Mecklenburg County Council
Boy Scouts of America
Venturing Program

Resources
Leadership Treks
High Adventure Bases
Program
Ranger
Skills
101 Tips

Training
Why Training
Fast Start
Youth Protection
Venturing Specific Leader Training
Venturing Leadership Skills Course
Powderhorn
Guide to Safe Scouting
Safe Swim Defense
Safety Afloat
Climb On Safely
Leave No Trace

Awards
Advisor Award of Merit
Venturing Leadership Award

Venturing Programs

Advancement

FAQ

Uniform FAQ

Forms

Time Well Spent

Literature
Ranger History
History of Silver Award

Venturing Training

POWDER HORN

Powder Horn is a 7-day course (also offered in the weekend variety) on high adventure resources. It is not a personal development course like Wood Badge or even a skills course. It will let you experience many high adventure skills, learn where to get the resources to support high adventure programs, and how to offer those programs in such an exciting, out-of-the-box way that teens will keep coming back to meetings and activities.  Powder Horn is a resource management course designed to motivate and prepare adult Venturing leaders to support the Ranger Award. This course will give all participants an opportunity to experience the Ranger program themselves as if they were the Venturing youth. Powder Horn is designed to expose the Venturing leader to activities and resources necessary to operate a successful Venturing Ranger program in several ways, including the following

• Help Venturing leaders and Scouters to safely conduct outdoor activities of a fun and challenging nature.

• Provides an introduction to the resources necessary to successfully lead their Venturers through a program of high adventure.

• Familiarizes the Advisor with the Ranger program so that he or she can help the Venturer meet the requirements of the Ranger Award.

Introduction

The Powder Horn course is designed to introduce and expose Venturing and Boy Scouting adult unit leaders to the activities and resources necessary to operate a successful outdoor/high adventure unit-level program. It is based on the eight core and eighteen electives found in the Venturing Ranger program. It is intended to help adult leaders get out of the box in finding and using resources and in the way they lead their unit-level high adventure programs. No high adventure skills are taught in this course. It is designed to have some disciplines introduced with a hands-on segment. Example: For scuba if a pool is available, it is suggested to do a Discover Scuba (PADI) session where participants get into a shallow pool and wear scuba gear. It is not scuba certification. Participants will not learn how to rock climb or shoot a skeet course, but will learn where to go to find those who can teach these skills to Boy Scouts and Venturers.

Purpose

The course is designed to help unit-level adult leaders to:

1. Find the resources necessary for a high adventure program.

2. Understand what is involved in different high adventure disciplines.

3. Run a high adventure program safely.

Learning Objectives

1. Detailed knowledge of the Ranger Award and other Venturing recognition’s.

2. Learn what resources are available to support a high adventure program.

3. Knowledge of how to identify local resources and consultants for Ranger Award activities.

4. Learn how to use the resources.

5. Knowledge of the health and safety requirements, and rules and regulations of the Boy Scouts of America as they apply to outdoor programs

6. Introduction to the skills necessary to operate their outdoor program and the certifications necessary and how to obtain those certifications.

7. Learn what is involved with different high adventure disciplines.

This course is not a total training program, which will enable the Venturing leader to be an expert in the many outdoor skills. They will most likely still need knowledgeable, trained, and certified individuals (Consultants) to help provide a safe and correct outdoor/high adventure program.

Requirements

1. Must be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.
2. Must have participated in Youth Protection training for Venturing and/or Boy Scouts within the past 12 months.
3. Must have completed Venturing Specific Leader Training or Introduction to Outdoor Leader Training prior to attending Powder Horn.
4. Be able to meet the physical requirements of BSA Class III physical in a backcountry environment.

5. Have Scout Executive approval

How A Council Hosts A Course

1. Council leadership commits to hosting a course and applies to their region in writing asking for approval to host a course.

2. Decide on a 7-day or weekend course.

3. In the application to their region, include the name of your course director.

4. Course director must have previously been to a Powder Horn course and be capable of providing course leadership and direction.

5. Set the course fee and dates.

6. Assign a staff advisor.

7. Request course syllabus (version 3) from your region.

8. Best to set dates at least a year out, two even better.

For more information call Bill Evans, Associate Director, Venturing Division at 972-580-2427 or bevans@netbsa.org.

Mecklenburg County Council
Boy Scouts of America
1410 East Seventh Street
Charlotte, NC  28204
(704) 333-5471
http://www.bsa-mcc.org

Last updated: Sunday, 26 February 2006 04:19 PM