Uniforms

Newsletter:

Training

—> Scouting U’s eLearning Content for Boy Scout Leaders <— Online Courses Organized by Role

—> BSA Adult Training <— This link takes you to a comprehensive section that provides a variety of materials, from quick references to complete courses, all designed to help adult leaders improve their leadership skills and deliver a quality program.

  • Joining Courses
  • Orientation Courses
  • Position-Specific (Role-Based) Courses
  • Supplemental Training Courses
  • Outdoor Skills Training Courses

—> Roundtables

—> Wood Badge

—> Scoutcast Training Sessions

In addition to the mandatory Youth Protection Training , some information-rich, supplemental courses, are available in the e-Learning sectionof my.scouting.org. These include:

  • Safe Swim Defense
  • Safety Afloat
  • Weather Hazards
  • Climb On Safely
  • Trek Safely

A login is required, but anyone may create a user account and view the courses. Registered members of the BSA may provide their member numbers (as part of the user profile) to receive credit.

    1. After logging in, click on the menu in the upper left corner and select “My Dashboard.”
    2. To access the supplemental courses and others, select “Training Center” in the top, horizontal menu bar.
    3. Click on the appropriate program and a screen will open up with a selection of courses.

Youth Protection Training

Required Training

  • Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers.
  • Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer’s Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered.
  • Download the How-To Guide for taking Youth Protection Training

All BSA adult members must take the Youth Protection Training course. The easiest way is to take the online version which is now valid for both overnight trips as well as extended camps. Go here to take the course.

Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS)

Working as patrols, this hands-on course provides adult leaders the practical outdoor skills they need to lead Scouts in the out-of-doors. Upon completion, leaders should feel comfortable teaching Scouts the basic skills required to obtain the First Class rank. Along with Scoutmaster Specifics this course is required of all direct contact leaders registered in Boy Scout Troops in order to be considered “trained”.

Troop Committee Challenge

The Troop Committee Challenge is designed for troop committee members and becomes the course (along with Youth Protection training) troop committee members need to be considered “trained.” The instructor’s guide below is for trainers to conduct the course for troop committee members.

Troop Committee Challenge

Powder Horn

Open to both registered adults and youth who are at least 13 and have completed the 8th grade, Powder Horn is a hands-on resource management course designed to give you the contacts and tools necessary to conduct an awesome high-adventure program in your troop, team, crew, or ship. Contact your area training chair for information about upcoming courses in your area.


Much of Scouting is learning. Though, regularly the best learning takes place on occasions when Scouts are having fun and aren’t at all aware they’re learning anything, periods set aside for relevant instruction are a fundamental part of a normal troop meeting.

The Skills Instruction portion of a troop meeting can feature topics that are theme-related, rank-related, merit badge-related, or readiness-related, as in preparing for a special activity, project, or event.

Since Scouts most always are of different ages with varying degrees of experience and levels of proficiency, during skills instruction, the troop generally divides into different groups. In Program Features these groups are categorized by levels and termed: essential, challenging, and advanced. Often, the criteria for which instructional group a Scout attends is what will benefit him most in accordance with his individual needs, as well as the needs of the troop.