training/advancement


Wood Badge for the 21st Century Program extends calls to service; All answer YES!


Wood Badge is the premier leadership training course within the BSA Training Continuum. It focuses on strengthening every volunteer's ability to work with groups of youth and adults. It is cutting edge training for the 21st century.


Incorporating leadership concepts that are used in corporate America, the course teaches participants the basics of listening, communi- cating, valuing people, team development, situational leadership, problem solving, and managing conflict. Once the skill is learned, each member is given the opportunity to use the skill as a member of a successful working team. At the conclusion of the course, each participant develops a set of personal goals related to his or her Scouting role. Working toward these goals allows each participant to practice and demonstrate new skills. The course is for all Scout- ers—Boy Scout leaders, Cub Scout leaders, Venturing leaders, and district and council leaders.


Beginning in May of this year, a rigorous process took place to select the next Wood Badge course directors to lead this critical element in the Training Continuum. Through an open and detailed application process including multiple interviews, the Wood Badge and Training Committees selected two accomplished and capable Scouters as Wood Badge course directors.


The Northern Star Council Wood Badge program thanks Leif Klang, the course director who will serve the fall 2012 Wood Badge course (8/24-26 and 9/14-16/2012) and Ed Goff, the course director who will serve the winter 2013 Wood Badge course (2/1-3 and 3/1-3/2013).


When you see these individuals, please thank them for answering this call to service with a resounding YES!


The Winter 2012 and Summer 2012 courses are still taking registrations. Please don’t postpone your own call to service. For more information or to register go to http://training.nsbsa.org and click the Wood Badge link.


Grey Wolf National Youth Leadership Training


There are some new and exciting changes coming to Grey Wolf National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) this year, and we want to make sure you are informed about what is and is not changing.


In 2011 the Boy Scouts of America changed the NYLT program to include Venturers, including females. The Northern Star Council had already begun preparations for NYLT when the new syllabus was released, and was unable to offer co-ed NYLT in 2011. We will, however, be offering co-ed NYLT in 2012, open to all Venturing Scouts.


Another change to the NYLT program made by the National Council was the move to a “program neutral” training course. Prior to this change, NYLT had been run as a model Scout troop, with the leadership skills taught in an environment which modeled a high functioning troop. Feedback from Scouts and their Scoutmasters indicated that providing the training in this environment was beneficial to the Scouts – in addition to learning leadership skills they also got ideas on how to make their home units more effective. When the change to a “program neutral” course was introduced, several members of the Northern Star Council Training Com- mittee were concerned that removing the model troop experience from Grey Wolf NYLT would lessen the impact of the program and be less effective at serving the Scouts and troops in our Council. We therefore sought and received permission from our Scout Executive to continue offering Grey Wolf NYLT in a model unit setting. It is our belief that this will serve both Boy Scouts and Venturers by allowing them to learn the leadership skills of NYLT as well as experience a model Boy Scout Troop or Venturing Crew.


The bottom line is that this means that we will be offering Venturing NYLT as a separate week this summer, which will include the same leadership pre-


sentations and skills as the NYLT syllabus, but taught in the environment of a Venturing Crew rather than a program neutral setting. We will continue to offer Grey Wolf for Boy Scouts in a model troop setting, offering four weeks of Boy Scout NYLT in 2012. To be clear, Grey Wolf Venturing Week, as well as the four Grey Wolf Boy Scout weeks, will offer the complete set of leadership skill sessions as outlined in the national syllabus. The only changes being made are those that are needed to make the week model a Boy Scout troop or a Venturing crew. These include things like the titles we will use for youth staff, the uniforms worn during the course, and some of the non-presentation activities. The NYLT staff is excited about providing this leadership training for Venturers. If you have any questions or concerns about Grey Wolf, please contact George Abide, Northern Star Council NYLT Coordinator, via email at coursedirector@greywolfbsa.org.


