(Worded by Frank Steele)

Bay Area Council - Trained Course Description

Adult Basic Backpacking

This is an introductory course designed to teach basic backpacking to adults with little or no backpacking experience. The course will give an adult Scouter instruction in such areas as: clothing, equipment, trail safety, trip planning, and other basic information that will help leaders to begin backpacking treks with their units. The course is held in four sessions and will include a backpacking overnight experience. The trail selected will be of moderate difficulty.

Participation in the outdoor portions of this course will require a completed Class 2 or Class 3 Personal Health and Medical Record Form.

BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation)

This course trains pack leaders to plan and carry out “entry-level” outdoor experiences. Ask a boy why he wants to be a Cub Scout, and nine times out of 10 he’ll answer “to go camping.” That’s why Cub Scouting has introduced BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) training, so boys, along with their parents or some other adult, can participate in a successful overnight camping experience.

A pack camp-out, at a location approved by the local council, is a great way for families to have fun and build confidence in outdoor skills. This kind of camping isn’t the rugged high adventure outing geared toward older Boy Scouts. It’s what you might call “soft camping,” where families can simply drive up to a campsite and pitch a tent within a few feet of their vehicle’s rear bumper. The emphasis is on family fun activities that don’t require lots of advanced outdoor skills.

How do you get started? A member of your pack committee needs to attend BALOO training. The BALOO session will give your pack’s outdoor activity leader the tools to conduct a safe and successful overnight.
BALOO sessions include the why and how of Cub Scout camping-planning, equipment, meal preparation, and campfire programs. In the afternoon, Cub Scouters rotate among four round-robin sessions-fire safety, stoves, and lanterns; first aid and sanitation; nature hikes and games; and cooking. Scattered throughout the day are plenty of the four S’s: songs, stunts, stories, and showmanship. With proper planning and your BALOO-trained leader, your pack should be set for a fun and exciting weekend event.

BALOO is an all-day training usually offered on a Saturday.

Approximate Duration: 8 hours

Chartered Organizational Representative (COR) Training

The Boy Scouts of America, in its relationship with chartered organizations, depends on the COR to be the liaison between the local council and the organization. As the representative of the organization, you have the responsibility to share information between the council and the organization and vice versa. This training will give you a solid overview of the scouting program and teach you how to help your units grow and be successful in the scouting program.

Approximate Duration: 2 hours & 15 minutes

Commissioner Basic Training

This is a one-day course with three sessions.

Cub Scout Fast Start

A self study orientation course for Cub Scout Leaders and is available on line. This program will acquaint the new Cub Scout leader with the basic information about their position.

Approximate Duration: 30 minutes

Cub Scout Leader Pow-Wow

Pow Wow is designed to be a day of learning, while having fun. Simply stated, it is the finest one-day supplemental training offered in the BSA - guaranteed to give you confidence and skills necessary for an exciting program. This training offers a variety of courses designed to give additional information on specific areas of Cub Scouting that you can immediately bring back to use in running your den or pack programs. You register for one and two hour classes in subjects like Cub Cooking, Neckerchief Slides, Nature Crafts, Woodcarving, Leatherwork, Songs, Blue and Gold Creations, Cubmaster Workshop, etc.
Approximate Duration: all day, divided into 6 separate 1-hour sessions.

Cub Scout Leader Specific Training

Cub Scout Leader Fast Start and New Leader Essentials should be completed prior to enrolling in this course.
Following New Leader Essentials Training, this course is phase two of a new Cub Scout Leader’s introduction to the Boy Scouts of America and to the responsibilities, opportunities, and resources that will ensure a successful pack leadership experience.

This course is intended for every adult leader in every Cub Scout Pack. Participants receive specific instruction in their leadership position which will help them succeed in that position and are taught in 5 separate breakout sessions:

• Cubmaster Specific Training
• Pack Committee Specific Training
• Tiger Leader Specific Training
• Den Leader Specific Training (for Wolf and Bear Leaders)
• Webelos Leader Specific Training

If a Cub Scout leader changes positions (for example, if a Tiger Cub Den Leader becomes a Cubmaster or a Bear Den Leader becomes a Webelos Den Leader), that leader should take this course again to learn the material related to the new position.

