The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
Baden-Powell, our founder, called Scouting a "game with a purpose." Our purpose is to help youth grow in citizenship, character, and mental, moral and physical fitness. Our effectiveness as adult leaders depends on how well we understand the aims and methods of the program.
But kids are attracted by the "game" portions--outdoor activities and just plain fun. Training will help you accomplish both parts, plus provide you with lots of resources and ideas. In the process, you'll gain friends and find out that the youth are not the only ones enjoying themselves!
All leaders should complete basic training, and will benefit from continuing education in their program areas. General descriptions are below. For details about courses for your position, click on one of the links above.
All courses are open to all leaders, regardless of program!
May 2008 - December 2008 Council Training Calendar [1]
Fast Start: A quick introduction to the Scouting program you have joined and your new position. It gives you enough information for your first meeting or two with youth. Most are available online.
Basic: A more complete overview of your program plus details of your Scouting job. Now divided into two parts:
New Leader Essentials: A short overview of all Scouting programs, showing how they are suited to youth of each age. Also describes Scouting aims and methods. Take this course only once in your Scouting career.
Leader Specific Training: How to accomplish your specific job in Scouting.
Outdoor Leader Training: How to take your youth into the outdoors. There are courses specific to all ages. (A required part of Basic Training for Scoutmasters or Varsity leaders).
Wood Badge: The final course in your fundamental training. Wood Badge concentrates on leadership, mentoring, teamwork and management skills. Open to leaders in ALL programs who have basic training for their position.
Continuing Education: We have a ton of courses with additional information about specific areas of your program--more ideas, more resources and fun activities. These can be taken even if you haven't completed basic training.
Boys enjoy Scouting more and stay longer in the program when they work with trained leaders. So we strongly encourage all leaders (and "just parents"!) to attend at least Fast Start and Basic training.