Course objective
To teach participants the leadership skills necessary to be effective leaders in their home units, while helping them experience the fun and challenge of Scouting at its very best.
Cost
$360 per participant (by early registration date; after that date the fee is $460).
Space is limited, so sign up early! The course filled up last year. Don't be left out.
For more information and to make nominations online, visit the Minsi Trails NYLT registration website or contact the Council NYLT Coordinator
What is NYLT?
This is an intense, two weekend leadership training course for Scouts. As the third step in the Boy Scout program for Youth Leader development, this course provides your Scouts with the Leadership skills they need to be truly effective. It is the most advanced Youth Leader Training that Scouting offers.
The first step in Youth Leader training is the "Introduction to Leadership." This is the individual counseling that the Scoutmaster or Crew Advisor does with a youth when he/she undertakes a new position. It is the training in the specific functions of his/her new position.
The second phase of Youth Leader training is "Troop Leader Training." This is training at the troop level to help the youths to do a better job of working together. It addresses many very practical situations a Youth Leader may encounter. This training can only be effectively carried out at the Troop level.
The third type of training is "National Youth Leadership Training" (NYLT). The interaction among scouts from all over the Council is a major ingredient in the course. That is why it is not able to be provided at the Unit level alone. NYLT supports the training done by the home Troop or Crew.
All three types of training are necessary to develop the Scouts' potential fully.
We've never sent anyone before... Why should we now?
Sending Scouts to NYLT helps them develop their leadership potential. This results in a smoother running unit. If your Troop or Crew is committed to having a true youth-run unit, your youth leaders need the skills presented in this course.
Isn't the Troop or Scoutmaster training enough?
NYLT builds on and enhances the skills and ideas introduced at the other levels of training. NYLT is not designed to replace the training done by the Scoutmaster/Crew Advisor, it is designed to provide additional leadership skills and enhance the Youth Leader's ability to lead within the troop or crew.
What will the Scout learn?
The Scout will learn the fundamentals of good leadership. These include the skills of motivating people and getting the job done. They are presented in a form that encourages the Scout to practice these skills as they are learned. The Scout will learn the importance of forming a group into a unit that is working together because they want to. The tools of communications, identifying and using resources, representing the group and dealing with problems will all be presented. Your Scout will have an opportunity to practice these skills while learning the kinds of results they can bring. The skills related to planning, effective teaching, and sharing leadership also will be presented. These tools are the ones that will get the job done. Scouts are challenged through various Patrol activities to provide practical, hands on, experience in the use of these skills. The Scout leaves with a "Leadership Toolkit" to aid them in applying his/her newly acquired skills back in the Troop/Crew.
Does NYLT teach Scoutcraft skills?
Our focus at NYLT is on the leadership skills and providing an opportunity to use and strengthen those skills. Participants must have achieved the rank of First Class or higher prior to attending NYLT. It is presumed they possess skills in the areas of cooking, fire building, camping, knot tying, safety and first aid required by the First Class rank.
How is the course organized?
The course is set up to represent a month in the life of a Scout Troop. Patrols experience the stages of team development. Scouts discover that leadership requires vision, goals, and planning. They learn how to define a vision, set goals for achieving it, and plan for accomplishing those goals. Built on the legacy of past youth leader training courses, 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 skills and confidence to lead well. A wide range of activities, events, games and adventures will cause the NYLT participants to work and play together as they put into action the best that Scouting has to offer. The National Youth Leadership Training Conference is a week long outdoor adventure. It is fun, intense, and challenging.
Which Scouts do we send?
Send the Scouts who are now in leadership positions or will be soon. This would include the positions of Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, and Troop Guide to name the most obvious. The real answer to the question of who and how many Scouts to send is more a question of who you think is mature enough to take part in a week long intensive training course and who you believe the future leaders of your unit will be. It is always best to remember the benefits of the buddy system in Scouting and send two or more Scouts to share the information and support each other upon returning to the troop.
Are camperships available?
Many units sponsor youth to attend NYLT by paying all or part of the course fee. Limited camperships are available for Minsi Trails Council units. Please contact our Course Director directly. Learn more about the O'Connell NYLT Scholarships.
What training is available after NYLT?
All those who have completed NYLT are eligible to attend NAYLE (National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience). Those who are chosen to staff NYLT are eligible to attend NYLT Leadership Academy. Applications and information for the 2024 courses are on the forms page.
A Final Thought:
Some may think that two weekends isn't long enough to teach a youth how to become a leader. Others believe two weekends is just too long. Neither is correct and both are right. Becoming a leader is an evolutionary process. The more practice that Scouts get using their leadership skills the better leaders they become. The NYLT course gets Scouts started on the right path by presenting leadership skills, helps identify and strengthens the skills they already possess, and gives them an opportunity to try out and hone those skills in a controlled training environment. The Scout really learns leadership by applying the skills he or she learns back in his or her home Troop/Crew under the guidance of his Scoutmaster/Crew Advisor. The training of youth leaders is the responsibility of the Scoutmaster/Crew Advisor. NYLT is designed to support, not replace, the Scoutmaster's/Crew Advisor's role in the training process. All scouts who attend will do so as representatives of their home units and will wear the uniform and insignia of their home units.