I’m already a youth leader. Why do I need to take NYLT training?
- NYLT is a lot of fun as both a participant and as staff!
- NYLT will build your confidence in leading others.
- NYLT will teach you about being a better leader.
- NYLT will show you what you are capable of achieving.
- NYLT will prepare you on being successful not only in scouts but in your life as well.
- NYLT takes your scouting skills to the next level.
As a Scoutmaster or Crew Advisor, why do I need all my youth leaders NYLT trained?
- To have a unit truly youth-led, they must be trained on the same leadership methodology of scouting which has been proven to work for over 100 years. NYLT offers this.
- When all your leaders have been trained the same, it leads to higher functioning units, crews, and patrols. NYLT offers a consistent leadership method and application which significantly drops misalignment on how to lead units.
- Scoutmasters and Crew Advisors with NYLT trained youth leadership can and have transitioned more of the unit programming to the youth over a shorter period of time.
- As youth leadership takes on more responsibilities of the unit, the adult leadership takes less.
- Less unit drama. (And who doesn’t want that?)
I’m an older scout. Isn’t NYLT for newer, younger scouts?
- NYLT teaches leadership skills for life, not just scouting.
- Many NYLT graduates have reported back how their NYLT training has given them an edge in life after they graduated high school.
What are the requirements for attending our Hoosier Trails Council NYLT course?
- Click on “NYLT Pre-Reqs” for more information
- Email the Course Director on requirement questions.
Scouts who go through National Youth Leadership Training emerge able to better understand the patrol method, the cycles of team development, and the process of planning an outing. The skills NYLT graduates have begun to hone make them qualified to serve as a Patrol Leader, Den Guide, or even Senior Patrol Leader. However, that’s not to say NYLT graduates are done learning leadership. NYLT is the best foundation for a Scout’s leadership abilities, not the cap stone.
We run our annual course at our home camp:
Maumee Scout Reservation
12975 W 925 N, Norman, IN 47264
Email the course director
What is NYLT?
In Hoosier Trails Council, NYLT provides participants with the knowledge and skills required to effectively lead a troop program. Overall, participants will walk away from course with greater confidence in their ability to communicate, teach, and solve problems. Our hope is that each participant takes what they learn and applies their new skills at the troop and district level.
- The NYLT course simulates one month in the life of a joint troop within a six-day course.
- Participants are grouped together with Scouts from all over Indiana into patrols of four to six members.
- Throughout the week, each patrol develops friendships and lifelong memories as they learn how to incorporate modern ideas of leadership into their own leadership styles.
- Content is delivered in a troop and patrol outdoor setting with an emphasis on immediate application of learning in a fun environment. Interconnecting concepts and work processes are introduced early, built upon, and aided by the use of memory aids, which allows participants to understand and employ the leadership skills much faster.
- The youth staff mentors the participants in this process as they travel on their “Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.” Click on “NYLT Staff Opportunities” to find out why staffing takes leadership to the next level.
The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what they must KNOW, and what they must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive on course as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.
NYLT is an exciting, action-packed program designed to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home troops and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others.
Hoosier Trails Council NYLT Course Participant Requirements:
NYLT is open to any registered Scout or venturer their Scoutmaster or Crew Advisor recommends. If you are interested in participating in our council’s course, please seek out your Scoutmaster or Advisor first for that recommendation.
Because NYLT is a program designed for Scouts with some experience, we expect that participants:
- Have earned their First Class Rank or Venturing Award
- Are 13 years old, or older.
- Have completed, signed, and up-to-date Scouts BSA Physical Forms A-C which are valid through the dates of our course.
- Complete Scouts BSA or Crew Class A uniform
If you have a Scout that you believe to be a good candidate but has not earned the required rank, or is too young exceptions are made at the course director’s discretion. Please email the course director for any questions or concerns about any of the pre-reqs.
*Individual ILST course completion is not currently a pre-req for attending our course.
We run our annual course at our home camp:
Maumee Scout Reservation
12975 W 925 N, Norman, IN 47264
When is our next course?
