Positions of Responsibility

Positions of Responsibility, commonly called “leadership positions” or just “positions”, are jobs within the troop that are held by scouts. See Troop Structure for an introduction.

Obtaining a Position

The exact way you obtain the position (by election or appointment) depends on which position. Terms are typically for one year.

Before you try to obtain a position, make sure you’ve read and understood the responsibilities you’ll be taking on! You can find a full description of most positions in the “Appendix” section of this website. If your position isn’t listed here, refer to the standard descriptions from Scouting America: https://troopleader.scouting.org/general-troop-information/troop-structure/troop-positions/

It’s highly recommended that you request an extra Scoutmaster Conference when you’re considering a bid for a position, so that you can discuss it with the Scoutmaster first and learn more about it.

Leadership Training

Tip

When you start a new role, you should always attend basic training (ILST), even if you’ve done it before for another position!

When you enter a new position, it’s not expected that you already know how to do it! Holding a position should be a challenging experience for you.

Shortly after getting elected or appointed, you’ll attend your ILST course. ILST will give you a solid start on your leadership skills and knowledge, as well as the particulars of your position.

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is a more advanced, week-long boot camp that will get you fully trained up and prepared to hold a senior leadership role. Talk to the Training Coordinator if you’re interested in finding out more.

As you start carrying out your responsibilities, you’ll have either a youth or adult coach supporting you, depending on the position.