Putting the Magic in Scouting

If you had a magic wand, would you use it to make the Scouting program better and more fun for youth so they stayed in Scouting longer, so it had a larger impact on their lives? What if the same magic wand made leadership roles easier and more rewarding, and also led to better retention among adult volunteers? Would using that magic wand be a top priority?

Well, such a magic wand does exist—in the form of the training program for volunteer leaders in the Boy Scouts of America.

Common sense tells us training is important, and research shows the importance of trained leaders. In the early days of the Boy Scouts of America, our first Chief Scout Executive James E. West was asked what the three greatest needs of the new movement were.  He replied, “Training, training, and training.” That is still true today.

A trained leader is knowledgeable and more confident in the role being performed. Trained leaders exhibit a knowledge and confidence that is picked up by people around them. Trained leaders impact the quality of programs, leader tenure, youth tenure, and a whole lot more. A trained leader is better prepared to make the Scouting program all it can be!

"Every boy deserves a trained leader, and every leader deserves to be trained."  Lord Baden Powell

Adult leaders are considered trained when they complete the following training:

• Youth Protection training (available online at MyScouting.org, to be completed before service with youth begins and repeated every two years)
• Leader position -specific training for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity, and Venturing leaders, or Troop Committee Challenge for troop committee members
  • This is Scouting and Fast Start are available online at MyScouting.org
  • Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster-specific training course is on November 22, 2014 at 12242 South 2700 West, 7:30 am to 12:30 pm
• Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills for Boy Scout, Varsity, and Venturing leaders (offered by the Great Salt Lake Council March 6-7, 2015)

Beyond this "basic" training are opportunities to gain additional Scouting and leadership skills, whether in monthly Roundtables, at Council events like University of Scouting (January 10, 2015), or the ultimate training experience, Wood Badge (8 courses in 2015, including a ASL-English and Spanish-English bilingual courses).


Please continue to help put the magic in Scouting by getting trained and then by getting additional, ongoing training.  We hope to see you at Roundtable and in our training courses!