Kodiak Leadership Training Course

Background and Purpose

Leadership and service to others are two key tenants of Venturing, the Boy Scouts of America's fast growing teenage program. Combine these two elements and you get the concept of "the servant leader." Servant leadership as a philosophy teaches that the leader works with and through a team to accomplish the mission.

Rather than just talking about leadership, Venturing through the new Kodiak course, teaches useable, relevant leadership skills that every teen can use.

Methods

• Challenging outdoor trek to use nature as a classroom (Not indoors).
• May be offered by a council, a district, or even a crew. Requires council approval.
• Team taught by two instructors per crew of 5-8.
• Only 5 leadership skills taught called Commissions.
• Can be offered as weeklong or two weekends.
• Uses hands-on learning approach with very short presentations.
• Constant reinforcement.
• Creates a leadership fraternity.

Requirements

1. Be at least 16 years old (May be lowered to 14 on less challenging courses.).
2. Have physical capability for specific trek.
3. Have outdoor skills for specific trek.
4. Parental approval.

What a Council Does

1. Set the date, itinerary, and fee.
2. Manage the budget.
3. Order course support materials and recognition.
4. Recruit leadership and instructors.
5. Promote attendance and communicate with participants.
6. Promote locally and with neighboring councils.
7. Send an after-action report to the national Venturing division.

How to Host a Course

1. Leadership commits to hosting a course (get council approval).
2. Set fee, dates, and location. Add to council calendar.
3. Assign a staff advisor.
4. Recruit organizing committee.
5. Promotes the trek in newsletter, website, and to crews and Venturers.
6. After course place pictures in newsletter, newspapers, on website, etc.

Course Support Materials You Will Need