Announced at LEAD16, the Trappers Brigade program was updated. The key items that were outlined are below. Note that these changes are immediate and will need to be reported this year on your annual reports.

The number of hours needed to complete each advancement level was adjusted:

• Outpost Service - 15 hours
• Local Church Service - 15 hours
• Local Community Service - 5 hours
• Missions Service - 5 hours

The priority missions initiatives for Royal Rangers will continue to be Royal Rangers International, Pathfinders Missions, BGMC Master's Toolbox, and Speed the Light. Other worthwhile missions agencies,

There are tools Commander Randy Mesun doesn’t mind sharing. In fact, they serve him so well he’s earned the reputation of being “Mr Organized” around the district. We asked Randy to give us the inside scoop on how he so effectively plans the whole Ranger year for the Plymouth Outpost. Here's what he suggests:

Establish your annual Outpost calendar.

Randy refers to the tentative Calendar on the district Rangers website, marking event dates while making sure that he coordinates with his church calendar.

He also notes the weeks that

The Gold Medal of Achievement (GMA) has long held a position of prominence as the highest award in the Royal Rangers program. Often regarded as the Royal Rangers counterpart to the Boy Scout Eagle Scout award, the GMA is a well-recognized symbol of achievement for boys.

Through the years, the position of the GMA within the Royal Rangers advancement system has changed, as have the requirements to earn the award. The most recent change was released in 2010 when the requirements to earn the award were limited to the completion of the Adventure Rangers advancement trail. This change resulted in the GMA becoming roughly equivalent with the highest awards in Discovery Rangers and Expedition Rangers, which led to the perception that the GMA was no longer an award of special significance.

In 2010 a new award, the Honor GMA, was also created to recognize boys who have completed the entire Royal Rangers program - Ranger Kids through Expedition Rangers. Although this award is highly regarded, it is commonly perceived as being a separate and higher award than the GMA.

To correct this perception,