Approximate Duration: 2 hours.

Den Chief Training

The Den Chief plays an important roll for both his troop and the pack. Den Chief training works best if the Den Leader or the Cubmaster take the training along with the Den Chief. This helps the pack leaders know how to use the Den Chief in the den. For the Den Chief, it helps them know their job and the pack leadership is behind him. For the troop, the Den Chief provides an excellent example of Boy Scouting to the Cub Scouts and help encourage them to join the troop their Den Chief is from. Den Chief training will show the Den Chief how to help the Den Leader with the den activities from meeting to meeting. These can include games, skills, songs, and stories & adventures from someone who is a Boy Scout close to their own age.

Approximate Duration: 6 hours

Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills

Outdoor skills are critical to the success of the Scouting program, and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills will provide leaders with the basic outdoor skills information needed to start a program right. The skills taught are based on the outdoor skills found in The Boy Scout Handbook. The course builds confidence and competence in leaders conducting outdoor camping experiences.

Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills is the required outdoor training for all Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, and Varsity Scout Coaches and is highly recommended for Venturing leaders.
Approximate Duration: a weekend. 1 1/2 days, with an overnight campout in between.
Leave No Trace
This is a half-day awareness seminar for adults in all phases of the Scouting program: Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing. The agenda includes an introductory videotape describing Leave No Trace ethics, and interactive round-robin presentations based on the seven basic principles of LNT:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Leave What You Find
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Approximate Duration: 3 hours

Merit Badge Counselor

The purpose of this training unit is to provide council- or district-approved and registered merit badge counselors with understanding of the methods of counseling and their role in the advancement program of Boy Scouts of America. The merit badge counselor’s role is to bring about learning on the part of the Boy Scout.

As a “coach” the counselor advises the Scout concerning steps he should take to fulfill the requirements for the merit badge.

As a “counselor’ he evaluates the Scout’s performance and determines whether or not the Scout has met the prescribed objectives in the requirements.

Approximate Duration: 1 hour

Nature of Leadership Treks (youth training)

Leadership and service to others are two key tenets of Venturing, the Boy Scouts of America’s fast growing teenage program. Combine these two elements and you get the concept of “the servant leader.” Servant leadership as a philosophy teaches that the leader works with and through a team to accomplish the mission.

Rather than just talking about leadership, Venturing through the new Nature of Leadership Treks teaches useable, relevant leadership skills that every teen can use.

Approximate Duration: 1 week

New Leader Essentials

New Leader Essentials is an introductory session that highlights the values, aims, history, funding, and methods of Scouting. It addresses how these aims and methods are reached in an age-appropriate style within Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing. Videos, discussions, and hands-on reinforcement are presented during the 90-minute training session. Ideally, all unit-based volunteers-Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, and Venturing leaders-take this session at the same time, so they understand that they are all striving for the same results with the youth they serve. Each leader completes New Leader Essentials training only once.

Benefits of New Leader Essentials

• A better understanding of how and where my unit and my job within my unit fits in to the “bigger picture” of Scouting.
• A better understanding of the changing roles of adult volunteers as their boys mature and move through the different stages of the Scouting program.
• An awareness of the different aspects of the Scouting program, which may result in leaders taking advantage of those programs for a child in a different age group.

Approximate Duration: 90 minutes

Outdoor Webelos Leadership Training

Outdoor Webelos Leadership Training (OWL) is designed to provide Webelos Leaders, Cubmasters, and interested Committee Members with the information and skills needed to conduct a successful Webelos outdoors program. Incorporating the adage “Scouting is Outing”, the course is conducted out-of-doors, rain or shine. Outdoor skills of Cooking and Sanitation, Campfires, Knots, Woods Tools, Naturalist, Forester, First Aid, Fire building, Geologist, Outdoorsman, Selecting Campsites, Tents, Bedding and Weather are taught in the program. The emphasis is on “Hands-on” Training.

