OVERNIGHT AND OUTDOOR TRAINING

Welcome to the Overnight and Outdoor Training page. The Greater Saint Louis Area Council offers several training opportunities for both adult leaders and Scouts. 

Overnight trainings include........

Leader Outdoor Experience (Required to be a Cub Scout leader) - Learn the basic of tent camping to enhance your wilderness experience! In this training you'll learn how to start a fire, pitch a tent, basic cooking skills, learn new outdoor activities and most of all...have fun! Go to the LEADER OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE page.

Intro to Outdoor Skills (Required to be a Boy Scout leader) - This training gives adunt leaders the practical outdoor skills they need to lead Scouts in the outdoors. Imagine having hands on knowledge setting up a campsite, pitching a tent, hiking, outdoor cooking and many more skills mecessary to see the outdoor program of the Boy Scouts of America come to life. The skill sessions presented to Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills closely follow the Boy Scout Handbook and are meant to serve as an adult training outline. By using these skill sessions in conjunction with the Boy Scout Handbook trainers can be sure new leaders are proficient in the basic outdoor skills through First Class rank. Each skill session reference chapters in teh handbook. For more information contact your local District Executive (Who is that?)

Challenge Course Training - The Challenge Course is a Boy Scouts of America program for youths and adults that includes a series of outdoor challenges -- beginning with basic group initiative games and progressing to more complicated low-course and high-course activities.  Some of these events involve a group effort while others test individual skills and agility.  Participants climb, swing, balance, jump and think through solutions to a variety of challenges.  Most participants find that they can do much more than they initially thought they could. For more information, go to the CHALLENGE COURSE TRAINING PAGE

Rock Climbing Training - Overcoming fear, instilling confidence, peering over the edge or staring up the cliffs of Freedom, Ranger Falls, Collarbone or Baby Snake at S bar F Scout Ranch or the dramatic sculpted cliffs of Giant City State Park near Pine Ridge Scout Camp in Southern Illinois is a highlight for many troops, crews and posts. Camping sites are available on top of cliffs along the Little St. Francis River or near Castle Rock at S bar F. Camping at Pine Ridge Scout Camp is just a few minutes away from Giant City State Park. For more information, go to the ROCK CLIMBING TRAINING PAGE


Outdoor Trainings include.................

Shooting Sports - The Guide to Safe Scouting, mandates that  "all Boy Scout, Venturer and Explorer shooting activities must be supervised by a currently NRA Certified Instructor in the specific discipline being utilized and when on the range, must be supervised by a currently NRA Certified Range Safety Officer." For more information on this training, go to the SHOOTING SPORTS PAGE

Map and Compass Training - How good are you at finding your way using a map and compass?  You can improve your skills and have a lot of fun if you use the orienteering facilities available at Beaumont.  There is an orienteering kit available to those units who have leaders certified to use the kit.  With it you can learn to use a map and compass, to make your own map, and to run a real orienteering course.  For those units that feel themselves already skilled in map and compass use, there is a 21-stake permanent orienteering course available by reservation. For more information on this training, go to the MAP AND COMPASS PAGE

Pioneering Kit - There has been much concern about the Boy Scout program over the past few years that Scoutcraft skills have been abandoned in favor of leadership skills. It was further pointed out that boys join a Boy Scout troop for the outdoor adventure -- the Scoutcraft skills, if you will. The guide is written to give equal emphasis to both Scoutcraft and leadership skills which are intended by the methods and plans herein. For more information on this training, go to the PIONEERING KIT PAGE

Tipi Training - Units wishing to use the tipis located at S bar F Scout Ranch must have a leader who has completed Tipi Training, which is offered during the Order of the Arrow fall and spring induction weekends on the dates below.  This one-day training course is designed to teach leaders the proper way to erect a tipi. For more information on this training, go to the TIPI TRAINING PAGE

Some of the training offered includes classroom training like Cub Scout Leader Pow Wow and University of Scouting. Challenge Course Training and Rocks and Rappelling Training require some classroom and outdoor sessions.

Some training courses are required to use some program areas and facilities at our camps. These courses require leaders to be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.