Outdoor Leader Skills

[Lynda J]

I just staffed my first OLS training. Talk about a ball. I ended up as SPL because the person that had said they would take the position bailed out the Saturday before. But everything went well. I do have to brag a little.
I took 3 of the boys from my troop. They taught fire building. We are currently under a level 5 burn ban which means no fires. So they couldn't demonstrate lighting the fires. But they stepped up to the plate. Only a couple of the people attending knew they were from my troop. I got lots of wonderful feedback on how great they did.

If you have not already taken your OLS PLEASE DO SO ASAP> remember. EVERY BOY DESERVES A TRAINED LEADER

But I had a ball. Ready for the course in the spring.

[Eamonn]

OLS?
I don't think I know of an Adult course other than Wood Badge that uses youth staffers.

[Lynda J]

Outdoor Leader Skills. The last part of SM and ASM leader training.
I was told that up until about 10 years ago they had used Scouts to teach skills but had stopped. I had ask if Kevin could come as a goffor since I was on staff. The SM said yes. On Thrusday before camp the person doing fire building had to go out of town. He called and ask if I had any boys that could help out. I took 3 with me on Friday and one came out on Saturday to help with the Outdoor Webelo's leader Training, teaching Flag Ceremonies. At the staff meeting after the training was over all 4 boys have been ask to come back. Makes me a BIG PROUD.

[riverwalk]

Hmmm, I haven't heard of Youth Staffers at a Wood Badge. But yes, these other trainings sometimes do have.

[Eamonn]

Venturers can be invited to attend the new Wood Badge course, they lay out and explain the LNT Camp site and can lead the round robin problem solving skills.
Scouts are not normally invited (It's not in the syllabus) to help at Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Outdoor Skill Training's.
Sure they may know the skills, but the purpose of the course is adults teaching adults how to pass the skills on to people of scout age.

[Lynda J]

I taught Nuts and Bolts of the Outdoor program. In that syllablus one of the ways that leaders learn if "from their boys." Three of the four boys have been through JLT training. The other is doing in at spring break this year. All are OA. All have held PL or SPL positions in the troop. Great kids. Kevin took Den Leaders training at our PoW WoW this last weekend. His instructor was one of the adults taking the class from him. She did nothing but brag on how well prepared all the boys were and how they worked as a team. She has ask if they could come to her troop and help teach fire building to her boys. They are going to go. I was very very proud of them.

[cballman]

after reading some of the latest post I would have to put in my 2 cents worth. if a person that had signed up for a training session had to bail for any reason the IMHO Lynda you did the right thing. You used your resources in a way that we have taught them for years. yes most training events are put on by adults but then again whats wrong with letting the boys teach something. if you are scared to let your boys teach at a event like that then maybe you need to step back and look at how well you have prepared your boys. Just my humble opinion.

[hops_scout]

I believe Scouts have taught me that teaching a skill helps that Scout to, in turn, strengthen their specific skills. I think that is a great thing for the youth to teach the adults.

[Lynda J]

Kevin and one of the other boys have been invited to staff at out OLS training again this fall. They have also been ask to staff at Camporee in April.

I am sure proud of them.

[SeaScouter]

Lynda J

You say that you were SPL.
I'm curious, how is your OLS structured and how do you present it using the Troop organization?
I think this is a great idea and I think we really need to look at moving more in the direction.

In our council we combine SM Specific/OLS.
We did this because no one was taking SM Specific (but OLS was always full)

I have staffed this a few times but haven't seen a full syllablus for this (only the parts I have taught), so I don't know if this is part of the training or not.

We do use patrols.
Each has to design a Flag and have a yell.
We also hold Patrol Competitions.
But only last Fall did we start having them elect a patrol leader.

I think that doing this in a more Troop-like setting can only make this better so any ideas on how to accomplish this would be helpful.

[FrankJ]

I staff the Foothills OLT. We set it up as a troop. I always assumed that was part of the way it is done. It is a good way to show how the patrol method works.

We have never used scouts to staff. I wouldn't have a problem with it though. One good side of using scouts would be to show how they are capable of if you give them a chance. Which is certainly a goal of training.