OWL is an overnight course generally taught on a weekend. You will need to bring the following:

• Activity uniform
• Tent and sleeping bag
• Pocket Knife
• Flashlight
• Lawn Chair
• Rain Gear
• Notebook and pen
• Mess kit/ utensils/ mug
• Bug repellant

A completed Class 1 Medical Form is required to attend OWL.

Approximate Duration: a weekend. 2 days, with an overnight campout in between.

Powderhorn

Powder Horn is an exciting training opportunity designed to present local resource individuals in all areas of high adventure covered by the Venturing program’s Ranger award, including: First Aid, Communications, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Land Navigation, Leave No Trace Camping, Wilderness Survival, Conservation, Backpacking, Cave Exploring, Cycling/Mountain Biking, Ecology, Equestrian, Fishing, Hunting, Lifesaving, Mountaineering, Outdoor Living History, Physical Fitness, Plants and Wildlife, Project COPE, Scuba, Shooting Sports, Watercraft, and Winter Sports. The program will also help leaders in working with teens and how to address issues related to co-ed Venturing crews.

Powder Horn can help establish a successful high adventure program for older Scouts and Ventures in several ways:

• Helping scoutmasters and Venturing crew advisors to conduct outdoor activities that are not only fun and challenging, but safe and in accordance with BSA guidelines.
• Introducing leaders to resources to assist in teaching high adventure skills to youth, aged 14-21.• Familiarizing scoutmasters and crew advisor with the Ranger program so that they can assist in meeting the requirements of the Ranger Award.

Rangemaster

This training allows you to run Archery & BB ranges at District-level camps (Twilight Camp or Day Camp, and Cub-O-Ree). Archery & BB Beltloops are restricted awards. A scout may only earn their Archery & BB Beltloops and Sports Pins at on BSA range, under the supervision of a BSA certified Rangemaster.

Rangemaster certification is valid for 2 years.

Approximate Duration: 3 hours

Roundtable

Roundtable is held the first or second Thursday of the month (depending on your district). It is an excellent opportunity to receive basic information, training and practical program ideas for adult leaders. Roundtables help leaders to plan monthly programs and provide the opportunity to discuss Scouting issues of common interest.

Approximate Duration: 1 1/2 hours

Safety Afloat & Safe Swim Defense

These are two separate courses that are almost always taught together. These courses are designed to train adult unit leaders in the basics of water safety and unit aquatic activity planning. Participants who attend this training will receive a Safety Afloat certification and a Safe Swim Defense certification.

The courses focus on the seven points of Safe Swim Defense and the nine points of Safety Afloat. The classes address major concerns about aquatic and boating safety and water rescue. Participants will receive Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense training pamphlets.

This certification is required in order to obtain a tour permit for outings with aquatic activities. It is recommended that all adult leaders achieve this certification. Safety Afloat & Safe Swim Defense certifications are valid for two years.

This training is also offered online.

Approximate Duration for both: 90 minutes

Scoutmaster & Asst. Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training

During New Leader Essentials, participants are introduced to the eight methods of Scouting. Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training expands that foundation by teaching Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters practical ways to instill these methods into their troop programs.

Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training focuses on the essentials of being a good Scoutmaster.

Approximate Duration: 8 hours

Trainer Development Conference

The Trainer Development Conference is part of a continuous process of updating trainers with the latest training methods, principles, and technologies. The primary target of this conference is Scouters who will be delivering training to leaders as well as to youth members in all parts of the Scouting program.

Scouters responsible for training may be members of district or council training teams who train leaders in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing. They may also be Scouters who train commissioners and district committees. They may be pack trainers. This conference is designed to develop and improve the skills of both veteran and prospective trainers.

