Why does it Say that I am NOT Fully Position Trained?


There are several things that can affect your status of being "Fully Position Trained". The main culprits are:

  1. Hazardous Weather Training for direct contact leaders has expired
  2. IOLS for Scouts BSA leaders not taken.
  3. Position Specific Online Training not completed or In Person Classroom Training not posted.
  4. Changing positions in the unit.

All direct contact leaders are required to take Hazardous Weather Training once a year. For Scouts BSA units, this would be Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters. For Cub Scout Units it will include Cubmasters, Assistant Cubmasters, Den Leaders, and Assistant Den Leaders. If your Hazardous Weather Training expired, your status as Trained will be affected.

Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) is required for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters. In the past, Outdoor Webelos Leaders Skills (OWLS) was required; however it has been retired as of February 28, 2018. IOLS is offered at multiple times throughout the year at Council level. I attended this course at Black Creek Scout Reservation in the Coastal Empire Council (now Coastal Georgia Council) back in 2011. It is still one of my favorite courses, due to its hands on approach to outdoor skills.

The following is a link to the required training by program: 

https://www.scouting.org/training/position-trained-requirements/ 

Changing positions in a unit may require new training. A Tiger Den Leader moving to Wolf Den Leader does not require new training, but they will require new training if they become a Committee Member of an Assistant Cubmaster.

The Central North Carolina Council Executive Board voted to require all registered adult leaders to be fully position trained. This is above and beyond what is required by National.

Recently, I participated in a College of Commissioner Science. The opening evening, we heard a presentation by a Council Marketing Chair from one of the Councils in our Territory. We learned that the top three concerns for parents looking for a place for their kids are:

  1. Quality of leadership
  2. The presence of a well organized plan
  3. Safety

We like to emphasize the program aspect of what we do, but the customers are the parents. They focus on the above three things. The training provided by Scouting America addresses all three of these concerns and makes for a better program and retention of youth and adults.

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