Training Trails Feb 2024

Training Accomplished (thanks to those that make things happen!)

No awareness of any council-level training during the last month. If your unit has had some great training lately, let your council training chair know about it.

Training of the Month

Outdoor Ethics Training. This training is included in all core BSA outdoor training programs, such as National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), Wood Badge, and Introduction to Outdoor Leaders Skills (IOLS). Specific courses include:

  • BSA Outdoor Ethics Orientation – a 60 to 90-minute introduction for groups with little experience in outdoor ethics
  • BSA Leave No Trace Basics – 3-hour course; Seven Principles
  • BSA Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor Course – 16 hours of instruction spread over a minimum of two days; low-impact skills, how to teach concepts
  • BSA Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor Course – two weekends (five-day, five night); the course is taught by a set of nationally-designated Level 3 instructors. Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico appears to have the closest course.

 

Leave No Trace skills help us to minimize adverse impact in the outdoors, which will help keep the outdoors available to programs such as Scouting BSA. If your unit is interested in taking one of these courses or providing one of these courses, please contract your council training chair (see below).

Council Training Calendar

April 19-20 Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) will be held in parallel with the Council Spring Camporee at Martin Scout Ranch. Scoutmasters and Asst. Scoutmasters need this training; it is useful for other adults that will be involved in camping with the troop or crew. The training will help adults have a better camping and outdoor experience, and the focus will be on how to support older scouts as they teach outdoor skills to younger scouts.

April 19-20 Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) will be held in parallel with the Council Spring Camporee at Martin Scout Ranch. At least one pack leader needs to be trained in order for pack campouts to happen. The training will help adults have a better outdoor experience, as well as support family camping as a pack and other cub scout outdoor activities. There is an on-line pre-requisite component.

In The Works (If you plan it, they will come)

Trainers in ScoutingBSA can participate in training courses to improve their training techniques:

  • The Fundamentals of Training 4-hour in-person course helps trainers present effective training.
  • The Trainer’s EDGE 8-hour in-person course provides training on communication, training preparation, and how to direct the conversation during training. In addition, each participant has the opportunity to receive feedback on two types of presentation. This training is required for staffs of Wood Badge and National Youth Leadership Training.

 

If you are interested in one or both of these courses, please let the council training chair (see below) along with any deadlines for when the training is needed.

Help Wanted (It’s fun and rewarding to get involved with training!)

We have some great trainers in the council, but they are busy and not always available. More trainers are needed. Please let the council training chair (see below) know if you are interested in getting involved. Numerous training courses will be provided by the council if we have the resources to do so.

Lies, Darn Lies, and Statistics (How are we doin’?)

#CubChatLive! is presented Fridays at 2 pm Central Time. Past programs are available. “All about the Cub Scout program updates” (72 minutes) streamed in late January, and “Updates to the Webelos and Arrow of Light programs” (40 minutes) streamed in early February.

#TroopTalkLive is presented on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 2 pm Central Time. The last three topics are:

  • The Scout Basic Essentials (37 minutes)
  • How to overcome common challenges on the journey to Eagle Scout (32 minutes)
  • What is a Board of Review? Why do we have them in Scouts BSA? (33 minutes)

Isn’t it interesting that Cub Scout leaders have weekly chats and Scouts BSA leaders have monthly talks? These sessions are presented on Youtube and Facebook Live.

Contact:

Council Training Chair: Brad Ross bluemttrain@gmail.com

Your Feedback:

Please submit your pithy comments to your council training chair (see email address above), either for his eyes only or for the readers of this publication to see. If your comments are useful (and entertaining?), you’ll see them in a future Training Trails blog. We welcome your ideas to help improve the training in our council. Many thanks!