailman to be eligible to earn the Timberline Award, he must first complete the following activity requirements in four categories:
- Devotional – Engaging with spiritual truth in a regular transformative manner.
- Discipleship – Living your faith thr
ough service and learning about how others have done so. - Discipline – Practicing intentional activities that result in spiritual growth like regular prayer, fasting, journaling, memorizing Scripture, attending church services, giving, and serving.
- Demonstration – Evaluating and sharing Worthy Life experiences with parents, Troop, and/or church.
At the Woodlands Trail level, Worthy Life involves intentional mentoring, hands-on activities, and practical applications that involve parents and Troop mentors to help a boy gain knowledge of fundamental truths.
You can review the steps for completing this award by selecting the patrol below:
TIMBERLINE AWARD
The Timberline Award is the highest award that a Trailman, having earned the Mountain Lion Forest Award, can achieve in the Woodlands Trail 
Program. The Timberline Award is designed to celebrate a boy’s entrance into the Trail Life USA Navigators program, and its requirements are aligned to four Manhood Principles:
- To live boldly and avoid being passive
- To live responsibly
- To live courageously
- To live for the greater rewards of God
The requirements for this award are as follows:
- To show that you are living boldly and are avoiding being passive, the Trailman will have earned his Mountain Lion Forest Badge and invited a friend that is not currently a registered member to a Woodlands Trail meeting, outing or activity. In addition, the Trailman will have attended an overnight campout with the Troop during his Mountain Lion year(s).
- To show that you are living responsibly, you have kept a written record of chores that are completed at home that has been signed off by a parent or guardian. You are also completing assignments at school on time and doing your best to achieve the A/B honor roll.
- To show that you are leading courageously, you have planned a service project in your community and enlisting help from your fellow Trailmen to complete it. Your service project helped to make your community cleaner, better, safer or fulfilled a need. The total combined hours spent by all who helped with the service project should total no less than twenty (20) hours.
- To show that you live for the greater rewards of God, you have done one or both of the following:
- You are known as someone who always speaks the truth. Your Trail Guide, parent or mentor may ask you a question that is difficult for you to tell the truth because you may have been worried about getting into trouble. You, however, told the truth and showed that you are honest and trustworthy.
- You have shown Christ-like behavior. You have sacrificed your wants and needs for someone else without wanting to be recognized for it. You have shown that you love others as yourself by your actions.
