GGAC Winter NYLT – Camp Herms – Feb 15-17, 21-23, 2025
GGAC June NYLT – Rancho Los Mochos- June 8-14, 2025
Staff wanted – Both Youth and Adult! Visit the Staff Page.
NYLT is run by volunteer staff from GGAC and follows the BSA National Youth Leadership Training curriculum. It is part of the BSA three-part youth training continuum:
ILST/ILSC – Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops/Crews
NYLT – National Youth Leadership Training
NAYLE – National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience
NYLT is a week-long outdoor experience for present and future youth leaders. Attendees are presented with training and leadership tools to help them develop as servant leaders within their unit and the community. NYLT attendees are trained to take a leadership role in their home unit, greatly helping Scoutmasters and Venturer Advisors meet their responsibilities to provide leadership training and maintain a youth-run program. The NYLT course replaces the earlier Junior Leader Training (JLT) course.
The course focuses on teaching advanced leadership and planning skills in an intense, teambuilding and collaborative atmosphere. Participants are challenged throughout the week to accomplish time-sensitive tasks using team-building and leadership skills taught during the course. Participants also have opportunities to improve and apply outdoor skills.
NYLT has six major aims that youth have found to be successful and useful in their home units:
To give participants the confidence and knowledge to run the troop/crew program
To give participants the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with others in their home unit
To teach and practice key leadership skills and relate these skills to the responsibilities in the participant’s home unit;
To give each participant a varied experience with emphasis on the patrol/team method and demonstrate new ways to teach outdoor skills in a fun atmosphere back in their home unit.
To create an atmosphere where participants will experience “Scouting at its best”.
To enhance the relationship between the participant and his home unit’s scoutmaster/advisor.
NYLT is a two phase program. Phase 1 is the intensive course totally 6 days of training. Phase 2 is the execution phase where each participant applies the leadership skills learned while at the course in his/her home unit by completing three self-set goals. Home unit Scoutmasters/Advisors certify that each participant has demonstrated application of the learned leadership, earning a BSA NYLT trained patch for their uniform. This execution phase can be completed at any time but we strongly encourage that it is carried out upon return from the course. NYLT staff are available to assist participants in achieving their goals if needed.
To aid timely completion, courses usually hold a course recognition meeting four to 5 months after course (each year) where we recognize all participants who have been certified as having completed their goals by their unit leader (unit leaders send the course organizers an email once the participant has completed their goals. The email outlines the activities that have been carried out and certifies satisfactory completion).
No! NYLT is an intensive leadership training course held in an outdoor [camp] environment. There are no rank advancement or Merit Badge opportunities during the week. The purpose of this course is to develop leadership skills that participants will use in their home units and throughout their lives.
GGAC runs NYLT courses each year at Camp Herms above El Cerrito and at Rancho Los Mochos, south of Livermore, California. Parents or leaders must provide transportation to and from the course for the participant.
Please refer to the separate Course-specific information listed as a separate document for details on any Orientation Meetings, exact arrival and departure times and any post-course meetings/recognition events.
GGAC Spring NYLT – Camp Herms – April 2021 – 2 weekends
GGAC June NYLT – Camp Herms – June 7 – 12, 2021
GGAC June NYLT – Rancho Los Mochos – June 13 – 19, 2021
Telephone service to the camp exists strictly for emergency use only. In the event of an emergency, parents may telephone the number listed on the separate detail page for each course. The message and return phone number will be relayed to the NYLT staff and then in turn to the Scout. Calls will be returned as promptly as possible. Scouts are not permitted use of the phone alone.
Due to the intensive schedule at NYLT, parents and friends are discouraged from visiting during the course. Adult leaders who want to observe the program are encouraged. Please e-mail us of your intention to visit at () so we know when to expect you.
NYLT is open to Scouts and Venturers who meet the following requirements:
Boy Scout participants must be First Class before the Session’s Orientation date. They must be at least 13 years of age by the beginning of course. They should have taken part in an ILST course at their home unit.
Venturer participants should have taken part in an ILSC course at their home unit. Both male and female Venturers are welcomed and encouraged to apply for NYLT.
All applicants must want to attend NYLT and have the enthusiasm and desire to participate in this learning experience. Because NYLT requires some camping skills, participants should have had at least one long-term camp experience (such as summer camp) before coming to NYLT.
Youth with significant homesickness issues,
Youth who have discipline/behavioral problems,
Youth who have no camping experience, or
Youth who have never camped without a parent in attendance.
NYLT is run by a caring and attentive staff of volunteer instructors. It is not designed to change the attitude of a youth that does not want to learn or participate. NYLT will nourish the leadership ability of the youth that you count on to run your troop. NYLT will likely not help youth with discipline problems.
Participants with discipline issues who are disruptive during the course will likely be sent home without refund. Removal of a participant from the program is not done lightly and is reviewed thru a multi-level process and ultimately thru the Course Director. If a participant is removed from the program, his/her parents will be called and they will need to pick the youth up, that day, at camp.
