A Great Start and God's Faithfulness

This past month has been a truly remarkable start to our troop year. It has been a privilege to witness so many of our Trailmen fully dedicate themselves to learning and then passionately sharing that knowledge with others. Just as encouraging has been the commitment of our dads, learning and growing alongside their boys. It’s been amazing to see our troop mature and strengthen, not just in numbers, but in our unity and mutual support. We are doing something unique here—it comes with its challenges, but the rewards in character development and community are simply amazing.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9

The most impactful moments for me included seeing the boys commit to studying and qualifying in CPR and First Aid, demonstrating competency in the water, and witnessing both new and veteran Trail Guides "grabbing the bull by the horns" to drive this program forward. It was a perfect capstone to welcome such fine young men into our troop during our recent Joining Ceremonies.

Then, we had some great “Hit the Trail” moments, too. The Woodlands’ hiked Silly Mountain, the Navigators and Adventurers tackled a 72h camp and hiked Reynolds Creek 150.

Trail Life is a catalyst. It’s an opportunity for us to live out what we already desire: to be with other families who care about their communities and who want a spiritually centered, outdoor-focused way to connect their families to each other and, naturally, to God's glory. This program will be what we make it, so please keep leaning in, stay engaged, and Keep Walking Worthy!

Program Highlights and Growth

September & Early October Activities

• Woodlands Trail: We kicked off with Manners, moved to Hobbies, and then spent time on Outdoor Skills, wrapping up the first week of October with our joining awards and making up for missed days. At the end of the break we did a hike on Silly Mountain!
• Navigators & Adventurers: These older boys covered Aquatics and First Aid requirements and have begun digging into their electives. Many have successfully earned their First Aid and Aquatics badges. Encouragingly, a number of Navigators and Adventurers finished their archery course and are completing their badge work. Finally, we capped it off with a camp at Reynolds Creek.

Welcoming New Families

Our troop continues to grow, with one to two new families checking us out each week! It has been heartening to see the welcoming spirit and hospitality of our current families to these newcomers.

"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." — Romans 15:7

Get Involved: Patrol, Campus, and Troop Activities

Something truly encouraging this fall has been the number of parents who have stepped up to become registered adults and get involved. The more help we have, the better our program will be!

As we head further into the fall, more outdoor activities are available: local hikes, fishing, and fun outings to farms and other local spots. Our troop's unique structure—meeting at three different locations each week—creates three distinct levels for organizing activities: Patrol, Campus, and Troop.

The Patrol Method is designed to foster identity and unity within a small group of Trailmen, and this is where the majority of activity should happen. Don't miss the chance to get your Patrol together for fun activities like service projects, movies, bowling, or sports. This is where the spirit of Trail Life truly comes alive!

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil." — Ecclesiastes 4:9

Planning an Event

Anyone can suggest and work on planning an event! If you're interested in putting something together, here's who to talk to:

• Patrol Level: Talk to your Trail Guide.
• Campus Level: Talk to your Campus Lead (Val Vista: Ed Miller; Greenfield: Jim Delatorre; Agritopia: Chris Peterson).
• Troop Level: Reach out to our Events Chair, Jessica Bolthouse.

While our leadership team plans proactive events, they are "small potatoes" compared to what we can do if our whole troop begins to plan their own fun outings. So, get cracking! And let us know what you come up with!

Upcoming in October and November

Service and Spiritual Growth

• Christianity Explored Class:

  This class and will run for 8 weeks, Tuesday nights from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Starting November through January in a local park. Setup is 6:00–6:30 p.m. and tear-down is 7:30–8:00 p.m. Participation will count toward Worthy Life, Evangelism, and Service hours (up to two service hours each week!).

• Service Projects: We will be beginning trips to Feed My Starving Children (counting toward service hours) and kicking off Operation Christmas Child on November 1st. If you're interested in helping us plan service projects, please let me know.

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." — 1 Peter 4:10

Upcoming Hit The Trail - Woodlands Trail

• Veterans Day Ceremony (Nov 9th):

  This event at the Veteran's Oasis Park’s Field of Honor will feature special speakers and will represent an opportunity to honor those that have served our country. Come in your troop uniform and help commemorate and honor our Veterans. 

Troop Fundraisers

• Slick City - Invite all your friends to come have fun doing all the slides at Slick City. Date TBD, but will be a weeknight in November

• Main Event - Tuesday December 2nd -  Invite all your friends to come have fun bowling and playing games at Main Event.

Security and Safety

We are actively working on training for Safety and Security at our campuses and during our outings. As details are finalized, we will implement policies and drills to ensure the safety of all our families. We are a big troop, and recent events remind us that we must be ready to render aid, protect each other, and respond appropriately to dangers. If you are interested in hearing more, please let me know.

Service in the Troop

As a final note, there are many ways to serve in our troop. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all the men and women who have already stepped up in so many ways to make this year so successful for our Trailmen.

A common concern about volunteering is the level of time commitment. This is understandable, and I want to encourage you that even if you are only able to help for a short season—even with core responsibilities—that service is still incredibly valuable. We've had leaders step in and step out of service during our short tenure, and in my opinion, this is a sign of a healthy troop!

If you've been considering serving in a greater capacity, please do let me know. We each need to take turns holding up part of this good ship.

Walk Worthy,
John Bolthouse
AZ-3368 Troop Ministry Liaison