ORANGE COUNTY COUNCIL HIGH ADVENTURE TEAM 2016 FALL BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE FOR BSA ADULT LEADERS William Lyons Home Center for Scouting September 23-24, 2016 Plus Additional Day Hike Sept 25 or Oct 8 Plus Additional Weekend for Overnight Backpack TBA PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE FOR UPDATES CO-COURSE DIRECTOR JOHN TAYLOR: jmtaylor1210@gmail.com or 949-697-3386 CO-COURSE DIRECTOR JEFF BOZANIC: jbozanic@hqonline.net or 714-747-2727 PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT BEFORE REGISTERING ONLINE AT THE END! WHAT IS THE ORANGE COUNTY COUNCIL HIGH ADVENTURE TEAM? The Orange County Council High Adventure Team (OCC-HAT) is a group of volunteer Boy Scouts of America (BSA) registered adults who through either hobby and/or vocation maintain knowledge and expertise in High Adventure outings. High Adventure outings include, but are not limited to: hiking, short-term and long-term backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, peak bagging, winter backpacking/mountaineering, cycling (road and mountain), canoeing, whitewater kayaking/rafting, prolonged camping treks in remote areas, SCUBA, soaring and trailbuilding and conservation work. The OCC-HAT membership willingly gives their time to teach their skill sets. The general mission of the OCC-HAT is to develop and promote, as well as conduct adult leader training for, High Adventure outings within the Orange County Council and by its Scouting units. The OCC-HAT strives to add High Adventure to each Scouting unit s program, and to assist the unit leadership in meeting the promise contained in the Boy Scout Handbook that each boy will have an exciting, challenging, year-round program of hiking and camping. Along with other council High Adventure Teams, the OCC-HAT sponsors and maintains High Adventure Awards, which are cloth patches and medals designed to recognize Scouts and Scouters who participate in High Adventure outings. High Adventure Awards are graded to age and ability, and include the Cub Adventure Awards and the High Adventure Awards for Scouts and Venturers. The requirements for the awards, as well as Trek Aids, can be found at http://hat.ocbsa.org/hatawards.htm, which is the official Inter-council High Adventure Team website.
The OCC-HAT is a committee of volunteers which answers to and operates under the guidance of the Camping Committee and the Board of Directors of the Orange County Council. PURPOSE OF THE BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE Train BSA adult leaders on how to plan, organize, safely lead, and successfully complete short - term (5 nights or less) High Adventure wilderness backpacking treks with Scouts. There will be some introduction to long-term trekking (6 nights or longer). For Scouts or Venturers and Scouters to be eligible to earn a particular High Adventure Award(s) for a High Adventure outing, at least one of the participating BSA adult leaders must have successfully completed this course. The Basic Backpacking Course is the prerequisite to more advanced courses taught by the OCC-HAT and other council High Adventure Teams. BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: PREREQUISITES There are three prerequisites: the first is a good attitude which should not be an issue for BSA adult leaders. The second prerequisite is completion of Youth Protection Training prior to the start of the course. Please show (or scan and email prior see below) your Youth Protection Training card to the Course Registrar Friday evening. Youth Protection Training can be completed online at: http://www.scouting.org/training/youthprotection.aspx The third prerequisite is completion of a current (means dated within one year of the start of the course) Annual Health and Medical Record PARTS A, B and C, signed by the appropriate medical practitioner. As this course is considered a High Adventure activity by National BSA, the physical fitness requirements, as well as height and weight requirements found in Part C must be satisfied by all participants. If the height and weight requirement is not satisfied, National BSA accepts a proven body fat percentage (either hydrostatic weighing or DXA test by a qualified health professional) for participants weighing less than 295 pounds of 20 percent or less for women and 15 percent or less for men. A READABLE COPY (participants keep the original for their own records) of the Annual Health and Medical Record signed by the appropriate medical practitioner shall be presented to the Course Registrar Friday evening and reviewed by the OCC-HAT physician Saturday morning. All HIPAA standards will be met. If there are any concerns by the physician, he/she will meet confidentially with the individual course participant on Saturday as soon as possible to hopefully rectify the concerns. At the discretion of the OCC-HAT physician, a participant who does not meet BSA National Physical Fitness Standards and/or the height and weight requirements for participation in High Adventure activities may be excluded from Part 2 (Sunday day hike) and/or Part 3 (overnight backpack) of the course. The Annual Health and Medical Record copies will be carried by the trek leaders for both Part 2 (day hike: see below) and Part 3 (overnight backpack: see below) of the course (following Part 2, the record will be returned to the individual participant for presentation later to the Part 3 instructors). At the conclusion of Part 3 of the course, the record copies will be returned to the participants. Unclaimed record copies will be shredded per HIPAA standards.
