"The Patrol Method is not one way to run a Troop; it is the only way."  Lord Robert Baden-Powell

Should I Take Scouter Training?

This is the most important question for each Scouter to answer for himself/herself. This question for most adult Scouters will produce a quick ”Yes“ answer. Any training is better than missing the opportunity to improve oneself. Why would anyone choose to miss an opportunity to improve self or circumstance?

What Are The Most Frequently Listed Benefits of Training? Everyone may benefit from training and do so for a variety of reasons. Surveys show the most popular benefits of training are

            1.  ”Becoming better“ (self-improvement as a leader or member).

            2.  ”Getting the job done easier“ (less stress & time).

            3.  ”Better understand what and why is important“ (learning the objectives).

            4.  ”Improving skills“ (avoid embarrassment & clumsiness, while becoming more comfortable).  Plus!

"You Can't Teach What You Don't know."

"You  Can’t  Support  What  You  Don’t  Understand!“

The OKAMA enhanced training format respects your time and the decisions you make affecting your available time for Scout Leader Training. Many people look for the ”Best Buy“ when shopping. Therefore, if your goal is to ”get Trained“, why not go with the ”Best Buy“ option providing the greatest probability of achieving your objectives.

Again this year, as it has been since OKAMA 2, the staff will work with any participant to resolve various conflicts and religious requirements. Personal situations are best discussed with the Scoutmaster. Every effort will be made to be flexible to the extent limitations will allow. 

To  Form  A  New  Habit

”It takes twenty-one days to form a new habit or break an old one.  Make a twenty-one-day agreement with yourself to change your behavior.  If you come up with excuses to break your twenty-one-day deal with yourself, remind yourself that you only have less than twenty-one days to go.  Key:  If you skip one day, the whole twenty-one-day cycle starts over again.“

When we participate in Scouter Training, we are striving to adopt new habits or to change our behavior to what is recommended.  In general, if we have to ”do it“ to really learn it, doesn’t it make sense that to really learn it in Scouter Training that we have to also ”do it“ and then keep ”doing it“ until it becomes a habit?

OKAMA  is a top-quality training course that provides opportunities to ”do it“ throughout the course.  It gets you started forming new habits while you’re still participating in the training course.  By spending more time on ‘doing it“ throughout the OKAMA  course, participants are more likely to be really ”learning it“ and are more likely to be further along the trail to meeting original objectives and forming new habits.

Why attend training or train other leaders?

We are leaders and teachers, we commit ourselves to delivering the "Promise of Scouting" to our Youth. To do this we need to know:

To learn or teach the answers from this partial list is some of the reasons why we train. Training is a great bargain, as the staff is made up of dedicated volunteers. Training and learning is also FUN and develops friendships among staff and participants. Training (particularly Wood Badge) is also an opportunity to learn lifetime skills, which help us in our business, family and personal lives.

Training is something we owe ourselves, our youth and our units. Some units play catch-up to meet B.S.A. and Council training standards. Getting your Adults and Scouts trained can be done easily and the Okama staff is ready to assist. The more we work and learn together the better we can "Deliver the Promise" to our kids.