If you are a warranted Leader (either a Scout Leader or an Assistant Scout Leader), or are thinking of becoming one, then you should be aware that you will have undertaken to complete your Leader Training. This training should be undertaken within a period of 5 years of becoming a warranted leader and if this is not completed then you may not be able to renew your appointment as a Leader.
These Leader Training courses are all designed specifically for Scouting. The quality of these courses is very high, as indeed it should be when we consider that we are working with young people.
The actual format and timing of Leader training courses will vary from District to District, and from Country to Country, so your first port of call will be to your Chief Commissioner or Training Commissioner. The latter will probably be chasing you up to do your training anyway. They will advise you of the local practices and courses available to you.
However, all courses will follow the same basic stages :
Firstly you may be asked to do an 'Introductory' course (sometime called a GI - General Introduction). If you are new to Scouting then this will teach you the basics about the Scout Movement, about Groups and sections, how Scouting runs, its aims and methods, etc. This will probably take half a day or an evening, and if you are already in the Scout movement this will probably not apply to you.
Secondly, you will need to do a Leadership One stage. This stage is designed to be specifically aimed at sections, with emphasis on the skills required for leadership in the Scout Troop (although Scout courses are sometimes run in conjunction with the Cub section).
This often consists of a weekend away, in a camping environment (under canvas), although indoor facilities are usually available for tutorials, formal sessions etc.
The course will include practical tuition on Scouting skills (putting up tents, building fires, cooking outdoors, equipment usage and so on) and also theoretical sessions (running a Scout Troop, programme planning, safety considerations, etc.) Often this weekend will be preceded by an evening session.
Once the actual course has been completed you will also be asked to complete a series of projects within your own Troop, and the course will be completed when the whole course meets again (probably on an evening) for a report back session where individual projects will be assessed and discussed.
After your Leadership One will come Leadership Two. This will often be a mixed section course (leaders from all sections together), and concentrates more on the management and leadership aspects of Scouting, rather than the practical skills involved for a particular section.
The course may consist of a number of weekends and evenings, or possibly a whole week away, although this is now rare as many people are not able to dedicate a whole week. The course may also include camping outdoors at some stage.
The emphasis will be upon the advanced skills required to run a section, and the things covered (such as leadership styles, advanced programming skills, problem solving, organizational techniques, team management, etc.) will be applicable to all sections. Once again, a number of projects will need to be undertaken in the Troop, followed by a report back.
The training is cumulative ; If you have already completed your training in another section, then as Leadership Two is cross-sectional, you will only have to complete your Leadership One (for Scouts) to complete your Scout section training.
In a similar fashion once you have completed your Scout training, you will only need to do the Leadership One (for say the Venture Scout section) to complete your training for that section. However a Leadership Two course must be preceded by a Leadership One, as the second build upon the basics of the first.
Throughout your training you will have the benefit of a Training Commissioner. He or she will be an experienced Leader, who has probably completed their training, and who will be able to advise you and to help you with your Troop/Pack projects. This means that during the course you will have a source of local help and advice who is there to get you through - remember, they know what it's like.
The above outlines the basics of Scout Leader training, but here are a few other things to bear in mind.
These courses may or may not be run by the Association, and some may be mandatory in order for you to be able to run specific activities. However, they all add to your skills base and will be useful additions. If you feel that you could do with certain practical skills, approach your Training Commissioner, to see if they can arrange an appropriate course - you may not be the only one who could benefit from it, but if no one speaks up no-one will benefit
Running a Scout Troop can be time consuming and demanding, but if you cannot find the time to be trained in 5 years, then you do not really have the time to run a Troop. Helping to raise young people of Scout age can be demanding, and we need and deserve all the help that we can get. More importantly our Scouts need and deserve the best that they can get. Training helps to provide this - it's there to help you, not restrict you.
| Training Commissioner | Robert Bartlett ( reports to Chief Comm.) |
| Training Team | Arthur Taylor |
| Alan Pinto | |
| Inell Williams | |
| Phillip Johnson | |
This information has been taken from www.scoutbase.org.uk if there are any amendments that have been overlooked please send corrections.