Advanced Leader Training that is
open to ALL Boy Scouts in the Katahdin Area Council  
 

The Purpose

National Youth Leader Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed program designed to provide youth members of the Boy Scouts of America with leadership skills and experiences they can use in their home troops and in other situations demanding knowledge, responsibility, and leadership of self and others. The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what he must KNOW, and what he must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as each scout goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership. 

Most of all, the purpose of NYLT is to HAVE FUN!

 Who may attend NYLT? 

To attend a NYLT course, every Scout MUST:
 Be at least 13 years old.
Be at least 1st Class rank.
Be a current or prospective leader in his home troop.
Have approval from his Scoutmaster. 

Because of the advanced nature of this program and the material presented throughout the week, the above requirements may not be waived. It is also strongly recommended that each scout have at least one or more lengthy camping experiences prior to attending the NYLT course, as this is truly an outdoor experience. 

What is National Youth Leadership Training?

National Youth Leadership Training is a two weekend outdoor experience for boy leaders in support of the Scoutmaster’s responsibility for the training of troop youth leaders.

The Conference will be held on the weekends of June 13-15, 2008 and June 20-22, 2008 at Katahdin Scout Camp (Camp Roosevelt) in Eddington, Maine.

Who is qualified to attend?

The Conference will focus on training the youth leaders in the troop. Participants do not have to be serving currently in a leadership role, but should have the skills and abilities to do so in the future. Each participant must be at least 13 years of age and a First Class Scout by
June 13, 2008. His troop Scoutmaster must first approve the Scout’s application.

The Troop Scoutmaster’s Role

It is expected that the troop Scoutmaster, or other designated adult scout leader, will work with the scouts prior to the Conference to provide them with the basics of leadership. There are certain outdoor skills that need to be mastered prior to coming to camp. Participants must be graduates of the Troop Junior Leader Training found on pages 70-82 in the Scoutmaster’s Handbook.

Registration Information

Please download and fill out the registration form and mail it to the Katahdin Area Council Service Center for Scouting with an $85 deposit, per Scout (total fee is $185).
Additional information will be mailed directly to each Scout and Scoutmaster in April.
Deposits and full Payments are transferable but not refundable.
The fee includes T-shirt, training materials, food, loads of challenges and lots of fun.
Space is limited to the first 40 applicants.

What are the conference objectives?

The conference gives participants:

• The confidence and knowledge to run the troop program

• A working knowledge of the skills needed for leadership and help the scouts relate these skills in their troop responsibility.

• The opportunity to share ideas and experiences with Scouts from other troops

• The creation of an atmosphere where Scouts will experience Scouting at its best

• The enhancement of the relationship between the participant and his Scoutmaster

• The opportunity to have fun.

How is the course set up?

In order to accomplish the objectives, the participants on arrival, are placed in a patrol composed of 6-8 Scouts (Scouts from the same home troop will be in different patrols). The Conference troop consists of 6 patrols. A Troop Guide is assigned to each patrol to advice and to be a resource to the participants throughout the learning process. The troop setting provides an opportunity for Scouts to practice newly learned skills providing the home troop with National Youth Leadership Training Boy Scouts of America improved effectiveness and enthusiasm of its youth leaders. The conference guidelines and rules are the same for those found in the Scout Oath and Law, the Outdoor Code, and other national and council practices and procedures.

Course method

The patrol method is used extensively at the conference. Patrols are on their own to set up campsites, cook meals, construct patrol projects and plan and carry out other activities without direct adult supervision. Patrol leadership changes daily to give all scouts a chance to be a Patrol Leader or an Assistant. Although this provides hands-on opportunities for each Scout to grow in leadership, it also requires that each Scout be mature enough to handle the independence given him. Experience has shown that younger Scouts often lack the physical and emotional maturity to benefit fully from this outdoor program.

What do I do next?

Download and complete the application, secure all the needed signatures and send it with your $85 deposit to the Katahdin Area Council Service Center. The Center will send an information packet that includes a bulletin on uniforming and equipment needs, parental permission, health and prescription forms, a questionnaire for more detailed information about the Scout and the Troop for placement in patrols. Applicants will need to return the questionnaire, and the parental permission, health and prescription forms to the Service Center prior to the mandatory information meeting.

Orientation Meeting

There will be a mandatory orientation meeting for parents and the Conference candidates on May 31^st  at Eastern Maine Community College in room 111 Maine Hall.  The meeting will start at 1:00 PM by verifying that all registration paperwork is complete. The staff will conduct an orientation for all attendees that will include showing the Scout’s youth protection program video “A Time to Tell.” The meeting will divide into two groups: the youth staff gathering the participants for introductions and games with their patrol members, while the adult staff will meet with parents and Scoutmasters to discuss the week’s activities and requirements. The orientation meeting will conclude at 3:30 pm although staff will remain to answer specific questions.

Other Questions?

For more information on the program,
please contact the Katahdin Area Council Service Center at 866-2241 or (800) 734-5705.

The Course Director is Les Stackpole, 233 Upper Falls Rd. Orland, ME 04472, (207) 469-3526