We are so excited to offer a continuous 6-day course in the summer. Our week will begin 8am Sunday morning and will run until Friday afternoon.
Course dates:
- July 14 – July 19, 2024
Course Participant Orientation Day: This day is mandatory for all course participants to attend. We will be handing out course items, collecting paperwork and covering typical orientation topics such as course expectations, logistics, agendas, staff introductions and a question and answer period. This is typically held 30 days prior to course.
We run our annual course at our council home camp:
Maumee Scout Reservation
12975 W 925 N, Norman, IN 47264
NYLT Staff Opportunities
Staff applications are currently being accepted. If you are a former participant or youth-staff, please contact the Course Director.
How do people get picked to be on a NYLT course staff?
- Course Director, Scoutmasters, and backup is approved by council. Offers are made and confirmed.
- SPLs are found: The Course Director and Scoutmasters interview candidates for the course Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) for both the male and female troops from a pool of Scouts and Venturers. The right candidate for that year’s course are offered the position and are accepted by the candidates.
- SPLs seeks out senior leadership: This is generally the senior leadership cabinet made up of the SPL and assistant senior patrol leaders (ASPLs) over specific functions for each troop (male & female). All former NYLT youth participants are eligible for consideration as youth staff. Youth must still be registered youth members in a Scouts BSA Troop or Venture Crew.
- The Course Director, Scoutmasters, SPL and ASPLs then announce a schedule for youth staff interviews. These can be either virtual or in person interviews. If you are a youth member and interested in staff, we highly encourage you to apply when we announce we are accepting staff applications or you can email the Course Director to get further information.
- The Course Director and Scoutmasters will also seek out adult staffers based upon recommendations from council and previous course staff to fill the adult staff roster. If you interested in becoming an adult staffer for our NYLT course for 2023 course, please email the Course Director with your interest or for further information.
What does it mean to be a youth staff member for a NYLT course?
- You have the best seats in town to the best youth leadership training around.
- You are in the drivers seat, taking your leadership skills learned during your participant year and putting them to work as staff.
- You will take your skills to the next level while having a blast doing it. Stories and friendships made on staff last a long time as only those who have served on staff can attest. Our troop SPLs will lead our staff to great success!
What does it mean to be an adult staff member for a NYLT course?
- Adult staff have the opportunity to coach and mentor youth staff as they run the course.
- You get to watch tomorrow’s leaders leap forward in their journey in realizing their own leadership potential.
- The adult staff support the youth staff in their endeavor to exemplifying leadership to those new to leadership.
What kind of time commitment would you be signing up for as a NYLT staff member?
Staff members have to prepare to run a course and that takes time. For 2024, we are running an updated course and therefore will require more time together on staff development weekends. These staff development weekends give us time to understand any updates to course programming, practice the skills needed by youth staff for course, and setup course materials.
Our course staff calendar will have the following events:
- 1 staff orientation day (February)
- 4 staff development weekends (1 per month from March through June. First couple could be either be a day or a whole weekend.)
- 1 Participant Orientation Day (June)
- Day before course (Saturday)
- Breakdown of course (Friday evening and Saturday morning)
* Note: Staff members are highly encouraged to attend all staff dates and to notify their youth-staff senior leadership in advance if they cannot make a particular date. Life gets in the way at times and we strive to adapt and overcome adversity when it shows up as it is a guarantee. We expect our staff to communicate effectively and responsibly in order to compensate for absences.
What does it cost to be on staff?
Yes… there is a financial cost for being on staff. The good news is that we typically charge a fraction of participant fees of that year.
Staff registration fees cover:
- Food for staff development
- Programming for staff development
- Items and uniform pieces needed for staff
Staff will also have the opportunity to purchase NYLT staff “swag” items at their own convenience and budget.
* Note: All 2023 staff is expected to budget and have staff registration paid by Feb 1st, 2022.
I want to work summer camp staff, will NYLT staff commitments conflict with summer camp staff commitments?
We make a significant effort for those on our youth staff wishing to serve on the Maumee Summer Camp Staff. In fact, we encourage it. We tag-teaming efforts with the Summer Camp Staff Leadership to encourage this opportunity.