It's about exploring the Great Outdoors. It's about camaraderie and fellowship. It's about wholesome male development.

But to fully understand what Trail Life USA is really all about, one must experience it, at least a bit of it.

That's the purpose of Troop PA-0316's upcoming open house.

"Essentially, we are a character development organization for boys and young men," said Steve Tyer, who's been Trail Life USA Troop PA-0316's membership chairman for nine years. "Our goal is to create a generation of responsible young men, fathers, husbands and employees. It's a Christ-centered adventure program. We want participants to grow up to be good stewards of what God has given them."

Trail Life USA Troop PA-0316 will host its initial open house from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, at Cornerstone Church, 80 W. Brubaker Valley Road, Lititz. The free event, which is designed to inform prospective participants about what Trail Life USA Troop PA-0316 has to offer, will be conducted in a large tent on the grounds of the church and include drinks, light refreshments, a bounce house, face painting and balloon animals.

"A lot of people in the community just don't know about Trail Life USA and that we have a local troop," said Tyer, a resident of Lititz. "We want to reach out to every family in the community and say, 'We're Trail Life USA, here are our values.' We want to make everyone aware of who we are; we love who we are. Trail Life is not just for boys, but also for the fathers. We see the fathers get out of it just as much as the boys."

Troop PA-0316's open house will feature a handful of informal educational stations manned by instructors. Visitors can learn about tenting and campsites, campfires, knot tying and cooperation through a tug-of-war team-building exercise.

As they leave, visitors will be asked about what they learned and invited to attend Troop PA-0316's regular meeting the following evening, Monday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Cornerstone Church.

"(The open house) is laid back, it's fun, it's informal," said Tyer. "Adults can talk to other adults. Kids can talk to other kids. It's going to be a relaxed atmosphere."

Established locally in 2013, Trail Life USA Troop PA-0316 is a para-Scouting program designed to serve boys in kindergarten through 18 years of age residing in central and northern Lancaster County and Lebanon County. The troop meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the first, second and third Mondays of each month at Cornerstone Church.

There are dues associated with becoming a member of the troop, but no one will be turned away for financial reasons.

Troop PA-0316 goes camping, hiking and backpacking. It also takes field trips; sight-seeing excursions; and educational behind-the-scenes tours of businesses, emergency service organizations and nonprofits.

"All of these different activities are fun, but they're educational as well," said Tyer. "We hope (the boys) learn an understanding of who they are in God's world. We want them to have a better understanding of how they fit in with what God's created. We want them to use these skills for the rest of their lives and to lead others to Christ."

Trail Life USA Troop PA-0316 is made up of 40 boys, 16 fathers, moms and grandparents from 24 families who reside in Lititz, Manheim Township, Mount Joy, Elizabethtown, Penn Manor and Lebanon. The troop is broken down into patrols based on ages, and older members are encouraged to take on leadership, organizational and planning roles.

"They are boys who love adventure, exploration and the outdoors," said Tyer. "It doesn't mean they are experienced. They might not have learned all the skills of the outdoors, but they have the heart and interest."

PA-0316 is one of over 1,200 Trail Life USA troops spread across all 50 states in the country. Lancaster County is home to Trail Life USA troops in Ephrata and Quarryville.

"Our boys come from a multitude of backgrounds," said Tyer. "Even their Christian backgrounds are night and day. These boys come in and drive the program. We see transformation in the boys when they stay with the program. They become these young servant leaders, and they don't even realize it's happening."

For additional information, search for Trail Life USA Troop PA-0316 on Facebook.