Are you up to the challenge of leadership?
VAHC’s next course is being held 26-31 July, 2026 at Camp Shenandoah. Fee for the course is $295, and requires a $75 deposit. Full payment is due 30 days prior to the event start.
What is National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)?
NYLT centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what a leader must KNOW, and what a leader must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership. All while having fun, enjoying new experiences and making new friends.
This course is designed to model a month in the life of a youth-lead troop – three troop meetings (one each day for the first three days), all leading up to a big outdoor experience (an overnight outpost camp). The course uses the patrol method and presents a model troop, Patrol Leader Council and patrol meetings. Participants must be at least 13 years old, First Class [for ScoutsBSA] and have their Scoutmaster or Venture Crew Adviser approval. We strongly encourage participants to have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) or Crews (ILSC) at their units.
What are the skills being taught?
- Communicating Well (Effective Communications)
- Finding Your Vision (Team and Personal Vision)
- Setting Your Goals
- Preparing Your Plans
- Forming Your Team
- Problem Solving
- Leading EDGE
- Teaching EDGE
- Resolving Conflicts
- Making Ethical Decisions
- Leading Yourself
- Valuing People
Your 2026 Course Director
The 2026 Course director is Ed Murphy. As a youth, Ed started as a Cub Scout and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 619, Oak Lawn, Illinois. He returned to Scouting in 2004 as a Tiger Den Leader when his oldest son joined Pack 77. His wife, Susan, soon joined him as the Pack 77 Committee Chair. Since then, both Ed and Susan have held leadership positions in Pack 77, Troop 1028, Crew 1074, and the Monticello District. Both their sons earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 1028. He completed Wood Badge in 2009 and served as a Troop Guide in both the 2013 and 2019 courses. He was the Backup Course Director for NYLT Course 25-2 in the National Capital Area Council in 2025. He completed the Philmont Leadership Challenge in 2024 and returned as PLC faculty in 2025. He has been serving as the Monticello District Chair since 2018.
