Dear Scouts and Scouters,
My name is Ruby D., and I am this year’s Youth Course Lead of National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT). If you are wondering if you or a Scout you know should attend this action-packed training, my words of wisdom are: Do it! You won’t regret it.
NYLT is an enriched experience that prepares young Scouts to be successful leaders. Personally, it changed my life and provided skills that have helped me both inside and outside of Scouting. From being a den chief in a local pack to presentations in school, I would not be where I am today without going to NYLT.
I attended NYLT as soon as I was eligible because my brother – who attended the year before – had only good things to say about it. I expected long lectures and tests like I experienced in a previous online training course. That was not the case.
When I arrived, I was put into a patrol and spent the whole week working through various challenges that tested our teamwork and leadership. Perhaps one of the most prominent examples of these skills being put to the test was building our dining fly.
Immediately on day one, our troop guide Elaine gave us a tarp and some rope and tasked us with putting up a dining fly. This was our first real challenge. Because we didn’t know each other at all, it was a total disaster. There was a lot of conflict, and it took forever. In the end, our fly was up – although it was definitely not sturdy.
A couple of days later, due to our difficulties when we arrived, our tarp fell and again we were tasked with fixing it. By this time, we had been through half of the course together and our teamwork was upbeat. We were able to put up the dining fly quickly and effectively. This change in success amazed us. Our leadership and teamwork skills had already improved so much.
This is my third year on staff, and I am excited to show another group of Scouts what I learned and how life-changing the NYLT course is. Maybe this year, you will be one of those Scouts!
Click here for more information and to apply to apply for the 2024 course. Participant selection will continue until the course is full, so apply soon for priority consideration. Be a strong leader in your troop and be better prepared to lead in the future – I look forward to meeting you at NYLT 2024!
Yours in Scouting,
Ruby D.
Troop 619
Mountain Valley District
