New Boy Scout Leader Information

Unit Information

You are part of a troop that is chartered by an organization like a church, PTA, or parent’s group who has chosen to make Scouting a part of their program.
Troops normally meet weekly, andadditionally, your son's patrol may have periodic meetings. Meeting schedules are set up by individual units.
A troop’s leader is the Scoutmaster, an adult volunteer who is appointed by your Charter Organization. There is also a troop committee who oversees the operation of the troop.
Your troop is in a part of a district within Great Lakes Council. You can learn a lot of valuable information from other leaders and from your district staff by attending your monthly district roundtable. The districts in Great Lakes Council are based on school district boundaries. This chart will help you confirm in what district you are located.
Another source of support and information is your unit commissioner. The unit commissioner is an adult volunteer who acts as a liaison between your unit and the district.
There is also a professional and support staff at the two council service centers ready to help you.

Keep Informed

You are already using one of the best resources for keeping up with current activities and finding out information about the Scouting program. The Great Lakes Council website, glcscouting.org, is always available. All you need is an Internet connection.
Create a Doubleknot account and sign up for the council Weekly Updates. By creating a Doubleknot account and signing up to receive the Weekly Update you will receive these weekly emails about upcoming events and activities. You will also be informed of late breaking news and last minute event and program changes. Doubleknot is also used for all online training and event registrations.

Training Information

As a new Boy Scout leader your very first activity should be to take Boy Scout Fast Start training. This program gives leaders information on planning and conducting their first meeting, and even demonstrates one they can use. Your troop may have a copy of the video tape or you may also take the online version of Boy Scout Fast Start training.
Online training is taken through MyScouting, a part of the National Council’s website. Go to www.myscouting.org and create a profile to take these training courses. This profile is not the same as the profile in Doubleknot.
After you have completed Fast Start training you should begin the Basic Leader Training program. This program is divided in two sessions.
- The first session, New Leader Essentials, is taken by all leaders. This is an introductory session that highlights the values, aims, history, funding, and methods of Scouting. This training is available online.
- Once this is complete you will take Boy Scout Leader Specific Training. This session will cover in detail your role in the troop and what you will be working on with the Scouts in your den. This training is normally provided at your district training events, but is also available online through MyScouting
Review the upcoming training events on the GLC Training Calendar to see what other training opportunities there are for you.
Because of the great concern the Boy Scouts of America has concerning child abuse in our society, Youth Protection Training has been developed to safeguard both youth and adult members in the Scouting program. Youth Protection training is required for all registered leaders and must be renewed every two years. You may take the online version of Youth Protection training right from your computer.