Navigators & Adventurers

Trail Life troops are organized according to biblical principles in Proverbs 24:3-4, reflecting developmentally appropriate groupings of boys (K-U-W-L): Woodlands Trail (Knowledge), Navigators (Understanding), Adventurers (Wisdom), and Guidon (Life). The Navigators and Adventurers program is designed for young men ages 11-17 (middle-school and high-school age). Navigators and Adventurers work on rank advancement.

Navigators (6-8)

Their ranks represent a growing ability to operate comfortably, safely, and confidently in the outdoors. These skills form the foundation of later adventures and teach important life lessons in character development.

Boys in Navigator patrols range in age from 11 to 13 years old.

Navigators participate in a true outdoor program with hiking, camping, and other activities. They are in more of a learning mode, developing their core skills with adequate supervision and easing gracefully into camping by patrols.

Navigators have a simple patrol structure. The youth leader is a Junior Patrol Leader, and members are called upon as needed to step up and handle certain jobs during meetings or activities according to the duty roster. They should camp, cook, and eat by patrol during outings whenever practical. Preferably, the Trail Guide or Trailmaster only gets involved when youth leaders are not making satisfactory progress and then, if possible, only to the extent of backing up the Junior Patrol Leader’s authority.

Adventurers

Adventurers are high school-age teens who are ready and willing to make big decisions. Where Navigators focus on ranks as they become capable outdoorsmen, Adventurers focus on awards that represent increased independence and leadership skills.

While the younger age-level programs are much more structured and defined by specific program materials, the Adventurers program is purposely less structured and more flexible for older boys to customize according to their interests and goals. A unique aspect of the Adventurers program is that different patrols can actually choose to engage in different program emphases. There is the potential to operate multiple Adventurers patrols as if they were separate units. One patrol could be engaged as a backpacking crew. Another may enjoy a variety of high adventure activities. Yet another may choose to focus their program efforts around watercraft. And finally, another patrol might be more engaged with planned coed activities with the high school-age Patriot girls from the American Heritage Girls troop. The point is that the boys at this age can work together socially in a group setting to determine their own interests as a group, and then to pursue those interests in a very rewarding way.

The First Officer and Second Officer, as high profile youth leaders, oversee the Adventurers program. Patrol Leaders are selected to head each patrol.

NAVIGATOR AND ADVENTURER RANKS AND AWARDS

Both Navigators and Adventurers begin their trail to the Freedom Award with the Recruit Trailman Rank, moving upward through all six ranks. To ensure each Trailman approaching the Freedom Award is of sufficient maturity, the upper ranks (Journey, Ascent, and Horizon) may only be earned as an Adventurer. In addition to these ranks, the Ridgeline Award is the highest honor that may only be earned as a Navigator: