Powder Horn is a skills resource course for

Venturing Venturing is a core program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women ages 14 (or 13 and graduated the eighth grade) through 20. It is one of the Boy Scouts' three programs for older youth, which also include Sea Scouts and Explorin ...

and Boy Scouting leaders and youth (age 14 and up) of the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

(BSA). Powder Horn is also described as a "hands-on resource management course" designed to give Scouting leaders "the contacts and tools necessary to conduct an awesome high-adventure program" in their Scouting unit. The goals of Powder Horn are to help Scout leaders safely conduct outdoor activities of a fun and challenging nature, provide an introduction to the resources necessary to successfully lead youth through a program of high adventure, and familiarize participants with the skills involved in different high adventure disciplines. The Powder Horn course will also introduce Venturing leaders to the Ranger youth award program, so adults may better help Venturers in meeting the Ranger award requirements. Powder Horn presents a wide variety of hands-on high adventure skills experiences, and thus is not designed to provide specific skills certifications. The course is meant to be held over a one-week period or two three-day weekends. Youth attendees will get first-hand experience and information as well as resources so they can better act as Event Chairs for their units.

Website

There is not currently an official Powder Horn website. Since at least 2003, an unofficial website has been maintained by Powder Horn volunteers. Interested Scouters should contact their local council service center for official information about upcoming Powder Horn courses, and an unofficial list of many current courses can be found at: http://www.powderhorn-bsa.org/dates.html

Logo

Powder Horn (Boy Scouts of America) Branded Camping Mug

The official Powder Horn course logo is an old-fashioned pioneer's

powder horn A powder horn is a container for gunpowder, and was generally created from cow, ox or buffalo horn (anatomy), horn. The term may also be used for any personal container for gunpowder, although powder flask is the strictly correct term. Featur ...

suspended from the BSA universal emblem.

State-specific logos

Some states may choose to create a custom Powder Horn logo, such as a Texas star suspending a powder horn.

Origins

Powder Horn (Boy Scouts of America) Belt Buckle, Back

The Powder Horn course was initially created in the state of Texas in 1998, and subsequently presented at the

Philmont Scout Ranch Philmont Scout Ranch is a ranch located in Colfax County, New Mexico, near the village of Cimarron; it covers of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the east side of the Cimarron Range of the Rocky Mountains. Donated by oil baro ...

in the fall of 1999. The course was then rolled out to be run at region and area levels, and can now be offered by local councils. There is now a Powder Horn Course Director Conference, usually held in each region at least once a year. Attendance at such a course is no longer mandatory for those who wish to conduct a Powder Horn course as a course director.

Culture

The Powder Horn staff specifically promote a custom-tailored Venturing-like Scouting leadership culture.

Crew method

Course participants are organized into numbered Crews, playing the role of Venturing youth. Each Crew is assigned a Crew Guide, an operational course staff member playing the role of an older Venturing youth. The Powder Horn course director is assigned to be the Venturing Advisor, and assistant course directors are assigned to be Associate Advisors, playing the roles of Venturing adult leaders.

Daily theme

Powder Horn course staff may choose to provide dress and activity themes on a day-by-day basis. Staff members and participants are encouraged to wear clothing or costumes matching each day's theme, and additional theme-related activities or food may be available. Possible themes include wild west cowboys, area 51 aliens, and pirates.

Fun

An emphasis is placed on providing a relatively relaxed atmosphere, focused on fun and enjoyment of the many hands-on experiences presented.

Gear

Like many other Scouting experiences, course participants have the opportunity to acquire multiple pieces of Powder Horn paraphernalia and documentation.

Certificate

Upon successful completion of the course, Powder Horn participants may be formally recognized with a certificate and medal. The certificate is suitable for framing.

Medals

The original Powder Horn medal consisted of the Powder Horn logo suspended from a button catch and hung from the button on the left breast pocket of a Scouting field uniform shirt. The new Powder Horn medal consists of a smaller Powder Horn logo mounted on a pin with a butterfly military clutch as backing. The pin medal is worn on the left breast pocket flap in the same approximate location as the original hanging medal, near or above the pocket's button. Scouters may optionally choose to wear their pin medal as a device or hat pin, per applicable Scouting uniform regulations.

Nameplate

Powder Horn participants may be provided a custom nameplate, suitable for wear on any Scouting uniform shirt.

Belt-buckle

Powder Horn participants may be given the opportunity to purchase a variety of custom Powder Horn belt-buckles, suitable for wear on any Scouting uniform belt.

Activity uniforms

Powder Horn participants may be provided one or more custom Scouting shirts, and additional shirts may be available for purchase.

Skills

Each Powder Horn course provides an introduction to a variety of high adventure skills, limited only by what is available in the region where the course is being held. Possible high adventure skills include: *

All-Terrain Vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

s * Aquatics

Lifesaving Lifesaving is the act involving rescue, resuscitation and first aid. It often refers to water safety and aquatic rescue; however, it could include ice rescue, flood and river rescue, swimming pool rescue and other emergency medical services. ...

Backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

Camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

Canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

Caving Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology i ...

Climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...

Rappelling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

Project COPE COPE is an acronym for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience, a program in the Boy Scouts of America. It consists of group initiative games, trust events, and high and low ropes course. Some activities involve a group challenge, while others dev ...

Ropes Course A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in tr ...

* Expedition Planning *

Extreme Sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...

Geocaching Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific l ...

First Aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

Historical Reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational entertainment, educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspect ...

Living History Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...

* Horsemanship *

Hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

Kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

* Leave No Trace *

Motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gea ...

ing *

Mountain Biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

Orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a s ...

Personal Watercraft A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" whe ...

Sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

Search & Rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

Scuba Diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

Shooting Sports Shooting sports is a group of competitive sport, competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airgun ...

Archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

Snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a ...

Space Exploration Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration though is conducted both by robotic spacec ...

Whitewater Rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

Wilderness Survival Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

Winter Sports Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold area ...

& Camping *

Zip-Line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bott ...

Gallery

Footnotes

{{Scouting Advancement and recognition in the Boy Scouts of America Leadership training of the Boy Scouts of America Scoutcraft 1998 establishments in the United States Awards established in 1998