Where to Serve?
By Jeff Manring
Hello, again. My two previous blog posts were based on my adventure experiences with my Trail Life USA troop. Trail Life’s Mission for boys 5-17 is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure (see Distinctives at TrailLifeUSA.com).
I have been involved with my local troop in Warren, Michigan since 2014. My older son earned the Freedom Award before turning 18 in November 2021. My younger son is 16 and serves as Adventurer Patrol Leader for boys aged 14-17 years.
After serving in the past as Troopmaster (over the entire troop) and Woodlands Trail Ranger (over ages 5-10), I now serve my local troop as the Welcoming Committee Chair where I engage new families interested in joining the troop. Two years ago, I answered the call to also serve as Area Point Man for the East Michigan Area, comprised of seven active troops and four in-process troops across seven counties. I am also serving the North Central Region by coordinating Train The Trainer courses for the last two years to train leaders how to put on training courses to train other leaders.
Earlier this month I was presented with a new opportunity to serve the Trail Life community. I was nominated to the Trail Life USA National Board of Directors. I am humbled by the nomination and am prayerfully considering this call to discern how I can best serve.
Serving on the Board of Directors may require that I divest myself from some of my other roles. To help make my decision to begin the vetting process, I am planning to attend a portion of the next Board meeting at the end of March. I will travel to Camp Aiken in South Carolina to meet the Board members, learn more about what the board does, and see if this service opportunity is a good fit for my skills and gifts.
I look forward to continuing my service to the Trail Life community in whatever capacity the Lord has for me. I will keep you posted after my Board visit.
As we say on the Trail… Walk Worthy!
