Winter 2014 The Training Times - Boy Scouts of America · PDF fileWinter 2014 The Training...
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Winter 2014 The Training Times Training Leaders, not just running training courses Scouting U Over two years ago the leadership of the Boy Scouts of America’s professional training and volunteer training teams started meeting to discuss ways we could encourage collaboration and sharing of experiences to make training more effective for all leaders in the BSA. During an early conversation Doug Krofina, the team leader of professional training, shared an experience he had had. He was discussing the stages of team development with a member of his team who had presented the topic in a local council. When asked to name the nine steps in team development that are used in professional training he responded, “I don’t remember. I’ll check the lesson plan and get back to you.” When this same team member was asked to name the stages taught in Wood Badge, he immediately and accurately replied, “Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.” These conversations illustrated some important points: • There is a lot of good training and learning happening in the BSA, but there is also some that is not as effective. • There are many different departments responsible for elements of training in the BSA. • Careful design and organization of information is critical to learning. • We are not teaching the same concepts - nor in the same “language” - to all of our leaders, even those who have similar roles. They came to the obvious realization that if we do not create quality learning opportunities and are not consistent in our information, how can we ultimately expect to be more successful as an organization. Consistency and intelligent learning design are critical to developing our workforce - employees and volunteers - to achieve the mission of the Boy Scouts of America. We cannot continue presenting different processes, philosophies, and ideals to each leadership position and expect to achieve exceptional organizational performance, let alone deliver high- quality service and programs to our youth and adult members. To address this dilemma, this initial group of Scouters became a formal project team of BSA volunteers and executives who met over the last two years studying training in the BSA and learning best practices outside the BSA. They have created a framework for learning that will: • ensure consistency in language and content of all BSA learning programs; • create learning experiences in multiple delivery formats to reach all types of learners; • keep track of learning and individual learning plans; • merge employee and volunteer learning teams. The result is Scouting University (or Scouting U), a new department and learning management vehicle in the Boy Scouts of America. While there will not initially be a great deal of change in the volunteer training committee, nor in the plans for new training courses that are in development by that committee, the staff of the volunteer development team will be taking on new roles in the near future. You’ll hear a lot more about plans for Scouting U in 2014. The framework is, of course, only the beginning. There are many other pieces to the strategy that require further planning and will take time to implement. For example, at their November retreat the volunteer training committee began to brainstorm the roles and functions of the learning committees at the national, regional, area, council, and district levels. But there are also things that are already in place based on the ideas that have come out of the Scouting U framework building process. These include the District Operations Basic course for new professionals, portions of MyScouting Tools, the T-Cubed continuum, and several other new courses for BSA leaders. Currently, a Scouting University Web page is being developed to keep you up to date on activities and progress, and you may be asked periodically to provide feedback. In the meantime, keep an eye here and on the volunteer training Facebook page. You can also email your questions and comments to [email protected].
Transcript of Winter 2014 The Training Times - Boy Scouts of America · PDF fileWinter 2014 The Training...
Winter 2014
The Training Times Training Leaders, not just running training courses
Scouting U
Over two years ago the leadership of the Boy Scouts ofAmerica’s professional training and volunteer training teamsstarted meeting to discuss ways we could encouragecollaboration and sharing of experiences to make training moreeffective for all leaders in the BSA.
During an early conversation Doug Krofina, the team leader ofprofessional training, shared an experience he had had. He wasdiscussing the stages of team development with a member ofhis team who had presented the topic in a local council. Whenasked to name the nine steps in team development that areused in professional training he responded, “I don’t remember.I’ll check the lesson plan and get back to you.” When this sameteam member was asked to name the stages taught in WoodBadge, he immediately and accurately replied, “Forming,Storming, Norming, and Performing.”
These conversations illustrated some important points:• There is a lot of good training and learning happening in
the BSA, but there is also some that is not as effective.• There are many different departments responsible for
elements of training in the BSA.• Careful design and organization of information is critical
to learning.• We are not teaching the same concepts - nor in the same
“language” - to all of our leaders, even those who havesimilar roles.
