VA-0683 Trail Badge Mentor Handbook Ver 4.0 6/19/16

VA-0683 Trail Badge Mentor Handbook Ver 4.0 6/19/16 Thank you for making a decision that will make lasting impressions on your son(s) and other young men in our troop! Next to direct troop adult leadership, trail badge mentors have the most influence on these young men as they learn virtue, patience, and perseverance from each trail badge mentor as well as the trail badges. The purpose of this handbook is to help prospective mentors know why we need trail badge mentors, discuss what it means to be a mentor including policies and responsibilities and provide a short step-by-step tutorial. This handbook is divided into 5 sections: I. A Trail Badge Mentor (the what) II. Trail Badge Mentor Policy (the rules) III. Understanding Trail Life (the why) IV. Required and Elective Trail Badges V. Trail Badge Mentor Tutorial (the how to) APP A: Robotics Trail Badge APP B: Model Rocketry Trail Badge I. A Trail Badge Mentor Trail Life Trail Badge Mentor The Trail badge Mentor is an adult father or mother who will assist, guide, and at times lead the boys on an experience of learning and developing critical thinking and knowledge in a broad range of academic areas and physical activities as they grow into manhood. The nine Navigator and six Adventurer trail badges cover only a small portion of knowledge compared to the vast possibilities of elective trail badges. Several elective trail badges are listed on the Trail Life Leadership page ranging from horsemanship, electrical engineering, canoeing, computing, archery, model rocketry, and more! The boys are limited by their imagination and yours as Trail Life USA has implemented a method to design your own trail badge. One trailman in this troop has already done just that! 1

TRAIL BADGE MENTOR POSITION - Serving as a Trail Badge Mentor is considered a Tier 3 adult volunteer position in accordance with the Troop Volunteer Handbook. Time commitment: Being a Trail Badge Mentor requires regularly meeting with a group of trailmen. Most trail badges can be completed by meeting weekly over a period of 2 or 3 months. Meetings can take place before or immediately following a Troop meeting. Badges can require as few as 6 or 7 meetings of about an hour in length to up to 12 meetings for instruction and or activities. The time necessary is driven primarily by the trail badge requirements. Trail Badge Mentor tasks includes: - Mentors should possess some expertise of the trail badge subject matter. - Lead a group of Navigator/Adventurer Trailmen in meeting all the requirements of one of the required or elective Trail Badges. - Initial or sign Trailman Handbooks for completed requirements or a copy of the trail badge requirements card. - Enter completed requirements in Troop Track on an ongoing basis. - Must be VIRTUS certified. II. Trail Badge Mentor Policy 1. The Troop Volunteer Handbook is the overarching direction on troop policies with respect to adult leaders and volunteers. Trail badge Mentors have direct contact and influence of the youth of our troop and therefore must comply with these safety regulations with respect to Youth Protection Safety (Trail Life National) and VIRTUS certification (Catholic Diocese). 2. A Trail Badge Mentor must ensure two-deep adult leader coverage. Trail Badge Mentors have direct interaction with boys in the troop and therefore must ensure any subject matter expert instruction being provided by someone not meeting child protection safety requirements only occurs while two-deep Trail Life and VIRTUS certified leadership are present. This is National Trail Life and diocesan policy.

III. Understanding Trail Life A Trail Life USA Troop A Trail Life troop consists of groups of boys on their way to manhood organized by age/grade levels as follows. Woodlands Trail Program Woodlands Trails has three different patrols based on 2 year progression for different age levels. Foxes (Grades K-1) Hawks (Grades 2-3) Mountain Lions (Grades 4-5) Figure 1: Trail Life Woodlands Trails Program Patches Trail Life characterizes their growth spiritually, morally, and physically by a seed of faith starting to grow. As such the Woodlands Trails experience level is indicated through a series of branches and leaves that are earned as they grow. These experiences are facilitated by fathers leading the boys each meeting in various planned activities appropriate for their age level. Six program elements guiding these experiences in the Woodlands Trail program are: Leadership Teamwork Character Wisdom Heritage Faith Upon reaching 6 th grade, Woodlands Trails will bridge up to the Navigator Patrols for 6 th - 8 th graders. Navigators Program Navigators, having achieved some experience and maturity during their time in Woodlands Trails begin to learn and develop at an ever faster rate; learning skills that are on par with their maturity level. Camping skills are critical to learn for them as well as contributing to the patrol and troop in meaningful fashion. Their advancement is marked by Ranks and

