Garden State Council – Becoming a Trained Leader
Every Scout Deserves a Trained Leader
If you had a magic wand, would you use it to make Scouting in the Garden State Council stronger—more exciting for youth, more impactful, and more likely to keep them involved for years? What if that same wand also made your leadership role easier, more rewarding, and helped retain the adult volunteers who keep Scouting thriving?
Good news: that magic wand does exist. It’s the leader‑training program offered by Scouting America.
Common sense tells us training matters—and research consistently confirms it. A trained leader is more confident, more knowledgeable, and better equipped to deliver the high‑quality, safe, and fun program that youth in Garden State Council deserve. That confidence spreads throughout the unit, improving program quality, adult retention, youth retention, and safety.
A trained leader is prepared to make Scouting in Garden State Council the best it can be.
How to Become a Trained Leader in Garden State Council
STEP ONE: SET UP YOUR MY.SCOUTING ACCOUNT
Visit https://my.scouting.org/ and create an account.
If you registered your child online, you may already have one.
Your account provides access to all online training resources offered by Scouting America.
STEP TWO: COMPLETE SAFEGUARDING YOUTH TRAINING (SYT)
Garden State Council—and Scouting America—place the highest priority on youth safety.
To serve as a registered and trained adult leader, you must complete Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT). After logging into My.Scouting:
- Select “My Training”
- Review your SYT status
- Take the course if it is incomplete or expired
SYT must be renewed according to Scouting America’s current training policy.
STEP THREE: COMPLETE POSITION‑SPECIFIC TRAINING
To be considered a fully trained leader (and eligible to wear the official Trained emblem), you must complete:
- Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT)
- The position‑specific training required for your registered role
The Scouting America Learn Center—accessible through My.Scouting—builds a personalized learning plan based on your program and position. All training modules are self‑paced for your convenience.
Garden State Council encourages leaders to complete their training as soon as possible to ensure the highest‑quality Scouting experience for every youth we serve.
Adult Training
Every Scout deserves a trained leader. And, as volunteers, the right training will help you provide a more quality program, efficiently. The BSA offers a number of required and optional training modules online through My.Scouting.org. If you prefer in-person training — or need a training that traditionally is conducted in-person, such as Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (ItOLS) or Wood Badge — watch the list below. These are also posted to our Council calendar and in our weekly email newsletter, The Knapsack. Looking for something specific? Contact us.
Youth Training
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops/Crews (ILST/C), National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), Powder Horn, Den Chief Training, and more are available to Scouts and Venturers to help you extend your experiences and enhance your service to your Troops and Crews. Not all training opportunities are offered every year. The list below is all current training opportunities offered by Council, whether for adults or youth. Looking for something specific? Contact us.
Garden State Council's Upcoming Training Opportunities
News Items Related to Training
University of Scouting Recap 2022
40 Degrees Conferred Following Virtual Training University of Scouting is...
Read More
