Powder Horn
Calling all Scouters who want to help their Scouts find high adventure!
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What is Powder Horn?
Powder Horn is a six-day skills resource course. You will be connected with expert consultants in some 20 high-adventure areas. Each course is slightly different, but you can expect to see sports ranging from aquatics to mountain biking to mountain climbing to first aid to SCUBA to shooting sports to kayaking to - well, you get the picture. The consultants introduce their sport, discuss the needed skills and certifications, supply local resource information, and in many cases even offer a taste of the sport to all Powder Horn participants. You will come away with a better understanding of how you can offer high adventure to your unit that will be safe, meaningful, and enjoyable, and you will have had a great time learning.
What you will get from the training
- An introduction to the necessary skills to oversee a high adventure program, and the certifications necessary (and how to obtain those certifications)
- Knowledge of how to identify local resources and consultants for high adventure activities
- Knowledge of the health and safety requirements, and rules and regulations of the Boy Scouts of America as these apply to outdoor programs
- Detailed knowledge of the Venturing Ranger Award and the associated skill requirements
When and where is the next Powder Horn?
- May 4-6, 2012 (Texas Hill Country)
- May 18-20, 2012 (Galveston Bay Area)
The actual cost is yet to be determined.
Partial scholarships may be available, based on need and available funds. For more information on scholarship opportunities, please contact Nathan Doherty directly by email to nathan.doherty@shac.org or by phone to 713-598-4632.
Why take Powder Horn training?
Scouting leaders often face the dilemma of having a strong desire to provide challenging and fun outdoor programs to meet the needs of their older youth members, while lacking the knowledge and/or resources to do so. Powder Horn is a training opportunity that exposes Boy Scout, Varsity and Venturing adult leaders to a wide range of outdoor and high adventure activities. More importantly, Powder Horn provides participants with valuable resources and contacts to assist them in delivering the promise of Scouting’s high adventure to youth.
The Powder Horn course is based on the requirements for Venturing’s prestigious Ranger Award, which requires demonstrated proficiency in a challenging set of core and elective high adventure topics ranging from aquatics to winter sports with twenty more in between. During the two weekends of Powder Horn, presentations are made by expert certified consultants who demonstrate the skills required and explain where to obtain resources, such as equipment, facilities, guides, instructors, and certifications locally. Most presentations will involve actual hands-on experience by the participants – you’ll get to sample many of the activities yourself so you will know how much fun your crew, team, ship, or troop will be able to have. We have recruited an all-star staff of experienced Scouters from all over the council to guide you through the adventure!
Don’t dismiss Powder Horn as being “only for Venturing leaders” – the reality is that it is every bit as valuable for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters and Varsity Coaches as it is for Venturing Advisors! In fact, if you expect to become a Scoutmaster in the next couple of years, you will find this course ideal preparation! And if you, like many of us, find that retaining your older Scouts is a challenge, this course will provide you with many options for running more exciting outings that will appeal to them. It will also help you understand the Venturing program so that you can see how it relates to Boy Scouting – both the commonality and the differences.
What you need to do to be a participant
- Must be a registered adult member of the Boy Scouts of America, at least 21 years of age.
- Must have completed Adult Leader Specific Training for your primary registration program area, plus the required outdoor training for that leadership position prior to attending Powder Horn.
- Be current in Youth Protection, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Climb On Safely, and Trek Safely (online trainings).
- Be able to meet physical requirements of BSA Class III physical in a back country environment.
- Be able to pass a BSA Swim Test to participate in any of the water-based activities.
