NYLT Prerequisites

[EagleScout441]

I plan on attending NYLT 2014 and according to my Council(possibly all Councils):

(This is from the 2013 brochure, dates haven't been set for NYLT 2014.)

 

"A scout or venture must have the following qualifications by June 1, 2013:

Boy Scouts – * Must be a current member of BSA * Be 13 years of age and have completed the 7th grade * Be a First Class Scout

For Venture Scouts - * Must be 13 years of age and have completed the 7th grade * Must have completed the ILSC training prior to this training."

 

But for someone who is a dual member(Venturing and Boy Scouts), do both apply? Either, or? Because I haven't had ILSC training and when I join Venturing in January I'd like to know if I need it so I can get the training before I go.

 

And yes, they are using the term "Venture Scouts." That paragraph is copied and pasted straight from the brochure.

[Sentinel947]

This is something for your council office, since NYLT requirements vary from council to council. There should be a coordinator who could answer all the questions you have. That being said your unit leader probably knows what the customs are in your council. My council does not require ILST or ILSC. I went to NYLT in 2009, it's still one of my fondest memories of Scouts. I had no prior training before I went, I was 15 years old, and Assistant Senior Patrol leader. In my council most of the youth that go are between 13-16 years of age.

[RememberSchiff]

Are you sure about the "qualifications"? Usually 14 yrs old is the minimum (no Venturer would be 13), past leadership experience and likely higher leadership position after NYLT would be required, and of course you would need unit leader recommendations. Your unit(s) might help with cost.

 

Have you talked to previous attendees (your age and scouting experience) about course quality? What did they learn, what did they apply to their unit, is their unit scout run? Not all NYLT courses are equal quality. Occasionally some up and coming scout leaders opt to take NYLT with another council or not take NYLT at all.

 

That said, if applying to your council NYLT is still your desire, then just do it before the slots fill. If they say no, well you tried and that is a valuable leadership trait in itself.

 

My $0.02

[qwazse]

RS, if they graduated from 8th grade, they may be 13. If someone that age who had not been a first class scout wanted to take NYLT, I'd like to see something a little more than ILSC before sending him/her to the course. I'd want to see a few months of on-the-ground leadership in girl scouts or youth group. Of course some kids have that natural-born-leader thing going on, and it might be obvious after month two in the crew. I suspect the 7th grade minimum was designed with a particularly exceptional kid in mind.

 

E441, as you can tell, the folks who wrote the brochure really aren't all that bothered about checking the BSA dictionary and using the usual venturing lingo. They don't get the grade requirements either. They probably never took VLST. That's usually a good indication that they'll regard your boy scout achievements as sufficient for the course and won't worry at all about your venturing credentials. The course will very likely be built around a troop model. (Not a bad thing for venturers to learn, but just saying that venturing is probably an afterthought with the instructors.)

 

In general, your rank above 1st class carries over into venturing. So, if you buy a green shirt, buy an Eagle patch and sew it on there.

 

Just so you know, ILST and ILSC are nearly equivalent. If you've taken the one, you could lead 90% of the other. (Only differences are positions of responsibility and Oath and Code.)

 

[RememberSchiff]

RS, if they graduated from 8th grade, they may be 13. If someone that age who had not been a first class scout wanted to take NYLT, I'd like to see something a little more than ILSC before sending him/her to the course. I'd want to see a few months of on-the-ground leadership in girl scouts or youth group. Of course some kids have that natural-born-leader thing going on, and it might be obvious after month two in the crew. I suspect the 7th grade minimum was designed with a particularly exceptional kid in mind.

 

E441, as you can tell, the folks who wrote the brochure really aren't all that bothered about checking the BSA dictionary and using the usual venturing lingo. They don't get the grade requirements either. They probably never took VLST. That's usually a good indication that they'll regard your boy scout achievements as sufficient for the course and won't worry at all about your venturing credentials. The course will very likely be built around a troop model. (Not a bad thing for venturers to learn, but just saying that venturing is probably an afterthought with the instructors.)

 

In general, your rank above 1st class carries over into venturing. So, if you buy a green shirt, buy an Eagle patch and sew it on there.

 

Just so you know, ILST and ILSC are nearly equivalent. If you've taken the one, you could lead 90% of the other. (Only differences are positions of responsibility and Oath and Code.)

Actually the 13yr old, 7th grade minimum makes me suspect that council has a goal of completely filling the course with bodies - bad idea and worse if class size is huge (50-75 scouts). Hopefully there is an screening interview process and all those attending are exceptional future leaders as you suspect.

Another $0.02

[EagleScout441]

Are you sure about the "qualifications"? Usually 14 yrs old is the minimum (no Venturer would be 13), past leadership experience and likely higher leadership position after NYLT would be required, and of course you would need unit leader recommendations. Your unit(s) might help with cost.

 

Have you talked to previous attendees (your age and scouting experience) about course quality? What did they learn, what did they apply to their unit, is their unit scout run? Not all NYLT courses are equal quality. Occasionally some up and coming scout leaders opt to take NYLT with another council or not take NYLT at all.

 

That said, if applying to your council NYLT is still your desire, then just do it before the slots fill. If they say no, well you tried and that is a valuable leadership trait in itself.

 

My $0.02

 

I am sure about the "qualifications," you can look for yourself: http://www.mtcbsa.org/assets/forms/NYLTBrochure.pdf

There hasn't been any information released yet on the 2014 course, all I know is that it will be in either June or July in 2014. And the course has been recommended to me by several, including the current Venturing Area 6 President, who took it a couple years back.

And I just noticed that, Venturers have to have completed the 8th grade, there is no such thing as a "13 years of age and have completed the 7th grade" Venturer.

And the maximum number of participants for the course is 48.

[Eagle92]

I know NYLT has changed a lot since I took the old BA22 course, and served on staff for the JLT Course NYLT replaced. But based upon my experiences, you really need to have mastered the basic T-2-1 outdoor skills in order to pull your own weight and not be a burden to your patrol at these courses. In my BA22 patrol, we had one scout who was pushed through the course for political reasons at age 12, and the scout barely had the T-2-1 outdoor skills under his belt, To say he was a burden is an understatement.

 

It's kinda funny in retrospect, but once he deliberately infected his blisteres to get out of the backpacking portion of the BA22 course and had to stay in the basecamp, the patrol actually had a much better time.

[EagleScout441]

I know NYLT has changed a lot since I took the old BA22 course, and served on staff for the JLT Course NYLT replaced. But based upon my experiences, you really need to have mastered the basic T-2-1 outdoor skills in order to pull your own weight and not be a burden to your patrol at these courses. In my BA22 patrol, we had one scout who was pushed through the course for political reasons at age 12, and the scout barely had the T-2-1 outdoor skills under his belt, To say he was a burden is an understatement.

 

It's kinda funny in retrospect, but once he deliberately infected his blisteres to get out of the backpacking portion of the BA22 course and had to stay in the basecamp, the patrol actually had a much better time.

He infected his blisters?! Geez. We had a guy at Kodiak claim that he had a heart condition so he didn't have to mountain bike, I feel sorry for the staff member who had to hike with him to the end of the bike course. But of course that "condition" didn't stop him from whitewater rafting.

 

I doubt NYLT will be as dependent on the knowledge of the participants now as it used to be, but I probably should refresh myself on the first aid just to be safe. After all, at 16 I'll probably be one of the oldest participants there, wouldn't want to be outsmarted by a 14 year old!

[EagleScout441]

OK, talked with some Venturers, I am allowed to the ILSC in January even though I don't have membership as a Venturer. Which means the NYLT prerequisites are no longer an issue.