6 can’t-miss Philmont Training Center conferences for Scouters who train others

Six conferences being offered at the Philmont Training Center this summer are about training.

Getting trained on training at the Philmont Training Center? Now that’s meta.

If your Scouting job involves training other leaders, you should consider attending one of these volunteer development conferences, supported by ScoutingU’s Learning Delivery Team.

They’ll cover topics relevant to any unit-, district-, council- or national-level volunteer who trains his or her fellow volunteers.

Why Philmont Training Center?

  • Located in Cimarron, N.M., the Philmont Training Center offers phenomenal training conferences for adult volunteers. (The three other national high-adventure bases have training opportunities as well: the John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base, and the Northern Tier Training Center in Minnesota.)
  • Participants can meet and share ideas and best practices with Scouters and trainers from across the country.
  • The Philmont Training Center has something for everyone in the family. Spouses and children can enjoy a variety of activities led by Philmont Training Center staff while their family members participate in the training conferences.
  • Any visit to Philmont is a memorable family experience. Philmont blends Scouting, history, family fun, great learning opportunities, and the magic of the northern New Mexico mountains.

Which courses cover training?

Read descriptions of the conferences below, and click here when you’re ready to register or get more information.

Training Your Cub Scout Leaders: June 10 to 16, 2018

You have leaders for your pack, but they need to be trained. This conference can help! Council, district, and pack trainers, Cubmasters, pack committee members, and commissioners will explore ways to… prepare units to welcome family Scouting, reach new volunteers and untrained leaders, build and support high-functioning training teams, use Journey to Excellence to strengthen packs, and make learning fun and purposeful for today’s volunteers. They will also review the training continuum for Cub Scout leaders. Information on instructor-led and online courses will also be covered.

I Am a New District Training Chair. Now What?: June 17 to 23, 2018

For all the district training chairs and district training committee members, this conference will educate you on how to meet and exceed the training needs of your district. You will discuss everything your job entails, including meetings you are expected to attend, trainings you are expected to provide, goals you and your unit are expected to meet, recruiting, and leading your district training team, and providing training on both online and instructor-led courses in your district. You will learn how to plan, organize and implement a unit/district/council training plan. The latest “What makes a Trained Leader” information will be shared.

I Am a New Council Training Chair. Now What?: June 17 to 23, 2018

For all the new council training chairs as well as those who have been in the position for a while, this conference will help you understand your role in your council’s training program. You will learn both how to fulfill your role for the council and how to maximize the success of your district training chairs. You will learn how to plan, organize and implement a unit/district/ council training plan as well as how to organize and train your council training committee. The latest information on face-to face instructor-led and online training will be provided.

Strategic Training Planning for Councils and Districts: July 22 to 28, 2018

This conference is for council and district training chairs and training committee members. You will participate in the Strategic Training Plan, an exercise that analyzes a council composed of districts with various training problems. You will examine the issues and develop a detailed plan for solving those problems. With an understanding of the process, you will apply the lessons learned to develop a plan for your own council/district. As part of this practical exercise, you will consider your direct contact leader trained percentages, your number of untrained leaders and best practices for getting them trained, and your Journey to Excellence metrics as well as many more factors that will help you to maximize your council/ district training successes.

BSA Training in the Digital Age: July 29 to Aug. 4, 2018

This conference is a general overview of “everything you wanted to know about training in the BSA but didn’t know what to ask.” You will be guided through the BSA Learn Center and you will learn how to navigate My.Scouting tools, including how to run training reports. The conference will cover how a leader becomes qualified to conduct instructor-led trainings. You will examine the Journey to Excellence goals for training and you will learn where to find the latest information on volunteer training. Best practices for getting leaders trained will be shared. Anyone wanting or needing a broad, general overview of BSA training is welcome.

How Do I Become an Excellent Trainer/ Presenter?: July 29 to Aug. 4, 2018

Do you have a passion for training but need help to do an excellent job of presenting? Are you excited to be part of the training team but are not that confident that you can be interesting, dynamic and effective? Do you need help in preparing to present material? Is death by PowerPoint the only presentation you know? Do you have the real desire to improve your presentation skills? Then this conference is for you! Led by experienced BSA trainers, this conference will provide you with both knowledge and practical experience in presenting material to eager-to-learn participants.


Thanks to Cindy Polman for the info.


About Bryan Wendell 3281 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.