Every Boy Deserves a Trained Leader

The journey from Fast Start to Wood Badge is a seamless progression for adults and an unending benefit for BSA youth. Fast Start Orientation and New Leader Essentials—the first two steps in new-leader training—introduce new leaders to the Boy Scouting program. Leader Specific Training, as the name implies, focuses on specific leader roles and will require several days to complete, depending on an individual's previous outdoor skills experience. Wood Badge has evolved into the premier leadership course of the BSA, strengthening a leader's ability to effectively work with groups of youth and adults.

Training Course Descriptions

Fast Start
You will learn in Fast Start Orientation that Scouting employs eight fundamental methods to deliver its three aims of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The eight methods are the ideals, the patrol method, the outdoors, advancement, association with adults, personal growth, leadership development, and the uniform. A troop functions best when all eight methods are employed. As a leader progresses through the levels of training, the eight methods are continually emphasized.

New Leader Essentials
As the first section of Basic Leader Training, New Leader Essentials is a 90-minute introductory session that highlights the values, aims, history, funding, and methods of Scouting and provides new leaders with a look at the resources available to them. New Leader Essentials often is offered as the first part of Leader Specific Training.

Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training
A new troop leader is considered trained upon completion of Fast Start Orientation, New Leader Essentials, and all four parts of Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training. Troop committee members and Webelos leaders who plan to move into a leadership position in a troop are encouraged to complete this training as well. 

Varsity Coach Leader Specific Training
Varsity Coaches and assistant Coaches have similar training requirements to Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters. Requirements for trained Varsity leaders are Varsity Fast Start Orientation, New Leader Essentials, and Varsity Coach Leader Specific Training. 

Troop Committee Training
For troop committee members, Leader Specific Training includes Troop Committee Challenge. Upon completion of the three-hour challenge, a troop committee member is considered trained.

Wood Badge for the 21st Century
Upon completion of Leader Specific Training, an adult is eligible to attend Wood Badge for the 21st Century. As the core leadership skills training course for the BSA, Wood Badge focuses on strengthening every volunteer's ability to work with groups of youth and adults and is less focused on outdoor skills, which are more effectively addressed in other training courses.

Incorporating leadership concepts that are used in corporate America, the course teaches participants the basics of listening, communicating, valuing people, team development, situational leadership, problem solving, and managing conflict. Once the skill is learned, each member is given the opportunity to use the skill as a member of a successful working team. At the conclusion of the course, each participant develops a set of personal goals related to his or her Scouting role. Working toward these goals allows each participant to practice and demonstrate new skills. 

Squanto District
Old Colony Council, B.S.A.
Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Copyright 2000-2008