The Annual Health and Medical Record can be found online at: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/healthandsafety/ahmr.aspx PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE SIGNED ANNUAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL RECORD MUST BE PRESENTED FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE ENTRANCE IS GRANTED TO THE COURSE. THIS IS BSA NATIONAL POLICY AND THERE CAN BE NO EXCEPTIONS. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER. PLEASE DO NOT PUT THE OCC-HAT IN THE DIFFICULT POSITION OF DENYING YOU ENTRANCE TO THE COURSE ON FRIDAY NIGHT. BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: LOCATION OF PART 1 William Lyons Home Center for Scouting 1211 East Dyer Road Santa Ana, CA 92705 BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: SCHEDULE OVERVIEW PART 1: Didactic Friday, September 23 5:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m. Check in Friday, September 23 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Classroom Saturday, September 24 6:30 a.m. -7.00 p.m. Classroom PART 2: Day Hike/Map and Compass with Instructors (two options-you only need to attend one. If you join in on the Saturday day hike option, you will need to continue on with the same Friday- Saturday Overnight Team). Sunday September 25 7:00 a.m. -3.00 p.m. Day Hike Saturday October 8 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Day Hike PART 3: Overnight Weekend Backpack with Instructors* (you only need to attend one) TBA Saturday- Sunday Overnight Hike TBA Friday-Sunday Overnight Hike * Sign-ups are to be completed by the end of class on Saturday.
BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: COURSE FORMAT OVERVIEW Part 1 (Friday and Saturday) consists of approximately 16 hours of didactic lectures, hands on demonstrations and equipment round robins covering backpacks, tents, clothing, footwear, sleeping systems, stoves and cook gear, backpack cooking and food, water treatment, wilderness first aid, search and rescue, critter encounters and food protection, wilderness survival, planning a backpack with Scouts including adult leadership, and trailbuilding and conservation work opportunities. Orienteering and map and compass will be covered on the day hikes and is a stand alone session, meaning Scouters are invited to take just this portion of the course see registration site below. Part 2 is the Day Hike with OCC-HAT Instructors, where the didactics from Friday and Saturday will be discussed, including map and compass field work. Various locations will be announced at the class and sign-ups concluded by Saturday evening. Most hikes will begin in the early morning and conclude by 2:00 p.m. Part 3 (over a Saturday-Sunday or Friday Saturday in October and November) is the overnight backpack with OCC-HAT Instructors. Various dates and locations will be announced approximately four weeks before and at the class and sign-ups concluded by Saturday evening. A fun written examination will be given sometime during the backpack. BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: COFFEE, TEA, GOODIES AND SATURDAY BREAKFAST Coffee, tea, cocoa and various goodies will be available throughout the didactic sessions on Saturday, and a continental breakfast provided Saturday morning. BRING YOUR OWN SACK LUNCH AND DRINK FOR SATURDAY. Saturday lunch will be while listening to a lecture on backpacking food, nutrition and cooking. BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: WHAT TO BRING Besides Scout Spirit, bring the following: note pad and pen, liquid-filled compass, and Saturday sack lunch. Wear Field Uniform ( Class A ) or Activity Uniform ( Class B ) if you have either your choice. THE OCC-HAT BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE SYLLABUS ON A USB FLASH DRIVE WILL BE HANDED OUT TO EACH STUDENT FRIDAY EVENING OF THE COOURSE BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: GROUP ASSIGNMENTS Round Robins, Day Hikes and Overnight Backpacks Participants will be assigned to groups for the didactic round robins on Saturday. Participants desiring to be in the same round robin group should so indicate to the Course Registrar on Friday night. Participants will sign up for the various day hikes and overnight backpacks on Saturday. The overnight backpack dates will be published approximately four weeks before the start of the course.
BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: STUFF YOU GET!!! Your tuition covers the following: (1) overhead for OCC BSA to keep the building open lights and air; (2) additional handouts and course materials to supplement the OCC-HAT Basic Backpack Course Syllabus available at http://hat.ocbsa.org/training.htm; (3) a USB flash drive containing all the Friday and Saturday lectures and other materials (4) 7.5 minute topographic map for the day hike (but not the overnighter see next paragraph); (5) the official OCC-HAT patch in plastic sleeve (6) OCC-HAT embroidered washed pigment dyed bull denim cap (whew!); (7) coffee, tea, cocoa and goodies and Saturday breakfast and; (8) some money to the OCC-HAT so we can buy some equipment and keep the course going and add new courses in the future. Your tuition does not cover the 7.5 minute topographic map for the overnight weekend backpack. This map is specially prepared for map and compass work by your instructor and cost is $10 cash payable at the course on Saturday. Upon successful completion of the course, each participant will receive an 8 1/2 x 11 training certificate and a numbered wallet card the number to be used when purchasing High Adventure Awards. And drum roll please be invited to join the handsome and pretty OCC-HAT membership (current BSA registration required). BASIC BACKPACKING COURSE: REGISTRATION AND TUITION The course is limited to 60 participants based on the order of payment received by the Orange County Council. The Basic Backpacking Course tuition is $75.00. To register and pay online, go here: https://orangecounty.camp-master.com/ and scroll down to 2016 Spring Basic Backpacking Course.