Trail Life Troop GA-1990 boys and adult leaders together at McDaniel Farm Park

Covenant Presbyterian Church · Buford, Georgia

Adventure is just
the beginning.

Trail Life Troop GA-1990 brings boys ages 5–17 together to grow in faith, character, and skill through the outdoors.

Inquire about joining See our troop in action

WhoBoys ages 5–17

MeetingsEvery other Monday7:00–8:30 PM · school year

WhereCovenant Presbyterian Church1420 Rock Springs Rd · Buford

OutingsUsually one Saturday a monthSometimes with an overnight campout

Christ-centered. Boy-focused.

A troop to belong to.
A trail to grow on.

Some days the boys are on a lake. Other days they are hiking, camping, learning a skill, or exploring a historic place together. Men from the troop walk alongside them through the experience.

GA-1990 is a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Buford. Our convictions shape the way we gather, serve, and grow together.

Read our faith and membership standards

Real moments from our troop

This is what adventure looks like.

Hands-on days and shared experiences, close to home and out on the trail.

Trailmen paddling kayaks on a lake at Hard Labor Creek — On the water
Paddling at Hard Labor Creek.

A troop mentor demonstrating wood carving to Trailmen at a meeting — New skills
Wood carving with a mentor.

Trailmen and leaders gathered at a campsite at Vogel State Park — Camp together
Shared time at Vogel State Park.

The rhythm of troop life

Room to try. Time to grow.

Our program roughly follows the school year. We meet at Covenant Presbyterian Church on alternate Mondays from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. We usually have one “Hit the Trail” activity on a Saturday each program month, sometimes combined with a Friday-to-Saturday campout.

Outings take us to parks, campgrounds, historical sites, and other places in the region. Contact the troop through Trail Life USA to confirm exact meeting days before visiting.

Contact the troop

A path for every age

One troop. Three stages of the trail.

Boys grow with their peers while learning from adult mentors and older Trailmen.

Ages 5–10

Woodlands Trail

Play, discovery, friendship, and first steps in outdoor skills.

Foxes · Hawks · Mountain Lions

Ages 11–13

Navigators

Growing responsibility, skill, and confidence on the trail.

Explore · Practice · Advance

Ages 14–17

Adventurers

Greater challenges and opportunities to lead and mentor.

Lead · Serve · Mentor

Life on the trail

More than a meeting.

A few glimpses of the places, people, and moments that make up troop life.

Trailmen pausing together during a hike at Vogel State Park — Hiking at Vogel State Park

A leader teaching Trailmen beside a historic farm building at McDaniel Farm Park — Learning at McDaniel Farm Park

Trailmen and leaders gathered at Tellus Science Museum — Exploring Tellus Science Museum

Trailmen and leaders around a campfire after dark — Evening around the fire

Troop members gathered outdoors near their camp at Raney — Gathering at camp

An adult leader and two boys fishing from a dock at Hard Labor Creek — Fishing at Hard Labor Creek

For new families

Know what to expect.

Clear answers before you take the next step.

2026–2027 program year

Joining costs

National dues

Paid directly to Trail Life USA, annually.

Each youth member: $42.98
Each registered adult: $46.55

Local troop dues

For each program year, add:

Family base: $35
+ Each Woodlands Trailman: $40
+ Each Navigator or Adventurer: $70

Local dues are capped at $200 per family per year.

Clothing & handbook

Uniform shirt: $46–$48
Trail shirt: $20–$26
Optional hat: $20
Level-appropriate handbook: $17 per level

Most other activities and supplies are covered by the troop.

Can we come see a meeting?

Use Trail Life USA’s Find a Troop page to connect with GA-1990 and confirm the next meeting date before you visit. Meetings are usually every other Monday during the school year, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Covenant Presbyterian Church.

How involved are parents?

Trail Life encourages parents to take an active role in their son’s program, by attending meetings, completing in-home activities, and providing encouragement.

Foxes (youngest members of the Woodlands Trail Unit) are required to have at least one parent in attendance at all meetings and outings.

