Pack Trainer.

[fboisseau]

Bob White, I hope you can help me out with this. I have just excepted the position of Pack Trainer in my Pack. Previously I was a Den Leader and Webelos Den leader and took on this position, and because I wanted the Pack to have access to my experience as a Den Leader in the future, I took on this position. My problem is that my District/Council have not schedule any training for the Pack Trainer position so I am at a lost of exactly what I am suppose to do. One area that I have some confusion about is training. According to what I have read about the position, I should be getting training material from District/Council and holding training classes at the Pack level. Unfortantly when I asked my District Executive about this he said I was just to encourage new leaders to get training. My understanding that is one of the duties of the Cub Master. So how much training should I be doing and where do I get the material to be used for the training?

[Bob White]

Congratulations, and thanks for taking such an important post. It was the new training materials and the creation of unit trainers that motivated me to resign my positon as a District commissioner and become District training Coordinator.

 

On to your questions. There is great flexibility offered the councils and districts in this area. I can tell you what our council and districts are doing and why.

 

First the why. National has set a goal to have 100% of registered adults trained within their first year. I think that is a great goal and worth exending extra energy on to accomplish.

 

Now the how. Unit Trainers have been added to the adult unit structure. Their primary job is to get all adults through Fast Start and then to promote and encourage attendance at council and district training events. Also to act as a resource to the unit to give on the spot training when needed.

 

Our Council, along with many others are taking it a step further and making use of the new training tools and unit training workforce. We are putting on two sessions a year of the new Trainer Development/BSA 500 training course and making an all out effort to put all Roundtable Commissioners, district and council training team members and Wood Badge Staff along with unit trainers through this excellent course.

 

Once a unit trainer has completed Trainer development, the District Training chairs are allowing them to borrow appropriate training kits, and present leader training within their own unit. We are requiring that an experienced trainer monitor their first presentation. If the district trainer determines you are able to solo then you can borrow training kits again.

 

In addition to this we are offering leader training evry month in every district. each of our four districts picked a different Saturday of the month to train. volunteers can go to training at any council location they wish. On top of that they can train in unit using their own trainer, or set a unit date and a district trainer will come to them. In the last 10 months in just the district I serve we have had 134 scouters take New Leader Essentials, 51 take Cub Leader Job Specific, 19 take SM Leader Specific, 40 take Troop Committee Challenge, 45 took Youth Protection, 35 took BALOO, and 29 took Trainer Development.

 

In the next 12 months we have 35 training sessions scheduled in our District alone.

 

Keep after your District committee. Insist that they take nationals 100% trained leaders seriously and provide the training opportunities you need. I urge you to find a Trainer Development/BSA course and attend ASAP. It will give you the tools you need to deliver the new materials.

 

Best of luck,

Bob White

[fboisseau]

Bob White,

Thanks for the information. I think for now I will help out with training at the district level. I did that for the the Webelos leader training and now have the outline for that class. Thank you again.

[Twocubdad]

Bob;

Our Council has choosen not to implement the Pack Trainer position because they say the a syllabus has not been produced for the position by national. Is Pack Trainer to be a separate course or will they have the same Train The Trainer certification as regular trainers? If it is separate, when is the syllabus due out? What courses will the Pack Trainers be able to teach? Is is possible to get the Pack Trainer certification outside the local council?

 

We have a large pack and would benefit greatly by the ability to schedule training for our own new leaders. If our local folks ever get off the dime, Pack Trainer would be a priority for us.

[Bob White]

twocubdad,

Read my previous post again it answers most of your questions.

Pack Trainer is not something your council chooses to support or not support. It is a Pack position.

 

There is no separate course that I am aware of. The trainer would attend New Leader Essentials, pack committee Leader Specific Training and Council Train the Trainer/BSA 500.

 

Their intial duties are described in my original post and advanced responsibilities are at the decision of the District and Council training Chair.(This message has been edited by Bob White)