The NYLT course is planned and conducted by a dedicated youth staff who strive to share their leadership experience with others. Each member of the staff masters and perfects the skills needed to conduct National Youth Leadership Training. Hoosier Trails’ NYLT also prides itself on being truly youth lead, with the staff adults serving in an advisory role, but leaving the day to day operations of the course in the hands of the youth staff. This ensures that the NYLT youth staff also has a chance to learn and grow.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The senior staff is the head of NYLT’s youth leadership team. These Scouts are seasoned staff members with several years on course who mentor and coordinate the other staff members.
- Bradley Blevins (SPL)
- Hello my name is Brad Blevins, my home troop is troop 481, located in the small town of Odon that probably none of you have heard of. My current rank is eagle scout, but I’m working hard to make it to Scout. I enjoy short walks at Camp Maumee to the next presentation, and spending long days preparing for more presentations. My favorite scouting experience had to be when I was a participant, and I saw the Finding Your Vision presentation, it is an excellent presentation. My favorite food is anything that Brandon Johnson makes, and my personal vision is to have the most well prepared staff to grace the NYLT course, to exceed the visions of all previous NYLT courses, and to
- Jim Adkins (ASPL of Program)
- I am Jim Adkins. My brother wolverine is the senior patrol leader. My favorite place I have camped is Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimmaron New Mexico. I like anything with shrimp. I am a Green Bay Packers fan, and a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. I will take my awesomeness to guide my patrol the Soaring Ospreys, and anyone who needs help. See you on course.
- Sam LaVelle (ASPL of Service)
- Home troop: 555
rank: life
hometown: Columbus
favorite experience: Philmont
favorite food: Mac n cheese
hobbies: sports
vision: to have a successful course where every participant finds the meaning of leadership
- Home troop: 555
Program Staff
The Program Staff are the most visible members of the NYLT staff. They act as Troop Guides for the NYLT participants showing the teams through the program and fostering the early stages of team development
Service Staff
The Service Staff are NYLT’s Quartermasters and Instructors. They manage the logistics of NYLT and give most of the presentations and skill instructions.
Adult Staff
- Albert Cross (Adult Quartermaster)
- Scoutmaster
Springville, Troop 343 - Albert was born sometime before the music died. He is not older than dirt but he is older than Camp Maumee and Lake Monroe, another local attraction. He is honored to be the Scoutmaster of the same troop he spent his years of youth Scouting with.
Albert’s vision is extremely near-sighted but he would like to see each participant and staff member take at least one valuable leadership lesson home to their troop, team, or crew and use it to improve the Scouting program in their part of the council.
- Scoutmaster
- Grant Adkins (JASM of Service)
- Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Service
Troop 550, Columbus, Indiana
Life - Grant is the older brother of Jim Adkins. He is a member of The Columbus East Drumline, the best drum line in Columbus. He went to Philmont over the summer with a small, ragtag crew of individuals. His favorite food is high fructose corn syrup. He also enjoys referring to himself in the third person.
- Vision: Grant sees himself working in an engineering field, probably computer software engineering, designing products.
- Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Service
- Alex Hahn (JASM of Program)
- I’m Alex Hahn a Life Scout Troop 555 Columbus Indiana and the Historian of Troop 161. One of my favorite memories of scouts isn’t Philmont, or Sea Base, but an ordinary camp trip, with an extraordinary thunderstorm. There is something memorable about an entire tent jolting awake at a massive thunder crack. But between scouting, part time employment, High School Theater, a competitive Speech and Debate team, English Academic Team, and normal academic work, free time is spread far too thin. When I get a free hour or two I do indulge in some mashed potatoes and screenwriting. But right now I just hope to get to a point to my writing is good enough to impress college admissions.
Off Course Support
NYLT has many adults and youth who support the program with their time and service but are unable to be on course. These Staff members aid in staff development and perform other tasks.
- Ken “Doc” Guzik (Asst. Scoutmaster)
- I 1st got involved with NYLT during my older son’s participant year where I served on staff as bugler and medical officer. As a chiropractor since 1979, one learns a few things along the way. One of those things is documentation so I don’t do to better job at recording and tracking all the meds the participants and/or staff need on course. The occasional bandage or 2 might be necessary as well and let’s not forget about those wonderful ticks.
- After that 1st year on staff I felt I would like to contribute to making each year a little better learning experience for both participants and youth staff. And this is where the award of “sharp a scout” came into being. It’s been rather awesome to see the competition as the bar has been raised each and every year I’ve been on staff. The teachings of NYLT are what should be done in each troop in every counsel. Those who follow the NYLT format always have larger, and more organized troops, with less stress on the adults. To enable youth to truly buy into genuine leadership values is wonderful to be part of on each course.
- This year will be my 8th year on staff and very proud to help with the other adults who I found very inspiring with their dedication towards empowering our youth. It really is all about you, the Scouts of NYLT course 161. You are the hope for the future of our country and our world. Don’t be mediocre strive for the outstanding and the exceptional.
- Connor Boyle (JASM of Program)
- Webmaster and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Program
Columbus, Troop 555
Eagle - I’ve been involved with National Youth Leadership Training in Hoosier Trails Council since the 2011 course. I enjoy helping and assisting where I can. I continue to act as an advisor to the staff, and webmaster and manager of NYLT social media. I am a freshman studying Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Mathematics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. During course, I will be interning at Shure, Inc., testing software for large-scale wireless microphone systems. Although I will not be present during the NYLT course, I wish that each participant has a fantastic experience and learns something which they can bring back to their home troop! One of my favorite scouting experiences has been Whitewater Rafting on the New River. Some of my hobbies include running, walking, and breathing. I also, on occasion, have been known to play some sick, nasty riffs on the piano. My favorite food is anything that is neither sick nor nasty.
- Vision: I see myself becoming a computer software engineer and writing code that changes the world.
- Webmaster and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Program