Guide to Adult Training

Volunteering is both rewarding and NECESSARY!

Troop 78's program succeeds because of our active, well-trained adult volunteer support. 

To join our troop, we require one adult per family to serve in an active volunteer role during the time their Scout is active. 

Participating in monthly outings requires little special training, but we require extensive adult training to participate in our Summer Adventures including MINI Canoe, MINI Backpack, and all BSA High Adventures (Philmont, Northern Tier, and Sea Base), plus our Venture AdVentures and MEGA Adventure. 

Because this training and experience is required to participate in Summer Adventures, adults miss Summer Adventures tend to become less likely to be eligible for later Summer Adventures because they fall behind in both training and experience. 

Getting trained can really pay off for you and your Scout.

Outings

Parents are welcome to request to join monthly outings by completing the "adult participation" section of an outing permission form when they register their Scouts for an outing. 

All adults who want to attend outings: 

• Must be actively registered with Troop 78 (and national Scouting America). To be actively registered, new adults must complete the BSA Adult Application and Background Check Authorization and turn it in for signature to the Troop Committee Chair. After the first year, adults must "recharter" or renew their membership by paying troop dues, council dues, and following other instructions from the Troop Committee Chair.

• Must have current Youth Protection Training on file with our troop

• Must have current BSA Annual Health & Medical Record (aka "Health Forms") on file with our troop. To attend outings under 72 hours long (nearly all monthly outings), adults must have current Health Forms Part A, B1, and B2 on file with our troop. To attend outings over 72 hours (Summer Camp, MINI, and High Adventures), adults must have current Health Forms Part A, B1, B2, and C on file with our troop. Part C requires a physician's signature and may require a physical examination.

• To attend outings, Assistant Scoutmaster training is preferred but not required. Fully Trained Assistant Scoutmasters (see below) get priority selection when there is an adult cap.

Adult Cap

We sometimes cap the number of adult participants on monthly outings for several reasons:

• Sometimes we have limited capacity because of campsite reservations, campground policies, or other forest management/wilderness regulations.

• To maintain a good ratio of Scouts to adults so that we preserve the Scout-first nature of outings.

• So that the outings remain Scout-led. 

We will announce "adult caps" on the permission form and in our troop's monthly newsletter, the Mountain Ears Chronicle. When there is an adult cap, the Scoutmaster will decide who attends based on previous training and experience, knowledge of the needs of the Scouts, and specific skills the outing may require. 

Summer Camp

Summer Camp is always adult capped and the attendance is selective because of the unique needs of this outing. Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Training online course (2 1/2 hours) training is strongly preferred. Please submit proof of training completion using the instructions at the bottom of this page.

TROOP 78 Summer Adventures

Adult attendance on Summer Adventures is much more selective because there is often a cap on participants and/or adults. Additional training and significant Troop 78 experience is required to attend these outings. 

New Scout Backpack (aka "The MICRO")

• No additional training required. We encourage one parent to attend with each Scout!

MINI Backpack

• Must be fully trained as an Assistant Scoutmaster (see below). 

• Must be physically and emotionally prepared for the demands of the outing, which can include carrying 30+ pounds of gear and hiking 5-10 miles a day at altitude on varying terrain, in varying weather. 

• Must complete the Hazardous Weather (31 min) online training course. This is now an expiring training that must be retaken for recertification every two years.

• Must attend required training and gear shakedowns or make alternative arrangements with the Scoutmaster to complete this training.

• Each crew must have 2 adults who have current certifications in a 16-hour Wilderness First Aid & CPR course. There are many local providers and we recommend Front Range CPR for WFA/CPR.

• Must have current BSA Health Forms ABC on file with our troop.

MINI Canoe

• Must be fully trained as an Assistant Scoutmaster (see below).

• Must be physically and emotionally prepared for the demands of the outing, which can include lifting 40+ pounds and paddling a canoe for 5-10 miles a day in varying weather.

• Must complete Safe Swim Defense (26 min), Safety Afloat (22 min), and Hazardous Weather (31 min) online training courses. These are now expiring training courses that must be retaken for recertification every two years.

• Must attend required training and gear shakedowns or make alternative arrangements with the Scoutmaster to complete this training.

• Each crew must have 2 adults who have current certifications in a 16-hour Wilderness First Aid & CPR course. There are many local providers and we recommend Front Range CPR for WFA/CPR.

• Must pass the BSA Beginner swim test.

• Must have current BSA Health Forms ABC on file with our troop.

BSA High Adventures

Sea Base

• Meet all requirements of the MINI Canoe. 

• Must pass the BSA Swimmer test. 

• Other strongly preferred training: BSA Snorkeling and Sea Base recommended training (varies). 

• Must attend required training and gear shakedowns or make alternative arrangements with the Scoutmaster to complete this training.

Northern Tier

• Meet all requirements of the MINI Canoe. 

• Northern Tier and the demands of the Scout-chosen itinerary may require other preparation. 

• Must be able to lift and carry 70+ pounds for short distances during portages on varying terrain, in varying weather.

