Pathway to the Rockies Council > Resources > Training > Powder Horn

Powder Horn

Powder Horn is a hands-on resource management course designed to give you the contacts and tools necessary to conduct an exciting high-adventure program in your troop, crew or ship.

Objectives of Powder Horn

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 outdoor programs.

This course is not a total training program that enables the Scouting unit members (youth and adults) to become experts or even self-sufficient in any aspect of outdoor skills. Units will likely still need knowledgeable, trained, and certified individuals (consultants) to help provide a safe and correct outdoor/high-adventure program.

Participant Requirements

Open to both registered adults and youth:

  • Participants and staff must be a registered BSA adult, Scout at least 14 years old, or a member of a Venturing Crew or Sea Scout Ship
  • Participants and staff must complete the BSA Health and Medical Record – Parts A, B & C
  • Youth must have unit leader approval to attend
  • Upon successfully registering and paying the course fees, individual participants will need to complete additional forms necessary to comply with State of Colorado regulations and BSA requirements.

Training Prerequisites

  • Youth Protection Training
  • Hazardous Weather
  • Safety Afloat
  • Safe Swim Defense
  • Climb on Safely
  • Youth must complete either Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST), Crews (ILSC), or Ships (ILSS), or National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
  • Adults must be trained for their position
Complete the course and wear the Powder Horn pin on your left front pocket.
Click the image to order.
Register Today

Weekend 1

May 20-22, 2022

Camp Alexander

Weekend 2

June 3-5, 2022

Glen Aspen Ranch

You must attend both weekends to complete the course

Bill Lynn – Course Director

Course Description

Powder Horn is a resource course designed to introduce Scouting’s adults and youth 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. One common denominator of successful courses is that creativity and variety play a role in the delivery of the curriculum. Each course is somewhat different, and that is a good thing.

Some courses have had participants arrive by canoe, horseback, or bike, or even on skis. Creativity is fun, too! The ultimate goal is for the participants to leave the Powder Horn course with a list of ideas to help their program, along with the contacts and resources needed to implement them. This will lead to a more exciting and robust program, which in turn should lead to increased membership and a higher retention rate in our units. It is important to understand that Powder Horn is not a personal development course or a team-building experience. Its purpose is to educate the youth and adult Scouting leaders about specific high-adventure skills, to connect them to resources to deliver those skills, and to get them excited about delivering those skills in an exciting, challenging way to youth. Fight the urge to do what is done in other courses. Don’t design a patrol flag; don’t have patrols design and give a patrol yell. To cover the required Powder Horn curriculum, there will be long, action-packed days and nights. Use your time effectively.