2026 Conferences
Join a community of passionate volunteers and adventurers at the Philmont Training Center this year! Expand your skills, explore new ideas, and connect with like-minded leaders while experiencing the magic of Philmont.
With a wide range of courses offered, there is something for everyone!
While you participate in a conference there are programs available for your family members like Kids N Kin and our Silverado groups.
Discover what it takes to be a leader. We offer a variety of ways to learn leadership skills for both youth and adults, from leadership development in your troop to Wood Badge.
These conferences focus on the outdoors, whether it’s spending time learning how to fly fish, learning Wilderness first aid, or driving around learning about the land we call Philmont.
Philmont Ambassadors play a key role in attracting participants to the Philmont Scout Ranch programs. They serve as the voice of Philmont to CST volunteers and local Councils.
People who can attend: Must be a currently approved Philmont Ambassador to attend.
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Learn with us how scouting can be adaptive and welcoming, making it more accessible for everyone.
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The Commissioner Week conference provides opportunities to meet and interact with the National Commissioner and members of the National Commissioner Service Team, and to network with commissioners throughout the country.
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Together, we will deepen our understanding of how faith and Scouting intersect, fostering stronger leadership and spiritual growth among Scouts and leaders alike.
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TBD
Fee: $160
Links
Register – Click Here
Book Housing – Click Here
How do we bridge ourselves as commissioners? This conference focuses on the bridges commissioners need to support Unit Leaders. Enhance your communication skills and learn how to turn relationships into partnerships as you collaborate with all conference participants.
Join a growing network of commissioners across the country who are enthusiastic to understand and use data to support their role in Scouting. Collaborate with others to identify and analyze the correct data to support unit, district, and council needs. Conference participants will engage in group discussions and workshops to analyze and practice using the data to have a positive impact on scouting.
This conference will enable participants to approach their council commissioner roles as strategic leaders with purpose and vision. We will be using real data, scenarios, studies, and conversations. Participants will be challenged to think differently and develop plans to build an effective Scouting America culture that delivers commissioner priorities. Participants will learn to strategically use available resources, data, and tools in their roles on the council, Key 3, members of the council executive board, and leaders of the council commissioner corps to deliver the promise of Scouting.
This conference will provide a working understanding of the district and assistant district commissioner roles, responsibilities, available tools, and resources. You will walk away with strategies for developing and leading your team and for helping units thrive and grow while leveraging the vision for “unit service” in your council.
This conference is exclusive to the 28 Council Service Territory Commissioners and Elects. Since most participants will already know each other from monthly calls and Confabs, this conference leans heavily on interaction with our guests and each other. Many of the selected topics and guest invites will come from participant input before the conference.
“IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS”
Becoming a Scouting Relationships Mentor
Led by Rev. David Weyrick
In Scouting, every success story begins with a relationship, one conversation, one moment of trust, one leader who chooses connection over convenience. This half-week bonus conference is built for Commissioners who want to elevate that part of their calling. Together at the Philmont Training Center, we will explore the fundamentals of healthy, effective relationships and discover how connection becomes the catalyst for growth in Scouts, Units, Councils, and communities.
Through engaging sessions, practical models, and real-world Commissioner experiences, participants will learn how relationships shape leadership, strengthen trust, and inspire genuine engagement. We’ll examine the many types of connections Commissioners navigate, such as Scout-to-leader, leader-to-parent, volunteer-to-professional, and how intentional, authentic presence transforms each one.
Commissioners will leave Philmont empowered as Scouting Relationship Mentors, equipped with tools they can bring home to support and strengthen their Commissioner Corps. With deeper insight, renewed confidence, and a relational mindset, you will be prepared to help your Council build a culture where people feel known, valued, and inspired and where Scouting can genuinely thrive.
“Trained to Make a Difference” is more than a tagline — it’s our commitment to every member of Scouting America. We empower adult volunteer trainers and leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead effectively and inclusively. Our goal is to ensure that 100% of our volunteers are fully trained, prepared, and supported to create a positive, lasting impact on the lives of the youth we serve.
Where Commitment Meets Calling. Where Training Becomes Transformation.
High in the rugged beauty of Philmont, where the sky opens wide and the spirit of Scouting runs deep, Scouting U invites the nation’s most dedicated volunteer trainers to unite for a powerful one-week experience designed to elevate every aspect of adult leader training and development across Scouting America.
Yet today, fewer than 40% of direct contact leaders across the country are fully trained. Scouting U is committed to changing that. Our national goal: 100% trained leaders in every unit of every council. And the next great step in this mission begins here—with you.
WHY THIS WEEK MATTERS
At Scouting U Week, you’ll step into the nation’s premier volunteer training environment—the Philmont Training Center—and immerse yourself in seven of 21 cutting-edge, half-day courses, each crafted to help you:
You will learn, share, collaborate, create, and leave energized for the work ahead—supported by the top training minds and mentors from across the United States.
This week will sharpen your skills, expand your toolkit, and renew your passion for what we all believe deeply:
When leaders are trained, Scouts are inspired. And inspired Scouts change the world.