• Must attend required training and gear shakedowns or make alternative arrangements with the Scoutmaster to complete this training.

Philmont

• Meet all requirements of the MINI Backpack. 

• Philmont and the demands of the Scout-chosen itinerary may require other preparation. 

• Must attend required training and gear shakedowns or make alternative arrangements with the Scoutmaster to complete this training.

Fully Trained Assistant Scoutmaster

What is required to become a "fully trained" Assistant Scoutmaster at Troop 78?

• Must complete the online Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Training online course (2 1/2 hours).

• Must complete in-person "Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills" (aka "IOLS") weekend campout. The goal of IOLS is to bring every adult volunteer up to a certain minimum baseline of knowledge of outdoor skills and prepare them to teach those skills to youth. IOLS is usually offered twice a year in April and October and can be taken through any Scouts BSA Council in Colorado or elsewhere. Registration generally closes about 3 weeks before the campout. We recommend taking IOLS in our home Adventure West Council (Wapiti District), partly because the campout is usually conveniently nearby at Camp Patiya (30-45 min from Boulder). To register for IOLS, visit the Adventure West Council event registration platform, search for it, and pay during checkout. You can also register out of our council with Greater Colorado Council (based in Denver), which offers IOLS more often and a little farther away like at Fort Lupton. To register, visit the Greater Colorado Council event calendar and look for (and click on) IOLS weekends in September, October, and April. After you complete the training, present your completion certificate and receipt to the Troop Treasurer and you may be eligible for a partial reimbursement. 

• Must shadow the Scoutmaster at 3-4 monthly outings. This is very important and skipping this requirement can mean not being eligible to attend Summer Adventures. The more you know our methods and our Scouts, the better!

• Must serve as an Outing Coordinator for at least 1 outing. This service is a great education in how to prepare for outings.

• Must serve on 2-3 Boards of Review, which are small adult committees that interview Scouts as the last step of each Scout's rank advancement. Contact the Advancement Coordinator for more info.

Assistant Scoutmaster vs. Committee-side roles

There are two sides to volunteer roles in every Scout troop: ASM side and Committee side. Each side has different abilities that check and balance each other and ensure no conflicts of interest in safety, YPT, and advancement. 

Troop 78 requires every family to have one adult serve in a volunteer role, and every new parent joins the troop registered as a member of the Troop Committee. 

Troop Committee roles include:

• Committee Chair, Treasurer, several roles related to confirming advancement

• Can vote on Troop Committee decisions, policies, procedures, budget matters, etc. 

• Can serve on Boards of Review

• Cannot sign off on requirements

• Eligible to attend monthly outings but not necessarily Summer Adventures

Adults who demonstrate a consistent interest in attending outings and working with youth are often encouraged to begin training to become a trained Assistant Scoutmaster (see training requirements above). Getting trained as an ASM simply means that you have done the training. Completing ASM training means you are trained; it does NOT necessarily mean that your paper registration with the troop has changed from Committee Member to Assistant Scoutmaster. We only change paper registrations during November/December "recharter" for those adults who are committed to moving to the ASM side, thereby giving up their Committee side roles. 

While becoming a trained ASM is not required to attend monthly outings, it is preferred. Because of the demands of Summer Adventures like MINI Canoe, MINI Backpack, Venture AdVentures, BSA High Adventures, and the MEGA Adventure, adults who want to attend those outings are required to complete Troop 78's ASM training, as described on this page. 

Assistant Scoutmaster roles include: 

• Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster

• Can sign off on requirements

• Cannot serve on Boards of Review

• Can participate in discussion regarding Troop Committee decisions but cannot vote

• Eligible to attend all outings and Summer Adventures

Adults do not need to be a ASM trained to go on monthly outings, though it is preferred. Adults do need to be ASM trained to go on MINI and High Adventures. Getting ASM trained does not change your registration with the troop. 

Getting ASM trained enables adults to go on MINI and High Adventure outings. You can be registered on the CMTE side and also ASM trained. They are not exclusive. Many CMTE people have also been trained as ASMs.

How to Export Your Scouting America Membership Card

1. Log into my.scouting.org using your existing account. If you've been in the troop for more than a few weeks, you DO have an existing account. Be careful not to create a new account by accident or this will create a new membership ID for you, which will eventually cause paperwork problems for other people. 

2. Click on "My Profile".

3. Scroll down to the blue bar "Registrations" area. 

4. Look to the right for the white button "Download Membership Card."

5. This will create a pdf of your Scouting America membership card. Download this as a pdf. It's smart to hold onto this for Summer Camp, CampDoc, and BSA High Adventure registration. This card can also help you secure discounts on outdoor gear. (Ask the Scoutmaster for more info.)

How to Submit proof of Completed Training

Whenever you complete adult training, you must report completion by submitting a completion certificate to the Adult Training Coordinator, currently Kim Scott. We strongly recommend downloading and saving your completion certificate pdfs on a computer or your personal Google Drive. 

To find and download or print your completion certificates, follow these instructions on How to Download My.Scouting.org Completed Training Certificates.