The New Wood Badge

[Fat Old Guy]

Eagledad said, a whole bunch of new age, touchy-feely stuff that has led American business right into the crapper. I've been involved with so much TQM and TQL stuff that has done nothing except get in the way of generating a good product.

 

 

[Bob White]

Makes you kinda feel like Mel Gibson doesn't it Eamonn? They way some people criticized his movie before they ever saw it. Only we have scouters who know little to nothing of Wood Badge for the 21st Century, telling others what it is or isn't.

 

They haven't been involved in the new syllabus in any way and yet they feel compelled to tell others about its imagined shortcomings, regardless of their lack of facts or knowledge.

 

I hope that the leaders who have taken WB in its previous forms would agree that continued leadership development benfits everyone in scouting and would let the participants themselves evaluate the course when they actually experience it.

 

Often told inaccuracies-

No Patrol Method...WB is filled with Patrol method.

 

No tradition...All the traditions and ceremony of WB remains along with some new ones added.

 

You need to be in scouting awhile to benefit from WB.....Any registered volunteer or professional age 21 and over who has completed their basic training can attend and will benefit.

 

WB is just for Troop Leaders.....Wood Badge is for everyone regardless of program affiliation or service level.

 

All the outdoor skills are gone...Most of the outdoor skills were moved to the Introduction to Outdoor Skills and the Webelos Leader Outdoor Training courses as well as some supplemtal courses, where they are aimed at the leadership positions that need them. This allows Wood Badge to focus on leadership development for all programs and positions, BUT there is still a lot of outdoor skills.

 

Tickets are hard what should I do....Tickets are different but they are not hard. They are explained early on in the training and you have lots of time and guidance DURING the course to wite them. A ticket is an action plan based on personal goals you will develop DURING the course. Others cannot give you your ticket items anymore than they can tell you what your favorite color should be. It has to come from you. Wait until you take the course

 

Wood Badge is fun, effective and for everyone.

 

Sign up today for Wood Badge trainng.

[SR540Beaver]

Barry,

 

I think some of it is a matter of perception and tenure. For "old timers" like yourself who have been in Scouting for a number of years and attended the old Woodbadge, you have something to compare the new course to. For guys like me who have only worked in Cubs for a year and a half and just moved to Boy Scouts, I can only go on what I'm just now learning. For me, the patrol method seemed to be heavily emphasized in WB. Everything we did was as a patrol and we did create a pretty tight bond from the start. We stay in contact with one another by e-mail and even have hopes of getting to camp together again one of these days. Our individual Scouting calendars make it rather difficult to find a common time we can all get together for a weekend. But for me, we did so much together as a patrol; I was beginning to ache for a little personal private time. The "free" time we were permitted ended up having to be used for patrol meetings for the different projects we were assigned.

[Eagledad]

Hello All

 

Interesting. If you were to ask my friends about me, touchy feely and new age would not come up in the conversation. Maybe traditional, annal and opininated, but touch feely. I understand those are just words but it seemed fitting to stand up at this point.

 

FOG, your not the first person to complain about the new WB Patrol Method, in fact lots of folks agree with you. What is it you really want from the course? If it is a time to just be in a patrol and act like a boy scout for a few days, then create a course that does just that. Our council has one of the finest out door training progras I've ever seen and you get your fill of Patrol Method from that. But I've not heard anyone who has taken the new WB course feel they missed out of Patrol Method in the course.

 

I joined Scouting as an adult with the expectation to help boys grow into a better man than they would have without scouting. Most all scouters say that, but the majority follow the program presented them. I choose to insure the program does what has been advertised for the 90 years or so. If my comments offend your style of scouting, all I can say is I attempt to write with the intention of adding one more perspective to the conversation. I have never tried to make anyone feel bad for their contributions to this forum. That would not be scout like.

 

New age? That hurt.

 

Hey, all have a great scouting day, even you FOG.

 

I love this scouting Stuff.

 

Barry

[Eagledad]

>>For me, the patrol method seemed to be heavily emphasized in WB. Everything we did was as a patrol and we did create a pretty tight bond from the start.

[Fat Old Guy]

As expected Bob White's responses are straight from the publicity slicks for MS Woodbadge 2001.

 

I have no desire to attend Woodbadge. I don't need to spend hundreds of my dollars to attend yet another new age management seminar. I'll just wait for MS Woodbadge XP.

