Youth Leadership Training
Leadership is a vital part of Scouting, and as Scouts progress through the ranks, they assume greater leadership responsibilities within their troops and other units. Scouts in positions of leadership take care of the many tasks necessary for meetings and activities to run smoothly. By accepting the responsibilities of troop leadership, Scouts are preparing themselves to be leaders throughout their lives.
Opportunities to develop leadership skills are every bit as important as recognition or advancement. Scouting offers young people a rich and varied arena in which to learn and use leadership skills, along with a series of training programs to help them develop those skills.
The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what a leader must KNOW, and what a leader must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.
Content is delivered in a troop and patrol outdoor setting with an emphasis on the immediate application of learning in a fun environment. Interconnecting concepts and work processes are introduced early, built upon, and aided by the use of memory aids, which allows participants to understand and employ leadership skills much faster.
To attend a NYLT course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course:
- Must be a registered member of a Scouting unit.
- Must have a current Scouting America Annual Health and Medical Record form parts A, B, and C.
- Scouts BSA members (male and female) must be at least 13. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops.
- Venturers and Sea Scouts (male and female) must be at least 14, or 13 and have completed eighth grade, and fall within the maximum age allowance for their program. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or Ships. It is recommended that they have had at least one year of camping experience. While NYLT is not an outdoor skills course, each participant must have basic camping and outdoor cooking experience.
- Have a unit leader recommendation.
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops/Crews
The purpose of the ILST course is to teach Scouts with leadership positions about their new roles and how to most effectively reach success in that role. It is intended to help Scouts in leadership positions within their troop understand their responsibilities and to equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities. Completion of ILST is a prerequisite for Scouts to participate in the more advanced leadership courses National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) and the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE). It is also required to participate in a Kodiak Challenge Trek.
ILST training is conducted at the unit level. Scouts wishing to take the course should talk to their unit leaders.
National Youth Leadership Training
NYLT is an action-packed, six-day program that provides youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home troops and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. Through a wide range of activities, games, and adventures, participants work and play together, gaining the skill and confidence to lead well as they put into action the best Scouting has to offer.
The Great Smoky Mountain Council offers
NYLT annually at Camp Buck Toms.