They came to the obvious realization that if we do not createquality learning opportunities and are not consistent in ourinformation, how can we ultimately expect to be moresuccessful as an organization.
Consistency and intelligent learning design are critical todeveloping our workforce - employees and volunteers - toachieve the mission of the Boy Scouts of America. We cannotcontinue presenting different processes, philosophies, andideals to each leadership position and expect to achieveexceptional organizational performance, let alone deliver high-quality service and programs to our youth and adult members.
To address this dilemma, this initial group of Scouters became aformal project team of BSA volunteers and executives who metover the last two years studying training in the BSA andlearning best practices outside the BSA. They have created aframework for learning that will:
• ensure consistency in language and content of all BSAlearning programs;
• create learning experiences in multiple delivery formatsto reach all types of learners;
• keep track of learning and individual learning plans; • merge employee and volunteer learning teams.
The result is Scouting University (or Scouting U), a newdepartment and learning management vehicle in the BoyScouts of America. While there will not initially be a great dealof change in the volunteer training committee, nor in the plansfor new training courses that are in development by thatcommittee, the staff of the volunteer development team will betaking on new roles in the near future. You’ll hear a lot moreabout plans for Scouting U in 2014.
The framework is, of course, only the beginning. There aremany other pieces to the strategy that require further planningand will take time to implement. For example, at theirNovember retreat the volunteer training committee began tobrainstorm the roles and functions of the learning committeesat the national, regional, area, council, and district levels.
But there are also things that are already in place based on theideas that have come out of the Scouting U framework buildingprocess. These include the District Operations Basic course fornew professionals, portions of MyScouting Tools, the T-Cubedcontinuum, and several other new courses for BSA leaders.
Currently, a Scouting University Web page is being developedto keep you up to date on activities and progress, and you maybe asked periodically to provide feedback. In the meantime,keep an eye here and on the volunteer training Facebook page. You can also email your questions and comments [email protected].
Cub Scout Den Leader Specifics Training
Earlier this year a new Den Leader Position-Specific Trainingcourse syllabus for Tiger Cub, Wolf, and Bear den leaders wasreleased. The content of the course was developed based onthe results of extensive surveys of den leaders in 2006 and2011, Voice of the Scout feedback, and a den leader"competency" study in 2012. A companion specifics course forWebelos den leaders, built on the same research, was releasedlate last year.
These new courses are intended to provide den leaders withthe experience, basic information, and resources they need toconduct successful den meetings. They are also designed toaddress some of the primary skills that den leaders need.
Both syllabi are available for trainers to download on the"adult" page of www.Scouting.org/training.
The existing Cub Scout Leader Position-Specific Training course,which includes sections for Cubmasters, Webelos den leaders,committee members, pack trainers, and den leaders, is still avalid course and should continue to be used to train all of thenot-den leader positions. The existing E-learning courses arealso still valid.
The training team has new courses for other pack leadershiproles under development. We are also currently working onmentored self-study manuals for den leaders in remotelocations or for those leaders who have difficulty hearing.
Program Update - 2014 and Beyond
The next three years promises to be an exciting time forScouting as all three phases of our traditional Scouting programare updated based on several years of volunteer-led researchand development. Venturing is first up in 2014 with a newprogram and recognition approach focusing on progressivedevelopment in adventure, leadership, and service to othersand personal growth. Updates to Cub Scouting are coming in2015.
Get the latest overview and all the details at the newly createdProgram Update page www.scouting.org/programupdates andSEE the future of Scouting.
Share the overview and detailed documents with your counciland district unit leaders.
Engage your council and district volunteers to train andcommunicate to share the future program vision.
Encourage your volunteers to get the latest details via theconferences offered at Philmont Training Center (Venturing andCub Scouts) and Sea Base (Venturing).