What happens at an outing?

Our Saturday activities take us to places such as parks, historic sites, and campgrounds. Some program months include a Friday-to-Saturday campout. See the photos above for examples of actual troop outings.

How does advancement work?

The Woodlands Trail program is a participation-based program split into three 2-year patrols (Fox, Hawk, and Mountain Lion) where Trailmen earn patches and pins as they participate in a defined number of activities for each Branch.

The Navigator and Adventurer programs are achievement-based. Older Trailmen advance by learning and demonstrating skills, as well as taking part in troop activities, service, and leadership. Advancement depends on participation; a Trailman who does not take part cannot advance.

What should we know about child safety?

The most prominent of these policies is that every registered adult in Trail Life must successfully complete a Child Safety and Youth Protection training and Criminal Background Check. Additionally, each Troop’s Troop Ministry Liaison must personally approve every Registered Adult who joins the Troop. Registered Adults are required to wear a Member ID.

Trail Life has also developed the 1-2-3 Youth Protection Essentials that are easy to learn, teach, and practice by all Trailmen, both youth and adult:

No 1-on-One: The “no one-on-one” rule is in place for youth protection so no boy is ever alone with an adult. This is for both the protection of the boy and the adult. This extends to electronic communications such as email, texting, and online communications, as well as transportation to and from Trail Life activities.
2-Deep Leadership: The “two-deep” rule is in place for safety so there is always a minimum of two Registered Adults in proximity to provide backup and oversight. Although parents’ participation is welcome, a parent who is not a Registered Adult member (thereby trained and screened) is not considered part of this two-deep leadership requirement.
Buddy System of 3: The “buddy system of three” is suggested to keep youth safe when out of sight of adult leadership. Buddies must be of the same program level. The buddy system also applies to tenting. Three or more boys of the same program level should share a tent, rather than only two (unless they are siblings, with parental knowledge).

Rooted in conviction

Our faith and standards.

Trail Life 1990 is a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Buford, GA.

Statement of Faith Trailman Oath Statement of Values Membership Standards

Statement of Faith

We believe the Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and obedience, the Scriptures themselves being the infallible rule for interpreting Scripture.
We believe that God from all eternity independently and unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass and brings about his eternal purpose in his works of creation and providence.
We believe that mankind, apart from God, is corrupt in his whole nature, utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil.
We believe that salvation, in all its aspects (regeneration, saving faith, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, and glorification), is given by God according to his free grace.
We believe that God’s people are justified by faith in Christ alone, not by works, even those works which are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We believe that God’s people have been justified by faith in all ages, the saints of Old hoping in the Christ to come, the saints in this age looking to His finished work and everlasting work as Prophet, Priest, and King.
We believe that the moral law of God, as summarized in the Ten Commandments, is the continuing rule of Christian obedience.
We believe that God’s people are enabled for such obedience, though imperfectly, by the power of the Holy Spirit alone.

Trailman Oath

"On my honor, I will do my best to serve God and my country; to respect authority; to be a good steward of Creation; and to treat others as I want to be treated."

Statement of Values

We clearly define the following words in the Statement of Faith which are integral to the Trail Life:

Purity – God calls us to lives of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed. We are to reserve sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage, a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.
Service – God calls us to become responsible members of our community and the world through selfless acts that contribute to the welfare of others.
Stewardship – God calls us to use our God-given time, talents, and money wisely.
Integrity – God calls us to live moral lives that demonstrate an inward motivation to do what is biblically right regardless of the cost.

Our Membership Standards

Parents of trailmen must be members of a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church, or be seeking membership in such a church.
Families of trailmen must attend public worship weekly, except in the case of extenuating circumstances.
Parents of trailmen must commit to cooperate with Troop 1990 leadership and the leadership of their local church in the event that their trailmen requires discipline for delinquency in life or doctrine.

Take the next step

Come see the trail for yourself.

Connect with GA-1990 through Trail Life USA to confirm a meeting and ask your questions.

Inquire about joining