Joining the fray....long time reader first time responder. (3yrs as CM, 3 yrs as SM, 1st ASM at 2010 Jamboree) I found this subject tremendously rewarding. What I read is intelligent and passionate scouters voicing opinions that allowed me personally to think even deeper about the WB21C course and the two that I participated and staffed on, and the one I am staffing this year Sept 2011. I am so very sorry for the scouters who have had bad experiences with the WB21C. I have been blessed to have some enrichening experiences with great participants and staffers from the two courses.(2007 & 2009) The post from 'AvidSM'..."What I can tell you is that the intent of the course is to get you to act on your ideas and how to get others to help you." is pretty much how I felt. Maybe not for others...just speaking for me! Plus my ticket completions were fruitful for my unit. I think 'BadenP' and 'Desertrat77' and 'Basemendweller' and others that feel adverse to the program are good scouters who were either ripped off by their council or area BSA providers; or came away with a different but honest opinion about WB21C. I have no quelms about that. I do not have to even leave my own troop to find a fellow scouter (who I respect alot) feels that WB21C in his words is "deficient". He only took the older version but knows a fair share about the new version. But the cool thing is...his opinion did not detract from my continued interest in staffing again for 2011. I can almost guarantee that on a different scouting venue I could run into 'BadenP' or Dessertrat77 or 'SR540Beaver' or 'SeattlePioneer' and we could talk for hours by the camp fire about the tremendous positives in scouting. What is disheartening is the personal negativity being thrown about in previous posts. I sure appreciated the honesty and passion that scouting brought out in both sides of this discussion. You know...I see this like long ago when I was a kid with my own family. We're at the dinner table...my three brothers, my dad and msyself; and we are arguing about something that could go on forever, such as my dads favorite NFL player versus players of our day...nobody is right or wrong. Next thing you know...we finish eating together and we go out to play football. Only one yelling now is mom because we didn't clean off the table. No animosity...just doing what we all love...TOGETHER! God Bless!