Scout Oath and Scout Law
As we noted in another article in this Times there are changescoming as a result of the Program Update process. As you haveheard, one of the changes is using the Scout Oath and ScoutLaw for all phases of the Scouting program.
Beginning in May 2014 Venturing will use the Scout Oath andScout Law, and beginning in May 2015 Cub Scouting will usethe Scout Oath and Scout Law.
Training courses will be updated to reflect that change. 2014Wood Badge courses should continue to use the Cub ScoutPromise and the Law of the Pack.
NAYLE is Growing
Built upon the skills learned in acouncil National Youth LeadershipTraining (NYLT) course, NationalAdvanced Youth LeadershipExperience (NAYLE) is the ultimatein hands-on experiential leadershiptraining for our older Scoutingyouth.
With the exception of a handful of regional pilot courses, youhad to go to Philmont to participate in this unique trainingopportunity until now. We've taken those same leadershiptools that are taught so well in the Old West environment ofthe Rocky Mountains and transferred them to theswashbuckling seas in the heart of the Florida Keys AND thetrapping and trading exploits of the Voyageurs in the BoundaryWaters region of the North Woods.
The first NAYLE courses offered atthe Florida Sea Base will take placein spring 2014 during the time ofspring break for many of our youth.Dates are set for Saturday, March15, to noon on Friday, March 21,2014, and Saturday, April 12, untilnoon on Friday, April 18, 2014.
The first NAYLE courses offered atthe Charles L. Sommers Canoe Baseat Northern Tier will be held duringthe heart of summer of 2014. Datesare set for Sunday, July 6, to Friday,July 11, 2014, and Sunday, July 13,until Friday, July 18, 2014.
You can find more information andthe links to the registration sites forall three bases at www.scouting.org/training/youth.
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Direct Links vs. Page Links
We are often asked (and at times criticized) why we do not postdirect links to things in the Training Times and on our Facebookpage. We tend to direct you to the page where the direct linkto an item is located. For example, we may say "go towww.scouting.org/training and look in the 'Administration ofTraining' section of the 'adult' page."
We do this for a couple of main reasons. We want Scouters tosee the other training resources available on the page as theyare looking for the document or information. If we direct themstraight to a document they will miss them.
Direct links have a habit of hanging around on the Internetforever and get passed around via e-mail. We try to clean(delete) out-of-date links when we find them or they arepointed out to us, and we do update the link on the page whenwe update the document. But unlike pages, new documentsusually use a different URL and we would like for Scouters to bedirected to the most current item.
CubCast and ScoutCast
Have you listened to the award-winning CubCast lately? Howabout ScoutCast? These are monthly audio podcasts featuringa variety of how-to and information topics for leaders andparents. They are designed to supplement your training androundtable programs. You can listen to them on-line, downloadit to share, and/or subscribe to it via RSS feed. Archives of pasteditions are available too!
Check out www.scouting.org/Scoutcast. Choose CubCast orScoutCast, and give them a listen!
Team Update
Late last year the volunteer development team lost a memberwhen Peter Self was promoted to the position of team lead forthe youth development team in the program impactdepartment. In this new role Peter gives leadership to the staffand volunteers that manage the delivery of Cub Scouting, BoyScouting, and Venturing, the STEM program, and all BSAawards.
We will miss Peter and are grateful for all he has done fortraining over nearly three years with us. We are also excitedfor him as he moves to this incredibly important position!
In the interim, as the staffing structure of Scouting U isdetermined, Cindy Polman will be working with the advancedleadership training task force and courses such as Wood Badge,NYLT, and NAYLE. The vacancy created with Peter’s departurewill be filled within the new Scouting U structure.
Philmont Training Center
We want to invite you to participate in one of the conferencesconducted by the committee for trainers that we will beoffering at the Philmont Training Center in Cimarron, NewMexico, in the summer and fall of 2014!
We also hope you will encourage other trainers in your area toattend and hope you will share this information with them. Your trainers play a very important role in the success ofScouting in the lives of youth, and we want them to be a part ofthe discussion.
