Trail Life USA is a Christ-centered, boy-focused outdoor adventure, character, and leadership program for young men beginning in elementary school and continuing through grade 12. Now with more than 48,000 members, in over 1,000 churches and organizations, in all 50 states, fathers and sons are connecting, relationships are deepening, and legacies are beginning as a new generation of godly leaders rises up.
Trail Life USA combines the traditional methods of the international scouting movement featuring outdoor experiences such as camping and hiking, the patrol system, community service, badge/award advancement and uniforms, all built upon the foundation of a Christian worldview.
Living the Trail Life is a journey for boys and young men established on timeless values derived from the Bible. Set in the context of outdoor adventure, each young Trailman will be challenged to build character and a lifetime of practical leadership skills.
Vision
Trail Life USA’s vision is to be the premier national character development organization for young men which produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens.
Mission
To guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure.
Motto
Walk Worthy – 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.”
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 Values
We believe there is One Triune God – God th
e Father; Jesus Christ, His one and only Son; and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe each person is created in His image for the purpose of communing with and worshiping God. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Who enables us to live godly lives. We believe each of us is called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We believe God calls us to lives of purity, service, stewardship and integrity.
Purity
God calls us to lives of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed. We are to reserve sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage, a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.
Service
God calls us to become responsible members of our community and the world through selfless acts that contribute to the welfare of others.
Stewardship
God calls us to use our God-given time, talents, and money wisely.
Integrity
God calls us to live moral lives that demonstrate an inward motivation to do what is biblically right regardless of the cost.
Core Values
Aims
The following three aims are what Trail Life hopes to achieve in the lives of boys through use of the nine program methods guided by the six program emphases
- Character
- Fitness
- Citizenship
Each of these three aims is covered in a chapter of the Trailman Handbook. Trailmen should read these chapters for a more in-depth understanding. These three aims were not chosen at random; character is the desire to move, fitness is the energy needed, and citizenship is the plotted course.
Program Emphases
Program emphases are “big ideas” that run through our program because they are indispensable to helping boys become great Christian men.
- Wisdom: The skill of putting knowledge to proper use. Facts are like tools–they do their best work in the hands of a master craftsman.
- Teamwork: The way people working together can to do more than working alone.
- Heritage: The parts of present opportunities and future goals that were made in the past. Americans have a rich heritage built with courage and curiosity, sacrifice and spirituality.
- Leadership: Giving the gift of guidance to others. True leadership begins when the arrogance of power gives way to a sense of responsibility.
- Character: The four selves: self-respect, self-control, self-reliance, and self-worth. They are the four poles of the tent–let one fall and the tent sags, let two fall and the tent collapses.
- Faith: Belief in God that provides the inner strength and confidence that leads to righteous actions based on biblical truth, regardless of temptations or circumstances.
Nine Methods
The methods of Trail Life USA work well together because they return boys to an environment where comfort or misery, safety or danger, and success or failure depend on skills they can master. It is an environment where fathers can teach their sons skills that are still relevant. The Trail Life is one of the last refuges of capable self-reliance where boys can learn important lessons about life through experiential learning. Our nine methods are:
- Patrols: a group where every boy can play an important role, make friends, and learn preparation and success.
- Leadership: Boys learn that they not only are called upon to lead others but to also lead themselves.
- Advancement: The recognition of personal and practical growth to reward past performance and predict future success.
- Adult Association: Trail Leaders are the greatest role models in the world. They give freely of themselves to help great boys become great men through purposeful fun.
- Outdoors: Blessed with God’s great gift, the out-of-doors offers uniquely fulfilling experiences for all.
- Uniforms: The uniform and standard (staff) display the goodwill of Trail Life USA to the community.
- Opportunity: Placing young people in an exciting and challenging environment lets them make discoveries about the world and themselves that cannot be learned any other way.
- Standards: The Trailman Oath and Trailman Motto clearly state what is expected of a Trailman in thought, word and deed.
- Spiritual Development: Understanding who we are in Christ is the key to a fully-realized manhood.