supported through (9) required and (5) elective trail badges to teach them the skills and knowledge necessary. Table 1 below summarizes the various requirements necessary to complete the Able and Ready ranks in the Navigators program. Upon reaching 9 th grade, Navigators bridge up to the Adventurer level. Figure 2: Navigator and Adventurer Overview Adventurers Program Adventurers, more mature and already skilled in the outdoors and basic citizenship, now venture forth towards the pinnacle of Trail Life; manhood. The pinnacle; the Freedom Award marks just that! This trailman has matured into a young man properly formed to freely make life choices that will keep him and his family on the path to Heaven. In order to achieve this freedom he must be formed in virtue and properly formed intellectually. These young men will continue to expand their horizons developing this intellect and virtue so as to become a man after God s own heart both as a Christian, family man, citizen, and his own person. The basic skills learned in the Navigator ranks become a firm foundation as he continues to achieve Adventurer awards by expanding his knowledge of God s plan for him, how our country works, and what vocation he might choose upon leaving his parent s home. The Horizon Award is achieved through earning an additional (6) required and (5) elective trail badges.

Required Badges Elective Badges Total Service Hours Meeting Attendance Troop Activities Leadership Faith Navigator Able Trailman 4 3 7 15 hrs/yr >60% At Least 8 Advancement Conference Ready Trailman 9 5 14 15 hrs/yr >60% At Least 16 JPL > 6 months as Able Trailman Faith Building Activities* Adventurer Horizon Award 15 10 25 20 hrs/yr >60% At Least 8 1st Officer, 2nd Officer, Qtr-master or PL >6 months Freedom Award 2 Freedom Experiences (1 Major) 2 Freedom Experiences (2 Minors) 4 >60% At Least 16 Freedom Servant Leadership Project! Faith Building Activities* *A more complete list of available Faith Building Activity Options are listed in the Trailman Handbook. Table 1: Navigator Adventurer Requirements Summary The Freedom Award is the pinnacle Trail Life honor earned as a Horizon Adventurer and involves choosing one major and two minors to gain life experiences in. Table 1 above summarizes the various requirements necessary to complete the Horizon and Freedom awards in the Adventurers program. There are twelve (12) fields from which Trailmen can select Freedom Experiences to complete this final journey to manhood. Freedom Experiences focus the trailman on something of interest in the community while enjoying the experience and building a habit of active participation and citizenry. One Major is chosen whereby (2) freedom experiences are completed. Two Minors are chosen distinct from the Major and (1) freedom experience completed from each. The twelve fields of study are as follows: Agriculture Aquatics Christian Education Civics Communication and Performance Emergency Services Exploration Fitness Mentoring Science and Technology Survival, and Trades

For more information and Freedom Award Documents detailing the Freedom Award requirements, Freedom Experiences and more go to Troop Track at the following link: https://trooptrack.com/leader_pages/12013. Your focus as a Trail Badge Mentor is within the Navigator and Adventurer trailmen groups. In order for these young men to grow in skill and knowledge they must be given the opportunity to learn virtue, skill and leadership through the various trail badges that only you can offer them! Your time, talent, and example is crucial! IV. Required and Elective Trail Badges Navigator Required Trail Badges The specific trail badge requirements for each of the 9 required Navigator rank trail badges are listed in the Trailman Handbook. The list is as follows, listed alphabetically: Aquatics Camping Fire Ranger First Aid Our Flag Outdoor Cooking Ropework Trail Skills Woods Tools There is no specified order in determining how best to provide trail badges for the Navigators. However, the calendar shown in Figure 2 below lists a suggested timeline for completing the 9 Navigator required trail badges. Navigator Elective Trail Badge Requirements In order to expand the Navigators breadth of knowledge 5 electives of his choosing are required before he can bridge up a level to the Adventurers. 3 electives are needed to achieve the Navigator Able Rank. Adventurer Required Trail Badges The specific trail badge requirements for each of the 6 required Adventurer trail badges are listed in the Trailman Handbook. The list is as follows, listed alphabetically: Citizenship Emergency Preparedness Family Man

Fitness (Cycling, Hiking, Swimming) Outdoor Life Personal Resources The required trail badge calendar in Figure 2 lists required Adventurer trail badges below the Navigator section for planning purposes. Adventurer Elective Trail Badge Requirements Adventurers are required to complete an additional 5 elective trail badges to be awarded the Horizon Award. The Freedom Award requires no further trail badges as Freedom Experiences are used to broaden the senior trailman's knowledge and experience and provide a larger community perspective before leaving home. Figure 3: Required Trail Badge Planning Calendar Required Trail Badges: Camping, Outdoor Cooking, Rope-work, Woods Tools, Aquatics, Fire Ranger, Our Flag, Trail Skills, First Aid, Emergency Prep, Family Man, Personal Resources, Citizenship, Outdoor Life, Fitness. Requirements for each required badge can be found in the Trailman s Handbook. A listing and description of some Elective Trail Badges can be found here: http://www.traillifeusatrail badges.com/alpha.php.

