Powder Horn

Powder Horn

 

Purpose

Powder Horn is a resource course designed to introduce Scouting’s leaders to the exciting high-adventure program possibilities for their unit.  The course supports the mission of strengthening units so they can achieve the mission of the Boy Scouts of America.  The ultimate goal is for the participants to leave the course with a list of ideas, contacts, and resources needed to implement a more exciting and robust program.

It is important to understand that Powder Horn is not a personal development course or a team-building experience.  Its purpose is to help Scouters learns about specific high-adventure skills, to connect them to resources to deliver those skills in an exciting, challenging way to youth.  While the course is based upon providing participants with an exposure to some high-adventure activities experientially, it is not a certification event — units will likely still need knowledgeable, trained, and certified individuals (consultants) to help provide a safe and correct outdoor/high-adventure program.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the participants should have sufficient introductory information to:

  • Provide a robust outdoor program using a variety of resources.
  • Identify local resources and consultants for high-adventure activities.
  • Apply the health and safety requirements of the Boy Scouts of America to outdoor programs.
  • Apply the rules and regulations of the Boy Scouts of America as they apply to these activities, as well as recognize and manage the risk associated with them.

Course Operations

The course is limited to 32 participants and runs a full three days and is usually held at a local camp that provides the features necessary to the various program elements; typically, we ask participants to arrive the night before the course begins.

Powder Horn is organized around the BSA’s High Adventure elements 14 of which are required to receive the Powder Horn device.  Topics may include:

Archery

Emergency Preparedness

Risk Management

Astronomy

Fly Fishing

Sailing

Canoe

GPS – Geocaching

Sail Boarding

Caving

Kayaking

Scuba

Communications

Mountain / Trail Biking

Search and Rescue

Conservation & Ecology

Outdoor Ethics

Wilderness Survival

COPE Challenge Course

Rifle & Pistol

Winter Sports

Prerequisites:

  • Must be a registered adult or youth member of the Boy Scouts of America, within the Scouts BSA, Venturing, or Sea Scout Program.
  • Youth must be 14 years of age (or have joined a Venturing crew if 13 years of age and completed eighth grade).
  • Youth must have completed the unit’s version of leadership training (Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops, Ships, or Crews, etc.) and National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is highly recommended for youth participants.
  • All adult participants must be fully trained for their program and position, to include a valid Youth Protection Training certificate which covers the course dates. 
  • All participants must complete the Hazardous Weather training, Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense, Climb on Safely online, and Drive Safely through My.Scouting.org prior to the course.
  • Meet the physical requirements contained in the Annual Health and Medical Record physical in a back-country environment (Forms A, B, and C).

Next Powder Horn Offering:

Powder Horn 2023

18 – 20 August 2023 (can arrive on 08/17/23)
(Friday – Sunday)
Camp St Charles
15375 Stella Maris Dr
Newberg, MD 20664

Registration is located at:  https://scoutingevent.com/082-65171

 

For more information:

Dominick Caridi

dscscouting@aol.com or 703-625-4196