At these conferences you will have the opportunity to meetand share ideas with Scouters and trainers from acrossAmerica. The conference faculty, selected by our regions andnational committees, consists of some of the most talented andskilled men and women in Scouting.
While trainers are involved in a conference, their spouses andfamily members will be able to enjoy a range of activities led bythe PTC staff. There will also be plenty of time and activities fortrainers to enjoy PTC with them.
Philmont's unique blend of Scouting, history, family activities,and the magic of the northern New Mexico Mountains willmake the conferences a memorable family experience.
2014 Training Committee Conferences at PTC:
June 8-14Delivering Training to Unit LeadersT-Cubed (T3) - Train The Trainer July 20-26Building Youth-Led Units-Training Youth and Adult LeadersPhilmont Leadership Challenge
July 27-August 2Delivering Training to Unit Leaders
August 3-9Training Your Troop LeadersTraining Your Venturing Crew Leaders September 14-20Philmont Leadership Challenge
You can find more information about these and all PTCconferences at www.philmonttrainingcenter.org, and you canregister for a PTC conference at www.myscouting.orgon the"Event Registration" page.
We hope that you will promote these conferences and that youwill accept our invitation to join us at Philmont in 2014! Weurge trainers to register soon as the conferences have limitedattendance.
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“Adult” Page on the Training Page
If you have looked at www.scouting.org/training/adult latelyyou have seen that we re-organized the page to help makethings a little easier to find.
Items are categorized in the following way:
Joining Courses - These courses are required for all newregistered leaders and must be retaken every two years tomaintain registration. A login is required, but anyone maycreate a user account and view the courses. Registeredmembers of the BSA may provide their member numbers (aspart of the user profile) to receive credit.
Orientation Courses - Orientation courses are designed to helpScouters learn more about their Scouting role and about otherleadership positions in the program.
Position-Specific (Role-Based) Courses - These instructor-ledcourses are designed to help Scouters learn how to effectivelycarry out their Scouting roles. In most cases, completing thecourse will make a Scouter "trained" for the role(s) covered inthe course. Syllabi for courses not found here may be obtainedfrom your local council or at www.ScoutStuff.org.
Supplemental Training Courses - These courses are designed tohelp Scouters with a particular skill or to enhance their Scoutingrole. Additional modules may be found on the "Supplemental"link in the upper-left section of the page.
Outdoor Skills Training Courses - These courses are designed tohelp Scouters with skills related to the BSA's outdoor program.
Train-the-Trainer Courses - These courses are designed to helpScouters learn or improve their presentation skills.
Administration of Training - These resources are designed toassist training teams that administer training in a unit, council,area, or region. (This is where you find NYLT and Wood Badgecourse applications and information about course directorconference and area conferences.)
National Training Conferences - Conferences such as those atthe Florida Sea Base and Philmont.
Training Awards - Progress record forms for the Keys andTraining Awards.
E-learning - Courses that are available in the e-Learning sectionof www.myscouting.org.
We will be working on the “Youth” page in the upcoming weeksas more resources are available there. Be sure to bookmarkthe training page as we plan to be adding new items fairlyfrequently in 2014.
Course Director Conferences
Course director conferences for the course directors of WoodBadge and NYLT courses are beginning to be scheduled in eachregion.
Registration links for conferences will be available for approvedcourse directors, assistants, and advisors as soon as the detailsfor each conference are complete.
Links can be found on www.scouting.org/training/Adult under“Application for a Council to Conduct Wood Badge and NYLT.” As new conferences are added we will continue to update thelinks.
In some areas the conferences have been expanded to includeother trainers. Take a look at the information on the trainingpage for these area training conferences.
NYLT - Leadership Academy
Looking for a way to make yourNYLT staff members even better?NYLT-Leadership Academy can dojust that. Having its genesis in theformer National Junior LeaderInstructor Course (NJLIC),Leadership Academy is the premiertrain-the-trainer for youth staff foryour local NYLT. This courseprepares youth to be world-classpresenters and instructors in a way that no other course does.