V. Trail Badge Mentor Tutorial This section serves as a tutorial and will walk you through the planning process for trail badge mentoring using actual elective trail badges from the site listed in the previous section. Step 1. Select a Trail Badge. Decide on what skills and interests you have in your daily personal and professional life. Use these interests in determining what Trail Badges you might be qualified to mentor for the troop. Moderate expertise or skill in a subject is usually enough to gather the necessary knowledge for the trailmen to learn and complete the trail badge requirements. Step 2. Obtain the Requirements Card. Upon selecting a trail badge that you would like to offer and manage obtain the trail badge requirements card for the specific topic. Robotics and Model Rocketry were chosen as 2 examples of trail badges for the purposes of this tutorial. Blank copies of requirement cards for both are included as appendices at the end of this section. Appendix A - Robotics, Appendix B - Model Rocketry. During the remainder of the tutorial sideby-side comparison of the method of developing the trail badge mentoring plan for both trail badges will be discussed. Step 3. Requirements Review. Complete a detailed review of the specific trail badge requirements card for the trail badge of interest. Things to keep in mind during your review include but are not limited to the following: Safety - some trail badges require the use of electricity or tooling that can be harmful if proper safety is not adhered to. ALWAYS keep SAFETY at the forefront of any trail badge work. Number of required steps (often a section will state Do six requirements from the following ). Just because a card has 23 listed steps doesn t necessarily mean all 23 are required. How many discuss versus do requirements are there? If most are discuss requirements the badge may be able to be completed in fewer sessions. For each requirement what equipment or material are needed to explain or demonstrate? For each requirement - what level of difficulty and detail is appropriate for Navigator and Adventurer aged boys? How long for each required step? If you give the trailmen the choice (where cards indicate), be prepared to complete the various options and factor in time and tools as needed.

Step 4. Solutions Guide. Complete a brief solutions guide for the trail badge(s) for use during sessions. This will aid you in verifying the boys have achieved the appropriate level of mastery of the subject and ensure you don t forget anything. A portion has been completed below for Robotics: Example Answer Key for Robotics: Explain the role of each robotic subsystem listed below and describe three different example subsystems for each subsystem: Power - Role Provides means to power electrical and electronic equipment on the robot to enable it to move and perform other functions. Examples Battery (most common); AC/DC Power pack (cord); Solar panels;...others? Actuation - Role How the robot is started or caused to perform its designed functions. Examples Voice activated; Push button; Remote control; Light actuated...others? Sensing - Role To provide robot with capability to discriminate external objects and thereby interact with environment on a more advanced level. Examples Pressure sensor; light sensor; color sensor; Infrared beams; others? Manipulation (end effectors) - Role Provide ability for robot to physically interact with external environment causing changes based on its programming. Examples Claw; Hook; shovel/scoop; others? Locomotion - Role Provide means for robot to move itself from point A to B by some method. Examples Wheels; Tank Treads; Propellers others? Step 5. Divide into Sessions. Using information gathered in steps 3 and 4 above determine how best to segment the trail badge work with three options in mind. Work to divide the work into the number of sessions to complete if the trail badge was worked during the following three time blocks: 1) ½ hour segments, 2) 1 hour segments, and 3) one large 3-4 hour segment. For example - if the discussions and do s of a specific trail badge should nominally take 4 hours to complete for the above listed time segments you could complete the trail badge in eight ½-hour sessions, four 1-hour sessions, or one 4-hour session. Knowing this information the trail badge can be offered to the trailmen for eight ½-hour sessions following a weekly meeting or perhaps worked into the normal weekly meeting for only 4 weeks of effort to complete. Table 2 below provides examples of this consideration for both trail badges of interest in this tutorial. The basis behind time estimates as determined are provided in the table.

