Newsletter - September 2025

 

It's September! Fall is right around the corner (Arizona fall, that is). The cooler evening temps are definitely a blessing! Our kickoff in August was a real blessing, too. The Bootcamp registration event exceeded our expectations in terms of getting new and returning troop members ready for the program year. And speaking of exceeding expectations, we are thrilled to share that we have nearly 80 registered trailmen at our 3 campuses (Agritopia, Greenfield, and Val Vista). By contrast, we ended last year with 46 active trailmen. Even more exciting, we now have 48 registered adults, with more completing their Trail Life USA membership every day! To all our adult volunteers, a huge THANK YOU for coming alongside our boys and making this ministry happen! We truly could not do this without you! We know one thing for certain, our best is ahead of us!

 

For returning troop members (trailmen and adults), please remember that your Trail Life USA membership renewal may be coming up soon, as many of us registered last fall at this same time. Don't let your membership lapse; access to Trail Life Connect will be limited, and we can't record meeting attendance or advancement for trailmen without an active membership. If you see the renewal notice on your dashboard, please plan to renew before it expires!

 

A big shout out to our trail guides - those who are veterans from last year and those who jumped in the fray with us this year. If you've been around me long enough, you've heard that trail guides get THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE since they get to lead fun activities and watch our boys grow in their confidence, their friendship, and their faith. If you're ever wondering "is Trail Life worth it?" just ask a trail guide to share some of their favorite memories with you, and you'll have the answer. We're still looking for Trail Guides to help us fill a few spots, so reach out to a leader at one of our meetings or email info@az3368.org and we'll help guide you in the right direction.

 

Our Adventurers (high-school age boys) and Navigators (middle-school) are being oriented in their programs and event planning, while our Woodlands (elementary age) boys have had an introduction into Trail Life by learning about our Flag (week 1), our Faith (week 2), and Manners (this week). After that introductory course, the fun factor will kick up a notch. We will be exploring the Hobbies and Outdoor Skills branches between now and fall break. And some of our Woodlands will get to Hit the Trail soon, too. What is a Hit the Trail? It's a "field trip" that we take, once for each of our seven Woodlands core branches: Heritage, Life Skills, Values, Hobbies, Science & Technology, Sports and Fitness, and Outdoor Skills. If you're a Woodlands parent, read about the branches with your son starting on page 24 of the Woodlands Trail Handbook. 

 

We are working on a number of fundraising initiatives. If you are able to help us plan and execute these we would like your help! Let us know by reaching out to a leader at one of our meetings or email info@az3368.org