National Youth Leadership Training is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils 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.

For many years, junior leader training (JLT) was an important part of the leadership training continuum of BSA local councils throughout America. In 2003 and 2004, a task force of leadership experts and hundreds of Scouts in pilot courses across the nation reviewed and tested every aspect of the new NYLT syllabus, which incorporates the latest leadership ideas and presents fresh, vital and meaningful training for today’s Scouts.

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 the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.

NYLT is a six-day course. 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.

Built on the legacy of past JLT successes, the new NYLT integrates the best of modern leadership theory with the traditional strengths of the Scouting experience. Through activities, presentations, challenges, discussions, and audio-visual support, NYLT participants will be engaged in a unified approach to leadership that will give them the skill and confidence to lead well. Through a wide range of activities, games, and adventures, participants will work and play together as they put into action the best Scouting has to offer.

In order to attend a NYLT course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course:

• Must be a registered member of a Scouting unit.
• Must have a current BSA Health and Medical Record form parts A, B, and C.
• As of March 1, 2019, Scouts BSA members (male and female) must be at least 13. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. For 2019 only, an exception will be granted for girls registered in Scouts BSA to attend NYLT without first achieving the First Class rank. Boys registered in Scouts BSA will still be required to earn the First Class rank before attending NYLT.
• Venturers and Sea Scouts (male and female) must be at least 14, or 13 and have completed eighth grade, and fall within the maximum age allowance for their program. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or Ships. It is recommended that they have had at least one year of camping experience. While NYLT is not an outdoor skills course, it is important that each participant have basic camping and outdoor cooking experience.
• Have a unit leader recommendation.

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Qualifications

Staffers on a Wood Badge course are among the finest Scouters we have. They understand the program. They set a good example. They are among our best trainers. They are cheerful and they help each other. They must be models of Scouting character and leadership. They must be good presenters.

To be eligible, you must have gone to Wood Badge in the current version and have earned your beads.

You do not need to have been in Scouting any particular number of years. You do not need to have held any particular job in Scouting. Course Directors seek staff from the different programs (Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing, as well as district and council Scouters). Course Directors are looking for Scouters that are effective trainers and presenters as well as team players.

Each staff member is selected by the course director. Each staffer must be approved by our council and by the Area Director of Boy Scouts of America.

How To Be Invited

Course directors select their staff from a list of people that have expressed an interest in staffing a Wood Badge course. Your application will be kept on file for 3 years and your name will be put on our available staff listing. This list is shared with all course directors for their selection process.

What To Expect If You Staff

Staffing Wood Badge is a major commitment. It takes a lot of time and heart. Every single staffer is expected to do all these things, enthusiastically and at his or her best.

1. Participate enthusiastically in all the staff development sessions. These will be set by the course director and they can share those with you upon your selection.
2. Prepare your presentations. Wood Badge is the height of training for Scouters, and every session must be the best possible. There is a syllabus so you don't have to invent the presentation, and indeed you must follow the syllabus, but you still need to prepare diligently and practice.
3. Recruit participants. The more participants attend a course, the more value the Council and the community get from the course. We would like every course to be full. Staff are among the most important recruiters. Each staff member should recruit two or more participants.
4. Spend a bit. There is a staff fee. That covers food, camp insurance, and other things. If this cost would be a problem, talk to the course director about it before you agree to be on staff. Also, staff need to be in a full Troop 1 official BSA field uniform, and most staff members find they need more than one uniform on course. Staff outdoor wear is also manditory. See the staff uniform guidelines. Staffers will incur some other expenses in the preparation or on course.
5. Exemplify good behavior. In general, every staff member is expected to arrive promptly for everything, be prepared, be cheerful, wear uniforms correctly, and have the time of your life experiencing the staffing side of Wood Badge.

Click here to submit a request to staff!

Why Staff?

You completed the NYLT course and are thinking about coming back to join the staff for the next course. Your parents are asking why and maybe you are not quite sure why, but it seemed like fun!

As a staff member of the BSA’s premier youth leadership course in the country, you will not just learn the course material, you will LIVE IT! The Staff members call this the NYLT 2.0 experience and they come back year after year for good reason.

During the five course developments and setup week you will be challenged and you will learn to do things you didn't think were possible before you completed the NYLT course. You will learn what it takes to organize the NYLT course and to give presentations to patrol size groups and larger groups as Troop Guide, or you could be involved in the logistics side of the course as one of the Quartermaster team. Most Scouts who participate as a staff member once, continue to participate for the rest of their Scouting careers. There is a reason for this and we challenge you to come and join us for the experience!

Click here to submit a request to staff!