Thank you for joining the Boy Scouts of America program!

All but the District Executive are volunteers. That means that most of the leaders that you meet in your unit, at the district and council levels are here for our youth, without any monetary payment. Now don't get me wrong. Someone has to oversee the Council (area) program and that would be the folks that work directly for the Boy Scouts of America at our Capitol Area Council Office. Although, even there you will also find volunteers.

To get involved is encouraged. Your support is needed. If you want to volunteer, GREAT! If you just want to learn about the Boy Scouts of America program, then read on. In either case, Thank You for your time and your support.

Training takes place in the Spring and Fall of each year. New Leader Essentials is common to both Boy Scout and Cub Scout leaders. While this is an important training, it is not the only training that leaders and non leaders should take. Youth Protection Training must be taken by anyone who provides program directly to youth or goes to Summer, Winter or high adventure camps. For leaders that take a position with a unit, the third essential training is a Leader Specific Training. These trainings provide an adult leader with an overview of the Boy Scouts of America program and the tools needed to bring that program to your unit.

Thunderbird District provides New Leader Essentials (NLE) and Leader Specific Training twice each Spring and Fall. Visit the T-bird District website to get more information and to see the dates for training. NLE and Cub Leader Specific are usually provided one after the other on the same day. Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Training (SM/ASM) is separate and takes a little more time to complete. SM/ASM training is usually offered once in Spring and Fall. This training is a two part program starting with classroom instruction and is completed with a two night outdoor session for SM/ASM Outdoor Leadership Skills.

Youth Protection Training must be taken online at theOnline Training Center on the BSA National website. Click here to visit the site. Here you will also find several other helpful trainings. The Fast Start leader trainings give an overveiw of the different Boy Scouts of America Programs available. Anyone can take them and all parents are encouraged to check them out in order to understand what the leaders in your unit are trying to provide to our youth and how they will accomplish it. They are volunteers and they really need everyones support.

At the Online Training Center you will also find trainings that at least one adult on an outing must have for certain outings. The trainings may be spread over more than one adult. Safe Swim training allows a unit to go swimming as part of an outing or meeting. Cub Scouts are not allowed to be in or on surface craft for liability reasons. Safety Afloat allows a Boy Scout Troop, Venture Crew or Varsity Team to use surface watercraft for an outing. Beginning January 1, 2009, at least one adult on an outing must have the Hazardous Weather training as well.

Other training available at the Online Training Center includes Den Chief Training, Generational Diversity, Troop Committee Challenge, Staffing the District Committee and Unit Commissioner Fast Start training.

Please take the time to do some of these trainings to help provide the Boy Scouts of America program to our youth. With your support we can raise good citizens who can also be good leaders for our future.

One last item, the Guide to Safe Scouting is A Unit Leader's Guide for Current Policies and Procedures to Safe Activities. All volunteers participating in official Scouting activities should become familiar with the Guide to Safe Scouting. This booklet is available at the Scout Shop and is the only BSA publication available online because it is that important. It will answer a lot of questions about outings and what activities the different levels of scouting may participate in.

Thank you!