Trail Badge Plan Total Distinct Requirement Options (not all completed) ---------------------------------------- Basis of Time Requirements # Explains # Complex Projects or Research ½ Hour Segment Blocks 1 Hour Segment Blocks 4 Hour Segment Blocks Robotics 17 2 6 8 4 1 Time Basis Simple explains ½ Hour total (Note 1) 2 1 0.5 2 hrs to design, build, & program (Note 1) 1 4 2 ~ 0.5 hr per 2 research (Note 1) +5 3 1.5 Model Rocketry 20 4 6 9 4.5 ~1 Time Basis ½ hr total for discussion (Note 1) 4 1.5 Design/Build/Launch & Recover (1hr per) (Note 1) #5-7 6 3 1 hr total written/oral presentation time per trailman (Note 1) +3 2 1 Note 1: Trailmen are expected to complete some preparation for discussions, research, and some construction projects at home before trail badge meetings with the Mentor. Mentors will explain what is required to complete the trail badge with trailmen enrolling in their trail badge. Table 2: Robotics and Model Rocketry Trail Badge Session Planning Step 6. Tracking Progress. Tracking attendance and each Trailman s progress at each session is important. The best way (and way trailmen are taught) to do this is by initialing each Trailman s Trailman Handbook following completion of each requirement as it is completed at the end of meetings. Finally, the progress is entered into Troop Track by two alternative means. 1. Individual progress a. Verify you have access appropriate for a Trail Badge Mentor which will allow you to update trail badge progress for individual trail men. b. Log into Troop Track using your account. c. Select the Advance drop down and Record Individual Progress option. Figure 4 below illustrates. Figure 4: Individual Progress Menu

d. Upon selecting the trailman who needs progress recorded and the trail badge, the status screen shown in Figure 5 appears. Fields are completed for requirements previously completed and updated in Troop Track. Empty fields Figure 5: Record Individual Progress Menu allow the accomplishment date of each requirement to be entered to record progress. e. When specific requirement completion dates have been entered select the blue Save button at the bottom of the requirements section of the screen. When the update is complete this trailman s progress report for the trail badge of interest will be up to date. 2. Group or Bulk progress updates; a. Verify you have access appropriate for a Trail Badge Mentor which will allow you to update trail badge progress. b. Log into Troop Track using your account. c. Select the Advance drop down and Record Progress (Bulk) option. Figure 6 below illustrates.

d. When asked to Select a level choose either Navigator or Adventurer link to select the appropriate group of youth. See Figure 7 on the right. e. Upon choosing a level as above you will be provided a list of advancement options ranging from Awards or Ranks, Trail Badges, Service Stars, Faith Building Activities and Elective Figure 6: Bulk Trail Badge Update Figure 7: Select a Level Trail Badges. In this tutorial looking at Navigators you would now select the trail badge of interest. f. Upon selecting the trail badge a list of names with checkboxes appears at left for all patrols in the level chosen with the badge requirements listed on the right column of the screen. Checkboxes allow the user to select multiple trailmen who have completed one or more requirements, see Figure 8. At the top of the Requirements Completed section the Completed on dropdown menu allows you to enter the date the Figure 8: Bulk Requirement Update requirements were completed. Finally, the requirements completed section

uses check boxes next to each requirement to permit entry of multiple requirements and/or subsections of requirements. g. Select the trailmen and each requirement completed and click the blue Record Progress button at the bottom of the page. After the update is completed all trailmen individual records will be up to date with the current information. Step 7. Ordering Awards. Upon completion of the trail badge and entering the completion in Troop Track the Advancement Chair should be informed of the award status and boys who completed the award. The award needs to be ordered allowing at least 10 business days before the award needs to be in hand. Figure 9 below is an example of purchasing awards. Figure 9: Purchase Completed Awards Step 8. Notify Advancement Chair. Frequent progress discussions with the Troop Advancement Chairperson will ensure that awards are completed and ordered in time for the upcoming awards ceremony. Contact the Troopmaster or Navigator and Adventurer adult leader if you do not know who the Advancement Chairperson is. The Advancement Chair will order all awards in order to have a single point of contact within the troop to manage this process. An Advancement Chair Assistant may be assigned due to the volume of trailmen in the troop but the Advancement Chair is the primary person to order awards. Finally! Congratulate the trailmen on what they have learned and accomplished during their work on the trail badge. Building Elective Trail Badges: The above tutorial assumes the mentor is selecting a required or elective trail badge that is already published. However, if you want to add an elective trail badge to the available inventory speak with the Charter Organization Representative or the Troopmaster for further guidance. The process to create a badge is outlined in the Trailman Handbook in greater detail.

Appendix A

Appendix B