Our goal is to make this course available to more people inmore locations, but for now, you'll need to join us in theWashington, D.C. area to enjoy the benefits of thisone-of-a-kind training. Courses are scheduled for July 6-12,2014, and July 13-19, 2014.
For more details go to www.NYLT-LeadershipAcademy.org.
STEM
Over the past few months the training team has been workingwith the STEM task force to create training modules for STEMNova counselors and STEM SuperNova mentors. These coursesare in final review by the STEM task force and will soon beuploaded to www.scouting.org/training.
An overview orientation of the STEM program in Scouting willalso be found there. This orientation is suitable for use atroundtables and other training events to introduce Scouters inyour service area to the STEM program.
Training Times 4 Winter 2014
Latest Versions of Leader Training Courses
Here are the latest versions of the most common instructor-ledtraining courses manuals for unit level leaders and where to getthem. For Sea Scouts, see www.SeaScout.org.
(SS) - Ordered through Supply Group www.Scoutstuff.org(TP) - Downloadable via www.Scouting.org/Training(CDC) – Available to councils and at Course Directors’Conferences(BR) – By request from volunteer development
Basic• Cub Scout Leader Position-Specific - 34875 (SS) – 2010• Den Leader Position-Specific – 511-025 (TP) - 2013• Den Leader Position-Specific for LDS Den Leaders – 511-
105 (BR) – 2012• Den Leader Position-Specific for Webelos Den Leaders -
511-500 (TP) - 2013• Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader-Specific -
34879 (TP) - 2010• Varsity Coach Leader Specific - 34877 (TP) - 2010• Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills - 33640 (TP) - 2010• Venturing Leader Specific - 33491 (TP) – 2011
(PowerPoint deck (TP) - 2013)• Troop Committee Challenge DVD - 610034 (SS) - 2009
Supplemental Leader Training• B.A.L.O.O. (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) –
34162 (SS) - 2012• Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops - ILST - 511-
016 (TP) – 2011• Den Chief Training - 34455 (SS) - 2012• Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews - ILSC - 511-
013 (TP) - 2011• Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders - 33640 – (TP)
– 2011• This is Scouting - 36118 (SS) - 2009
Other• The Fundamentals of Training - 511-037 (TP) – 2013• The Trainer’s EDGE (TP) – 2009• Kodiak Challenge - 511-014 (TP) - 2011• Powder Horn - 511-015 (BR) – 2013• Wood Badge (CDC) – 2013• National Youth Leadership Training (CDC) – 2013
Are you on Facebook? If so, have you found the BSA trainingpage?
We have over 5,500 “likes” and it is growing every day.
Encourage your Facebook friends to join us. You can find thepage at www.facebook.com/BSAtrainingteam.
Training Times Archives
You can take a look at older versions of the Training Times byclicking on the word “Archives” on the “Training Updates” pageor on the link on the main training page.www.scouting.org/training
Vision and Mission StatementsVolunteer Training Committee
Vision We enable a learning culture that supports regions, areas, andcouncils to deliver effective, fun, and accessible training to alladult and youth leaders.
Mission It is the mission of the Volunteer Training Team to support themission of the Boy Scouts of America by:
Working cross-functionally with stakeholders, producingtraining resources, products, and strategies which enablecouncils to deliver effective, fun, and accessible training to alladult and youth leaders.
Creating opportunities to enhance leadership skills in youth andadults through advanced training.
Continually assessing our training and delivery model to ensurerelevant and effective training for both the current and futurestates of an evolving Boy Scouts of America.
The Training Times is a publication of the Volunteer TrainingTeam of the Program Impact Committee of the BSA.
Joel Eacker, Volunteer Committee Chair
Mark Griffin, Cindy Polman, and Judy Maldonado, teammembers
Training Times 5 Winter 2014
