At this year’s 12th Annual National Youth Leader Training (NYLT) leader’s Conference in October at the Alpine Scout Camp, Douglas Fullman, NER Regional Program Director, challenged course directors and Scoutmasters to think about using the NYLT youth staffers within other training platforms. I thought this was a great idea and immediately looked over to Pat Kelly, a previous NYLT Course Director and the current Suffolk County Council Training Chairman. With a quick nod he thought it was a great idea as well. We decided to ask the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) of our weeklong August NYLT Course to assist with our council Den Chief Training Course.
Life Scout Daniel Krolikowski had staffed NYLT as both a Troop Guide and a Senior Patrol Leader. In his home troop his servant leadership as a Den Chief and Troop Guide for the new Scouts had been and continues to be outstanding. I met with “Dan the Man,” as he is known throughout the Suffolk County Council, and we discussed the Den Chief syllabus and assignments.
After our collaboration and Daniel’s execution of Douglas Fullman’s suggestion, I’m pleased to report that the training went far better than expected. Thirty-eight Scouts throughout our district took Den Chief Training. He was well received by the participants, including some who had completed NYLT while Dan was SPL. He conducted the opening and led the activity session. He assisted in the closing and in giving the Den Chief Pledge to our district’s newly trained Den Chiefs. The Scouts who completed this Den Chief training in December left with a tool box filled with the “Be-Know-Do” of Den Chief leadership. They are now well equipped and enabled to successfully follow the EDGE™ method in their duties.