Join Us. Lead the Movement. Make the Difference.
SCOUTING U WEEK at PHILMONT TRAINING CENTER
For those who train the leaders who shape the future.
Led by Rev. David Weyrick and Ted Borcherding
Strong relationships are the hidden engine that moves Scouting forward by strengthening Units, energizing Districts, empowering Councils, and shaping the experiences of every young person we serve. This signature PTC conference invites Volunteer and Career Scouters from every level, Unit, District, Council, Territory, and National, to explore the essential role relationships play in building a thriving Scouting culture.
Throughout the week, we will examine the fundamentals of connection: how trust is built, how communication shapes partnerships, how listening transforms leadership, and how relational health drives growth across the Scouting movement. Participants will engage with dynamic models of relationship-building, examine real-world Scouting scenarios, and explore the ways intentional connections influence everything from membership and retention to program success and volunteer engagement.
By week’s end, attendees will be equipped as Scouting Relationship Advocates, leaders prepared to bring fresh insight, practical strategies, and renewed energy back to their Councils. With a deeper understanding of relational dynamics and the tools to cultivate authenticity, trust, and effective outreach, participants will be empowered to strengthen Scouting where it matters most: person by person, unit by unit, and community by community.
Come ready for a week of inspiration, collaboration, and personal growth in the heart of Philmont. Your leadership and the relationships you build can change lives.
Grow Scouting through powerful storytelling and photography.
Spend the week learning how to tell a compelling story in person and with smartphone photos. You’ll get top-notch instruction from world-class storytellers and a photography expert. Time will be spent in the field photographing “decisive moments,” posting them to social media, and preparing a story to take home to inspire others.
Never fear, we’ll guide you on the social media stuff too and teach you the tricks of the trade for motivational storytelling.
You’ll also get to tell a story to fellow conference attendees during the week and post photographs on social media to demonstrate your newfound storytelling skills.
“Listen, and you will realize that we are made not from cells or from atoms. We are made from stories.”
-Mia Couto (Google him)
Meet your instructors
Peter Simon
Many of you may not know his name, but if you have been in Scouting any time in the last eighteen years, you have seen his work. He has served Scouting as the producer of many videos released by the National Service Center. You can view a few of his personal favorites here.
From Tree to Track in 73 Seconds
He has written five (unproduced) screenplays and two children’s books.
Mike Sulgrove
Mike is serving in his 60th year as a Scout. He is known as one of the most powerful speakers in Scouting America and features stories whenever he speaks. He has spoken at more than 1,200 Eagle Courts of Honor and hundreds of community events.
Mike served as a Scouting Professional for 38 years and is proud of 22 years of service as a Scout Executive in two Councils. He is active with Order of the Arrow, Tribe of Micosay and Firecrafter. Scouting volunteers selected him to receive the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, Silver Beaver Award, and the OA Centurion Award.
He currently serves as VP of Camping and Properties for the Michigan Crossroads Council, District Eagle Board of Review Chair, and as a member of the Philmont Staff Association Investment Committee.
Ralph Voelker
In 1979, Ralph was given the Vigil name of Singing Bullfrog Who Tells Stories. Some things never change. He met Mike Sulgrove at a Troop Court of Honor in Aurora, CO, in 1981, where he told a story. Thirty minutes later, Mike asked him to serve as his Program Director at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch. They have been friends ever since.
Ralph has a degree in Technical Journalism with an emphasis in Radio and Television, but his entire career was spent with Scouting. Over those 38 years, he spoke at hundreds of Courts of Honor and Scouting events. During that time, he wrote a series of stories about his experience, many of them published in a blog titled “The Voice of Scouting.”
He served as a corporate trainer for the National Council, traveling the country to inspire Scouting Executives, mainly through captivating stories. He has performed hundreds of magic shows for Cub Scouts and other youth groups, and is a trained voice actor. You might recognize his voice from Scouting U Training Modules.
Here’s a video collaboration between Ralph and Peter.
Details about backcountry trips
Our field trips are limited to 18 participants per outing due to the number of Philmont vehicles available. Personal vehicles are not permitted in the backcountry. Please be aware that some hiking will likely be required on location, and you must be able to walk at least 1 mile at altitude. You will be guaranteed at least one backcountry photo safari.
Every effort will be made to encounter Scouts in the back country, experiencing a variety of adventures.
If you cannot walk a mile at altitude, there will also be multiple chances for great photos within easy walking distance of the Philmont Training Center, so that all participants can be involved.
Story-telling opportunities
Whether you are an accomplished storyteller or someone who wants to do better, this course will help you grow your skills.
Come prepared with your favorite Scouting story. We’ll work with you on ways to enhance the impact of your tale. Each participant will be allowed to share their story publicly.
Expectations
Each participant should arrive with Instagram and Facebook accounts installed on their smartphone.
Please Note: Although this course does not involve hiking, each participant MUST BE physically able to walk up to a mile over occasionally rough terrain at altitude without assistance and to easily get in and out of a four-wheel drive vehicle multiple times each day without help.
