YSDC was truly an amazing experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to meet and take advantage of a huge knowledge base emanating from youth staff from all over the Northeast, hike some of the most breathtaking trails I’ve been exposed to thus far, learn from the best NYLT staffers the region has to offer, and make some truly awesome friends in the process. The week I had the pleasure to take part of at Yard’s Creek is something I’ll remember for years to come, but by far, what YSDC had the most profound effect on was my ability as an NYLT staffer.
I was told it before I took the course, and came to fully realize it after staffing my home council’s NYLT: YSDC gives youth the tools they need to be the best youth staffers they can possibly be. YSDC’s emphasis on incorporating EDGE into presentations allowed me to bring my presentation skills to a whole new level, and the change was visible as soon as I began practicing my own presentations for my council’s course. Because of this, YSDC truly enabled me to be the best troop guide I could be, and in turn, made the experience for my patrol that much more special. My knowledge of the NYLT course also grew tremendously from my week at Yard’s Creek, and gave me an even better idea of what true servant leadership – something that even my home unit will benefit from. All in all, I definitely consider YSDC one of the highlights of my Scouting career, and I know that I was better able to serve my council’s NYLT because of my participation. YSDC makes better youth staff. It’s as simple as that.
