If your council offers a University of Scouting adult leader training event, you should go! Seriously… don’t hesitate, just get yourself registered. Similar to a Little Philmont event, I think it is well worth the time. I look forward to UoS every year as an opportunity to hear from others about their experiences, ask questions, learn a few new skills and gather some fresh ideas! It’s been great for me every time.
What makes UoS so great is that course selection is entirely up to you and your role in the Scouting program. In other words, you can pick whatever interests you the most from a wide variety of topics. For example, I went the first year to learn more about OA, Wilderness First Aid and how to create a boy-lead program. The next year I attended to hear about effective Scoutmaster Minutes, how to leverage JTE and to get some guidance on Life to Eagle strategies. This year, I needed to know more about Special Needs Scouting since my Troop recently welcomed a new scout who is autistic. I also wanted to find out why Scouting doesn’t end at 14 (as appears to be the trend in my area) and to get a few new ideas for year-round camping. Oh, and my CPR certification recently expired so I went to renew that too!
In the end, your motivation to invest some time at your local University of Scouting event could be for similar reasons or any other that promotes a better understanding of this program in order to help guide the boys in the right direction. With the few opportunities we have to be an influence in the lives of these young boys, we ought to make it count through these awesome training opportunities.
Below is a general idea of what kind of subjects might be offered at such an event in your Council. Specific areas of focus can range from Boy Scouts to Varsity Scouting, Venturing and even for CORs, Institutional Heads and Committee Members.
College of Boy Scouting with classes that might cover topics such as:
- Effective Scoutmaster Minutes
- A Scoutmaster’s Most Important Job
- Basic First Aid
- Camping Essentials & Equipment
- Camp Cooking
- Dutch Oven Cooking
- Menu Planning
- Basic Navigation
- Tying, Whipping and Lashing
- Backpacking Light and Cheap
- Creative Year-Round Camping
- Winter Camping
- How to Put the WOW in your program
- Energizing the 11 Year-old New Scout program
- NYLT Overview
- Intro to the Order of the Arrow
- Creating a Boy-lead program
- Flag Etiquette and Ceremonies
- Rites of Passage
- Scouting in a Small Unit
- Program Features and How to Use Them
College of Varsity Scouting
- Orientation for safe climbing
- Program Planning
- Youth Leadership and the Squad Method
- Trail to Denali
- Scouting Doesn’t End at 14
- Blades Course
- Primitive Fire Building
- Utensil-less Cooking
- High Adventure Camping
- Intro to Rock Climbing/Rappelling
- Varsity Fields of Emphasis
- “On Target” Tips and Techniques
- The Varsity Vision
- Varsity Team Operations
- Do’s and Don’ts for Hiking
College of Venturing
- Transitioning boys from Scouts to Venturing
- S.T.E.M. / NOVA in Venturing
- Developing Venture Crews that Thrive
- Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
- Dealing with the Distractions of Dating and Driving
- Annual Planning That Works
- Intro to Powderhorn
College of Advancement
- Characteristics of Awesome Eagle Projects
- Advancement: What, Why and How
- Getting to 1st Class
- Be an Effective Merit Badge Counselor
- Life to Eagle Strategies
- Improve Unit Advancement
College of General Studies
- Scouting in a Small Unit
- Special Needs Scouting
- Doing our duty to God
- Scoutmaster Conferences and Boards of Review
- Shadow Leadership
- Team Building Games and Activities for Scout Meetings
- Fundraising and Budgeting
- Understanding the Organization of Scouting from Top to Bottom
- Leave No Trace
- The Art of Good Campfire Programs
- Exploring the Value of Scouting
- Astronomy Basics
- Tips for Safety and Survival in the Backcountry
- Training the Chartered Organizational Representation (COR)
- Commissioner Training
- CPR Certification