 

When you look at the way that the skills and knowlege part of Scouting is being watered down, soon all Scout Master training will be on-line and Wood Badge will be a one afternoon of looking at Vue-graphs.

[fotoscout]

I've been involved with so much TQM and TQL stuff that has done nothing except get in the way of generating a good product.

 

FOG, I can commiserate with you about this one! Like you, Ive had my share of that stuff with the same results. Some guy gets up there with a lot of useless B school buzz words. He gets paid; you get the opportunity to waste your time. Maybe if youre lucky you get to see a new city!

 

WB is not like that. Its real people, your peers in Scouting, making all that stuff work for you in the context of Scouting. Dont be too quick to discount it. It really is a very well put together program, highly tailored for the audience. You may even find that you have something to offer.

(This message has been edited by fotoscout)

[Fat Old Guy]

I need to find the Way-Back Machine so I can go do Wood Badge 1.0 with Baden-Powell

[SR540Beaver]

Fog,

 

I'll bet you are still using Windows 3.1 on a 486 chip and running Internet Explorer 3. I don't know about your district or council. Barry and I are in different districts, but the same council. Barry is right, Wood Badge isn't desigend to teach you outdoor skills. You have an opportunity to use them, but the focus is on teaching leadership skills. In addition to the standard IOLS course designed to train adults in the skills needed to lead a boy to first class, our council has an OST (Outdoor Skills Training) course that is more advanced skills training. It is very popular and led by very skilled, long time scouters. Foto is also correct. I've been forced to attend all sorts of leadership courses by my employers over the years. Wood Badge was different in that I chose to go and it was applied to something I love and with people I really enjoy being around. Going because your boss says so and going because you want to makes all the difference in the world in what you get out of it.

[AggieScouter]

I took WB for the 21st Century last a couple of years ago, and it was one of the best training workshops/seminars/classes I have had. Unlike most training, WB makes you apply what you learn to make your unit better than it was before. I really think my ticket items made the troop a better unit.

As for the Patrol Method, I thought the course did a great job of promoting that. Our patrol did everything together, and bonded like glue from the get-go. If anything, there was an over-emphasis on the Boy Scout stuff; Cubs & Venture get mentioned, but not much else. On the other hand, the skills they taught us are easily transferrable to any level. Our patrol had blue, red and silver loops, and all of us thought the course was great.

 

AggieScouter

SR-472 Eagle

[Eamonn]

If the course ever becomes available as MS Wood Badge XP, and the Cankerous Overweight Gent takes it. He will then know what he is talking about when he complains.

At present it sounds like this is the worst course that he never attended.

We have a new restaurant in town I have never been there because they serve the worst food that I have never ate? Does this sound stupid? I Hope so.

Eamonn

[Fat Old Guy]

I have never seen any of the "Friday the 13th" movies but I read the descriptions of them and based on that, I choose to save my money. I view MS Woodbage 2001 the same way, why should I spend a significant chunk of money if I'm not convinced that I will enjoy it or gain anything from the course? Just so I can get a set of beads?

[scoutmom]

I thoroughly enjoyed my WOOD BADGE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY experience. I consider it well worth the money, if I get my beads, or not. I encourage everyone considering Wood Badge to go for it. ( and check with your council to see if they offer scholarships if money is a concern)

 

 

[Fat Old Guy]

"I'll bet you are still using Windows 3.1 on a 486 chip and running Internet Explorer 3"

 

Nope, Q-DOS on a breadboarded 8088 with 1 MB RAM and a 10 MB Winchester drive.

[Padre]

Growing up in a large city during the late 60s and 70s I had the opportunity to see and experience many things. I saw buddies join a group of like minded people, have special experiences and dress alike, grow their hair long, sing funny songs, become enlightened from some type of teachings and put beads around their neck They always told me I didnt get it, that I couldnt understand until I joined this scene. I then could be enlightened by these experiences and then and only then would my opinion count about this scene. I just didnt get it but I saw the results and I had an opinion then too.

 

Now decades later

 

I see adults dress alike, join a group of like minded people, sing funny songs, have special bonding experiences, spend time with special teachings, put beads around their necks, think they are enlightened and tell me I dont get it and I should join them before they are willing to count my opinion. I think you guys are having flashbacks!