Junior Leader Training
Course Materials
   

Location:
  • Weekend Campout
  • Overnight Sleepover
  • Saturday Morning & Afternoon
  • Approximately 6 hours of training
  • Should be held within a month of each Troop election; all leaders invited
   

Materials:
  • Name Tags
  • Facilitator's Guide
  • Worksheets
  • Pens, Pencils, & Markers
  • Blank Patrol Flags
  • Candy & Snacks (Scouts may bring)
  • Large Easel Book
   
Two Steps of Leadership Training
  • Introduction to Leadership -- informal session with individual Scouts to challenge them to their new duties & invite them to the Junior Leader Training Course
  • Junior Leader Training -- day or weekend training course to educate Scouts on the duties and responsibilities of being a good leader
     

Topics For Discussion
  • Leadership (Types & Goals)
  • Organization & Delegation
  • Management Techniques
  • Troop Hierarchy
  • Followership
  • Decision Making
  • Parts of a Troop Meeting
  • Communication
     

Games & Activities
  • Lost Scout Wakeup - Leaderless Experience
  • Human Knot
  • Human Machine
  • Trust Fall
  • Skittles Ice Breaker
  • Everybody Up
  • Capture The Flag
  • Role Playing & Case Studies
     
Creating Your Own JLT
  • Decide what you want to accomplish (Strong PLs, Active Patrol Members, etc.)
  • Choose topics for discussion & outline each topic's main points
  • Arrange topics into an agenda; intersperse with reinforcing activities & discussions
  • Create visual aids & gather materials and supplies
  • Meet with your adult facilitators before hand & discuss the program
  • Get your Scouts excited about JLT and their upcoming learning experience
   
Some Thoughts on Leadership Training

"Training boy leaders to run their troop is the Scoutmaster's most important job."
"Train Scouts to do a job, then let them do it."
"Never do anything a boy can do."

-Robert Baden-Powell
     

Facilitators Guide -- Includes agenda, activity descriptions, & decision making worksheets

 PDF Version
Microsoft Word Version
 
 

General Hints:

After each activity, it is best to assemble as a group, with each patrol sitting at their own table, and discuss how the activity went, and what it means. Activities like "Human Knot" deal with working together towards a common goal. Activities such as "Human Machine" deal with each patrol member's importance to the working of the patrol. You will be amazed at the responses of the Scouts given free, open discussion.

After lunch, try to discuss how each of the points of the Scout Law applied to lunch. The Scouts can get very creative in applying some of the tougher ones.

The Patrol Leader's Handbook, should be purchased for each Scout attending the course and given out during the opening overview. This book can be purchased with general funds or through the cost to each Scout of the course. This book is an excellent resource for the Scouts during the course and in their future leadership.

Following the closing comments, the Scoutmaster should give a Scoutmaster minute related to leadership and challenging the Scouts to use what they have learned in the future. It is nice to hand out evaluations for each Scout to fill out so that future courses can be improved.