Grey Wolf Announces 2012 Course Dates, including Grey Wolf Venturing Week Grey Wolf National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) will be offering four weeks of leadership training for Boy Scouts and one week of training for Venturing Scouts in the summer of 2012. The dates are as follows:


Grey Wolf NYLT for Boy Scouts: June 17-23


June 24-30 July 1-7 July 8-14


All courses will be held at Fred C. Andersen Scout Camp. Nomination information will be sent to all Scoutmasters and Venturing Crew Advisors in early January, 2012. Nominations are due by March 15, 2012.


Grey Wolf NYLT for Venturing Scouts: July 8-14


Wood Badge Breakfast


The Wood Badge Breakfast is an opportunity to introduce a friend to the magic of Scouting’s advanced leadership training course. This is an event open to all Northern Star Council registered Scouters, Wood Badge partici- pants, their guests, and staff. This event will take place January 21, 2012 at Base Camp—Registration is now open!


2011 Course Directors Paul Kaus, Raymond Wood, and Mary Wangerin are co-chairing the event. Wood Badge breakfast is more than a meal. It is an op- portunity to support Wood Badge scholarships with an auction, to get together with some fellow Wood Badge trained Scouters, and, MOST importantly, to share the message and excitement of Wood Badge with a new group of Scouters.


Proceeds from the breakfast and silent auction support the Wood Badge program and scholarships.


If you are interested in attending, navigate to http://training.nsbsa.org and click the “Wood Badge Breakfast 2012” link, , or contact one of the event chairs, Paul Kaus, (952) 200-9694, Raymond Wood, (612) 588-0903, or Mary Wangerin, (952) 447-1884..


Test Your Merit Badge Counselor Know-How


(Answers at the bottom of the page)


TRUE or FALSE: 1. A merit badge counselor may not coach his own son or close relative (i.e., nephew) unless he is part of a group of Scouts all working on the same merit badge.


2. A merit badge counselor who works only with a single unit needs only the unit com- mittee’s approval before being approved by the Scout executive.


3. Persons serving as merit badge counselors must be registered as a merit badge coun- selor with the Boy Scouts of America.


4. Once a Scouter is approved as a merit badge counselor, he is approved for life and never has to be re-approved.


5. A Scout must complete all the requirements for a merit badge within 12 months or he must start over.


6. A merit badge counselor may require the Scout to work beyond the specific requirements of the merit badge so he may discover more about the subject and continue the learning process.


7. Due to the BSA policies related to Youth Protection and two-deep leadership, a merit badge counselor must have another adult present during all merit badge counseling sessions.


8. If the weather, locale, or some other condition makes meeting all of the condi- tions of the merit badge requirements impractical, the merit badge counselor may substitute requirements for those stated for the merit badge.


9. Merit badge counselors must be at least 18 years old.


10. If the requirements for a merit badge differ between the merit badge pamphlet and the current edition of Boy Scout Requirements, the requirements in the Boy Scout Requirements book supersede all others.


ANSWERS 1. False. A duly approved counselor may counsel any Scout who contacts him or her through proper procedures. However, it is suggested that wherever possible, Scouts should experience a variety of adult contacts and therefore, should use a diverse group of counselors.


2. False. All counselors must be approved by the district/council advancement committee.


3. True. Even volunteers who serve in multiple positions must fill out another adult leader registration form and show registration as a merit badge counselor.


4. False. Counselor approvals are for one year only. In Northern Star Council, this process begins in April and must be completed by June 1.


5. False. There is no time limit except that all requirements work must be completed before the Scout’s 18th birthday.


6. False. No additions or deletions are permitted. The requirements are to be completed exactly as written.


7. False. There must always be a third person present, but it may be any other adult familiar to the Scout, a Scout’s parent, or a Scout’s “buddy.”


8. False. No additions or deletions are permitted. The requirements are to be completed exactly as written. 9. True.


10. True. The Boy Scout Requirements book is revised annually and reflects any changes that have been made, whereas the merit badge pamphlets are not revised annually and may be outdated.


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Nov/Dec 2011


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