The Trainer Development Conference incorporates numerous contemporary training techniques and emphasizes the importance of experiential learning, or “learning by doing.” The training sessions not only demonstrate good training methods, but give participants an opportunity to interact and practice what they have learned. An ongoing learning activity, the “BSA 500″ game, is featured and used continuously throughout the conference to emphasize and reinforce the experiential learning.

Troop Committee Leader Training

The Troop Committee Challenge training for Boy Scout troop committees has been developed to help troop committee members better understand their roles and responsibilities. Through hands-on experiential learning, this training will also enable troop committee members to better deliver the promise in support of the troop, Scoutmaster, and Scouts. This course is also available online.

Approximate Duration: 3 hours.

University of Scouting

The University of Scouting is a fun learning experience offered to Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Sea Scout, and Venturing Leaders, as well as District and Council Leaders. Participants attend the courses they choose in any program. This experience broadens a person’s understanding and knowledge of the Scouting program through a variety of course sessions on specific topics taught by experienced volunteers from our council. Courses are filled on a first-come basis.

Approximate Duration: all day, divided into 6 separate 1-hour sessions.

Varsity Leader Specific Training

The Varsity Scout Leader Specific Training consists of two sessions:

Part I-What Is Varsity Scouting?

Summarizes the purposes and methods of Varsity Scouting. Discusses the characteristics of young men 14 through 17 years old. Explains how a Varsity Scout team is organized and led by young men with guidance from adults. Reviews Varsity Scouting’s five program fields of emphasis.

Part II-Varsity Scout Program

Gives details about how to plan and conduct a Varsity Scout team’s activities and meetings. Participants actually plan two activities to be done during the outdoor training in Part Ill. Also covers the BSA’s Youth Protection Guidelines.

Approximate Duration: 8 hours.

Venturing Fast Start

A self study orientation course for Venturing Leaders and is available on line. This program will acquaint the new Cub Scout leader with the basic information about their position.

Approximate Duration: 30 minutes

Venturing Leader Specific Training

Venturing Fast Start and New Leader Essentials should be completed prior to enrolling in this course.
Developed for Venturing Advisors, assistant Advisors, and crew committee members, this training incorporates Venturing’s current adult leader training.

Approximate Duration: 5 hours.

Venturing Leadership Skills Training

The Venturing Leadership Skills Course (VLSC) is designed to help teach youth adults the attitudes and skills that good leaders demonstrate. Practicing and mastering these skills will help enable Ventureres to have positive leadership experiences. VLSC was specifically designed to be taught to all Venturers in the crew. It is recommended that the crew advisor and/or the crew officers conduct the course. If your crew is small, you may want to conduct the course with other crews and/or groups. VLSC is now a requirement for the Silver Award and the Advisor Award of Merit.

VLSC is a series of leadership modules divided into four categories:

• VisionCommunication
• Organization
• Synergism

Each module is introduced by an activity and followed by reflection.

Approximate Duration: a weekend

Woodbadge for the 21st Century

Woodbadge is the advanced training program for all adult Scouting leaders. It is designed to increase participants’ leadership skills. The Wood Badge program consists of two parts - practical training and application. The practical leadership experience is gained in a training setting (held over two three-day weekends) where leadership skills can be learned and practiced. At the conclusion of the practical training, each participant makes a commitment to complete a set of personal goals related to his/her Scouting position. In this way, the Wood Badge experience contributes to a stronger unit, district or council, as well as provides an opportunity to practice the leadership skills learned on the course. All Scouters that have completed the basic training for their position are eligible to attend Woodbadge.

Approximate Duration: two 3-day weekends, with patrol meetings in-between, and 5 ticket items after completion of the course

Youth Protection

Youth Protection Training (YPT) is a program that has been developed to safeguard both youth and adult members in the scouting program. This training teaches Scout volunteers what resources are available to educate scouts about child abuse, how to avoid it, how to identify abuse, and how to deal with it. Youth Protection certification is valid for two years and must be taken online.

Approximate Duration: 90 minutes