Filled with Excitment and Achievment
The Journey through the Trail Life begins with the Woodlands Trail Program and contiues to the peaks of our Freedom Award. Some boys’ programs are very focused on helping the boy achieve as many awards as he can in the shortest period of time to achieve the highest rankings and awards the program has to offer. In contrast, TLUSA is more concerned with building character than with earning badges and ranks. While TLUSA has a robust and prominent ranking and awards structure, this will not be the focus of the program. The focus should always be on building character over merely earning awards. This value
is reflected by the fact that a young man cannot simply earn the Freedom Award
quickly in a couple of years; he must stay in the program over an extended period
of time — demonstrating maturity and leadership — to earn the highest award
in the program.
Achievments
Woodlands Trail (elementary aged) boys work on Skill Branches that encompass activities and skills in a variety of areas to develop the whole boy. The Woodlands Trail program is an experiential participatory program focused on the intellectual (or cognitive) developmental stages of the Woodlands Trail boys and the way that they learn. Instead of earning Trail Badges, which are used in the Navigators and Adventurers programs, Woodlands Trail boys complete and collect Branch Cards, with constant recognition for participation.

The outcome of the Woodlands Trail program is to accumulate general knowledge through participation, which is then more age-appropriately assessed through the Trail Badge program as Trailmen build understanding in the Navigators program and wisdom in the Adventurers program. This pathway has been developed using the cognitive learning stages of each age group to best prepare them for life as Christian husbands, fathers, and citizens.
There are a variety of Trail Badges available for Navigator and Adventurer level boys. The required badges for Ready and Horizon Trailman are already defined and listed in the handbook. A catalog of 50 to 60 elective badges is in development. Boys at this level may also choose to design their own elective badge using the C.L.E.A.R. guidelines defined in the Trailman’s Handbook. -
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Navigator and Adventurer level boys progerss thru the ranks of Recruit, Able, Ready, Journey and Horizion Trailman on thier Journey to Freedom The Freedom Award is meant to recognize young men who epitomize the Trail Life USA Oath and Motto. These young men have followed a predetermined and well-marked trail during their time in Trail Life USA. However, a Freedom Award recipient demonstrates that he is thoroughly equipped to chart his own course across the open rangelands and beyond the observed horizon.


Freedom
For more about Award Visit Trail Life USA
Woodlands
Nav - Adv
