Wilderness First Aid prepares leaders and older youth to understand and manage common medical illnesses and emergencies when more advanced care is not immediately available. The course combines classroom presentations about common wilderness first aid situations with active skills practice and hands-on scenarios. Course includes both a Wilderness First Aid and a CPR certification from ECSI. Two different dates will be offered:

Saturday, May 25

Sunday, June 23

Both courses will run 9am-4pm at Camp Woodland, and participants must provide their own lunch. Course fee of $25 includes both WFA and CPR certification. Register now on Tentaroo.

Scouting Magazine recently ran an article highlighting Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST). The article outlines the value of the training and gives a primer on how to conduct this essential training for youth leaders at the Troop level. ILST is essential to developing prepared youth leaders. Completion of ILST is also a prerequisite for attending NYLT.

Spotlight on Training Awards

Did you ever wonder how Scouters earn the award knots they wear on their uniform? One way is by completing training! Training awards are available to adult leaders who fulfill specific requirements. These include:

• The Trained Strip is available to leaders who complete the basic training requirement for their position. For Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, this includes Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills. It also includes Weather Hazards for SMs & ASMs, as well as Cubmasters, Asst. Cubmasters, and all Den Leaders and Asst. Den Leaders. Your basic training requirements will show in your profile at My.Scouting.org, but if you're unsure, contact your unit leader or district executive. The Trained strip is worn under the position patch on the left arm of your uniform.
• The Den Leader Training Award and Scouters' Training Awards are for leaders who go beyond the basics. In addition to basic training, Scouters earning these awards must attend supplemental training such as Roundtable or university of Scouting, have tenure in their position, and meet certain performance requirements. Den Leaders earn the blue and gold square knot, while other positions earn the green on tan. The Scouters' Training Award is available for Cub, Scout, Venturing, Sea Scout, and District-level Scouters.
• Scouters' Keys are available to the top unit leaders (Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, Advisors, and Skippers), as well as District Committee members who go above and beyond to attend training and ensure the highest quality of unit program. Leaders earning their key receive the green and white knot.

Do you qualify for these awards, or know a Scouter who does? Do you want to set a goal to earn them? Click the link below to find specific requirements for the awards and application forms.

National Youth Leadership Training is a leadership and team development training course developed by Boy Scouts of America to enable Scouting youth to lead their Scouting organization. NYLT uses the Aims and Methods of Scouting to teach leadership skills. Six days are spent in a camping environment that exemplifies the best that Scouting can be and is the vision that Baden-Powell intended.

Leatherstocking & Longhouse Councils have joined forces to provide a robust and exciting experience for all who attend. 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.

Registration closes July 5th, so sign up today!

Powder Horn Course to Be Hosted at Camp Gorton

This fall, Five Rivers Council will be hosting a Powder Horn course. Powder Horn is a high adventure resource-management course. It’s designed to motivate and prepare adult Venturing and Boy Scout leaders to work with older Scouts, BSA and Venturers as they plan and do high adventure activities as part of the troop and crew program. This course is not offered often, so this is a unique opportunity to expand your knowledge of outdoor skills and prepare to take your unit to the next level of adventure. The course will be held at Camp Gorton in Dundee, NY, September 5-8. Regular pricing of $300 is available until June 30.

Last Call for Outdoor Training Registration!

Due to multiple requests, registration for the Outdoor Training Weekend has been extended until tomorrow, Wednesday May 8th. The Outdoor Training team will be offering two courses this weekend at Camp Woodland:

• Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) trains Cub Scout Leaders and Parents how to effectively prepare and run fun-filled overnight and outdoor adventures that meet Youth Protection Guidelines and teach Cubs how much fun they can have in the great    outdoors. At least one BALOO-trained leader is required on every Cub campout.
• Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) is a hands-on program that gives adult leaders the practical skills to lead Scouts in the out-of-doors. The skills taught will introduce adult Scout leaders to methods for teaching the outdoor skills associated with Tenderfoot through First Class ranks. It is required training for all Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters, offered only in-person.

This is your last chance to register for the spring Outdoor Training Weekend. Sign up today in Tentaroo.

Chair's Corner

"Every Scout deserves a Trained Leader"  

There are many types of training - from position basic to Wood Badge. There is training in almost any category of scouting that exists. The question that exists is how can the training that I take help my unit and my scouts?  

When we take a training course we need to think about how we can bring this valuable information back to our scouts to help teach them the skills they need. Training is all about teaching, teaching in a way that others can understand. This is why the Scouts BSA Program uses the EDGE Method, this allows Scouts to teach other Scouts in ways that they will not only learn the material but be able to fully learn the skill and be able to use it in their Scouting Careers.  

So I ask of every leader - How can you as a leader make a difference? You can take a training course that will directly impact your unit and your Scouts today!

Yours in Scouting, 

Michael Cargill 

Longhouse Council Training Chair

training.longhouse@gmail.com