If you have any questions about the appropriateness of any youth attending NYLT, please contact the Course Director at: [email protected]
The Council offers three different sessions – an April Session limited to 32 participants and two June Sessions, the first with a limit of 78 and the second with a limit of 196. Once that limit is reached, all other applicants are placed on a waiting list and will be offered a place should one open up. With strict limits per session, early registration is important. Register as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
For planning purposes, the last day of open registration is two weeks prior to Orientation for the particular session, although we do accept on-line registration up to a few days before Orientation. After that date, applications are accepted IF additional participants can be accommodated. If the session fills earlier, we will close them with some youth on the wait-list. At Orientation, an Annual Health and Medical Record valid through the date of the course is due.
Do NOT E-Mail, Fax, or mail the medical. It is due at Orientation. Those who fail to turn the Medical in at Orientation must bring it to the first day of their course.
The Annual Health and Medical Record form you bring to orientation must have parts A, B, and C completely filled out. A copy of the front and back of the Scout’s Medical Insurance Card is also required. A copy of the form kept by your home unit is acceptable. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT ALL FOOD RESTRICTIONS, MEDICAL CONDITIONS INCLUDING ALLERGIES AND ANY CONCERNS/ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR YOUTH AT ORIENTATION. All prescriptions must be in their original containers for camp. Please send only the amount needed for the week. THANKS.
You will receive an e-mail acknowledgement. This is your receipt Approximately 6-8 weeks before course, you will get an e-mail from [email protected] or your course-director with the following information.
It will alert you of several items that we will need:
A current BSA Medical dated after either April 1, 2020 for the April Session or June 1, 2020 for either June Session (i.e.: less than a year old at the time of NYLT)
A picture of the youth participant in uniform (no hat) sent to:
[email protected]
A detailed Food Restriction form to be turned in at Orientation.
Your Unit Leader will also be sent an email asking him/her to confirm they approve the youth participant for NYLT attendance.
Approximately 2weeks before a Participant Orientation Meeting, an e-mail will be sent to youth, parents and unit leader as a reminder that the Orientation Meeting is coming up. The email will re-confirm that the Scout is registered for a particular session. It will remind participants of the required information needed at Orientation.
The course fee is $365 for registration before March 1, 2021 for the April Course and May 1, 2021 for both June Courses. A late fee of $30 is charged after those dates. On-line Registration is set up for Paypal or credit card payment.
We routinely have people ask us this question. There are 3 options.
The first option is to see if your home troop can underwrite some or all of the expenses. There are a few Troops that underwrite the entire cost; some underwrite 50% of the cost. Some assess financial need and supply a campership based on this.
Second, each Scout may apply for one campership per year if he is registered in the Golden Gate Area Council and the family can demonstrate financial need. This may go towards summer camp or any other long-term camp, including NYLT.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to help. Please contact us at [email protected] with details so we can work with you to make it possible for your youth to attend NYLT.
No! The registration fee is all inclusive.
Participants are placed in a patrol/team consisting of six youth from many Districts and even from other Councils.
Participants bring their own tents to NYLT. They are set up in the patrol site. Scouts are required to share a tent with a fellow patrol member (subject to restrictions that may be imposed due to COVID issues). For Co-ed patrols sleeping accommodations will be strictly per BSA Guidelines for Co-ed units.
Each patrol has its own site with a complete set of cooking equipment with which participants prepare their own meals. NYLT provides a full, well-balanced menu during the week – no one goes hungry. We have no trading post on camp and discourage the bringing of candy or snacks to course.
Absolutely! NYLT is designed to enhance the youth’s relationship with his home Scoutmaster/Advisor. As part of the second phase of NYLT, the home unit leader coordinates and encourages the completion of the NYLT experience by working with each participant to identify 3 goals that will benefit the unit and where the learned NYLT skills can be put to use. See Bringing NYLT Home
Each participant is expected to bring a 2-person tent – please, nothing larger because space is limited. Participants will be expected to share tents with fellow members of their patrols; if all participants bring tents, only 1/2 the tents will be used. We recommend that each participant ask to borrow a tent for the week from their home unit – we do NOT expect a participant to buy a tent specifically for NYLT. In cases where securing a tent to bring to course is problematic, we have a limited number of tents that we can loan – please contact [email protected].
There is no special equipment required for NYLT. To help in your preparation, a recommended equipment list can be located off of the NYLT Website for your specific course. We do suggest a small camp chair and, as mentioned above, a tent to be shared with another participant. Please check for the latest equipment list off of the Orientation page for your course. This page will be provided to the participants after they register.
NYLT is set-up for meals eaten in “Jamboree” style. Each patrol picks up food at the Commissary before each meal and prepares meals in camp. After Registration, as a follow-up, the Participant will be asked to provide a picture, confirm registration information and complete an on-line food restriction form to inform us of any specific dietary needs or restrictions. We try to accommodate most dietary needs but do require advance notice.
Yes! You will be expected to carry all of your personal equipment to and from your campsite and you may have to hike over a mile to accomplish that. There will be other times during the week when the backpack is essential.
It is highly recommended that you bring hiking boots to NYLT. The NYLT program involves periods of walking over rough, uneven terrain. Hiking boots will help protect you and your ankles from injury. If you do not have access to hiking boots, lug soled shoes can be brought instead. Please do not just bring sneakers or skate shoes and expect they will be adequate and, at no time, is open toed footwear permitted (including “Crocs”).
You will be at a disadvantage if your footwear is not up to the task and depending upon conditions, may result in your participation in some activities being limited for safety reasons. This may impact your ability to complete the NYLT course. If you have specific questions about what footwear to bring, please email us at:
[email protected].
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