The Summit Bechtel Reserve offers top-notch training courses, too

By Bryan Wendell | May 17, 2018

The Philmont Training Center isn’t the exclusive home of high-level BSA training.

Excellent opportunities await at the Summit Bechtel Reserve’s John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center in West Virginia.

The center has a long name but a simple purpose: Help adults and youth make an even bigger impact on their unit, district or council.

Spaces are still available for summer 2018.

Conferences cover a range of topics, including commissioner service, leadership, adventure photography and STEM.

Where are these conferences held?

The Summit Bechtel Reserve, or SBR, is located in Glen Jean, W.Va.

It’s just a day’s drive from major cities like Charlotte (3.5 hours), Pittsburgh (4 hours), Cincinnati (4.5 hours), Atlanta (7 hours) and many more.

The weeklong training sessions are held in the shiny new Pigott Administration Building, located in the Pigott Base Camp.

Housing is in large tents on wood platforms. Food is provided by the Compass group, which made the so-good-you-can’t-believe-it’s-camp-food food for the 2017 National Jamboree.

If their schedule permits, conference attendees may participate in Summit Center activities like BMX, mountain biking, skateboarding, rock climbing, fishing, zip-lining and more.