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

Item Who Supplies
1. Magic Board (light weight, comes with stylus At least one per instructor. One per participant if possible. (Can be found at Wal-Mart, drug stores, and office supply store. Very inexpensive.) Host council
2. Pen and paper for participants, option to magic boards Host council
3. 5 bear claws for each instructor and participant Supply Division - No. 17034
4. Leather leadership bag for each participant Supply Division
5. 24 tooth picks per participant Host council
6. 1 wood chip per participant Host council
7. 1 feather per participant Host council
8. 1 marble per participant Host council
9. 1 pack of playing cards Host council
10. 1 penny per participant Host council
11. 1 acorn or pecan per participant Host council
12. 1 blindfold per 4 participants (bandanas will work) Host council
13. 1 Lego block per participant Host council
14. 1 seed (like corn or beans) per participant Host council
15. 1 course certificate No. 33504 per participant Supply Division
16. Colored plastic beads to separate bear claws Host council
17. One 2 _ ft. leather thong (bear claw necklace) per person Host council or Supply Division
18. One small candle per person for closing Host council
19. 1 Kodiak Course Syllabus, per staff member Host council
20. 1 Bag-tag, No. 33506 per staff member Supply Division
21. 1 Kodiak Medal, No. 14221 per participant Supply Division
22. 1 Kodiak patch, No. 14222 per participant Supply Division

If you have questions or need an electronic syllabus, please contact Bill Evans, Associate Director, Venturing Division at 972-580-2427 or email: bevans@netbsa.org