Is your name recorded at Gilwell?

[eagle-pete]

Could someone with some reliable knowledge about it clear this up for me?

 

I have heard that all Wood Badgers who complete both parts of the Wood Badge traning (the practical course and the ticket) have their names recorded somewhere in Gilwell park. Is this true or is this just a rumor?

 

Thanks

 

Pete

Eagle Patrol

 

[NeilLup]

News to me, Pete and I have been to Gilwell Park. No such record was mentioned.

 

I believe that there is not any recording of the names of Wood Badge holders in the National office or in the regional offices. In the local councils, it is catch as catch can.

 

At one time, all Course Director certificates were issued out of Gilwell Park and later they were all issued out of the National Council. But those names are not kept Nationally either.

 

All persons who have completed Wood Badge training are "members of Gilwell Troop 1." But this is an honorary membership. There is, to my knowledge, no formal worldwide roll of such membership.

[Eamonn]

Gilwell Park does keep a record and does have the all the course photos from courses held at Gilwell Park.

In fact last year I e-mailed them for a copy of my course photo they mailed it to me at no charge and there I was even if the guy in the photo didn't look much like me - That guy had dark hair!!

Eamonn

[NeilLup]

Am I correct, Eamonn, that you mean all the courses held at Gilwell Park, not all courses held anywhere in the world?

[eagle-pete]

Ah, so the only records are kept at Gilwell Park for participants who actually go to Gilwell Park for their practical course... That makes sense. Funny how rumors spread.

 

The only question I have now is... when I completed my ticket, my Course Director turned in some "paper work". Where did she turn this paper work in to? Would that not be where a record is kept of my Wood Badge completion? I guess I could ask my Course Director that question, so if you would rather that I do that, please don't hesitate to tell me so.

 

Thanks for clearing it up for me. (I'm a newbie Wood Badger)

 

Pete

Eagle Patrol

[NeilLup]

Hello Pete,

 

Your CD is required to send in a report to the local council with a copy to the area, copy to the region and a copy to National. Copies of these are kept for awhile but then are discarded after a few years. The main purpose of these reports is to learn about changes that the CD thinks should occur and about statistics concerning the course.

 

The CD is then required to send in a final report 18 mmonths after the course. This gives statistics on who has finished and what the completion percentage was for the course.

 

Please feel free to ask whatever questions you wish, Pete.

 

There is very, very , very little in Scouting that is "secret."

 

Congratulations on completing the practical course. Now get your ticket done

[eagle-pete]

Neil

 

Thanks for answering my question so quickly.

 

I am sorry, but I may have miscommunicated something. I recieved my beads only 3 days ago. I may have led you to believe that I only completed the course, but actually I have completed the entire Wood Badge ticket. I attended my course in April, 2003. I now proudly wear my WELL EARNED beads!

 

Yours in Scouting

 

Pete

Eagle Patrol

[NeilLup]

I received my beads only 3 days ago>>

 

Congratulations again, Pete. Wear them with pride as you do good things for youth.

[Eamonn]

Yes Neil you are correct.

The records are only for courses held at Gilwell Park.

There is a code that can be entered into Scoutnet that does record that a person is Wood Badge Trained. This is done at the local council. While there are those who really like Scoutnet, there are some who are still not so sure???

Pete,

Many congratulations on a job well done. Earning the beads is a great accomplishment, but Wood Badge is not an end - Learning never ends.

Eamonn

[eagle-pete]

Eamonn

I hear ya. I was just talking to someone from my Patrol who had, by some stroke of good luck, just been asked to serve on WB Staff. He said he still learned things, even beyond his WB experience.

 

What is Scoutnet? Is that a website or some kind of Scouting software?

[NWScouter]

Scoutnet is the national database for the BSA. The scout offices only access it. It's what turns out the various reports that district and council professionals and volunteers use to do their jobs. It also is the way that councils send information to national such as registration.

 

Sometime it works well, some times it is hard to use and doesnt do exactly what you want it to do. For example, training has to have an exact date I cant remember what was the date I went through Commissioner basic, it was the spring of either 88 or 89. So I made up a date of April 15, 1988, so it would show I was trained.

 

It can keep track of a lot of things, but you have to staff hours to input. Money is tight, so many of the features are not utilized to the fullest.

[Bob White]

Data base storage is just one element of scoutnet. ScoutNet is the computer network that links all councils with the National office and its resources. ScoutNet provides them with communication through email, an intra net (like the Internet put private) and as mentioned data storage and retrieval.

[venturingisfun]

If you want to make sure that there is an official record of your Wood Badge achievement at the National (USA) BSA level, you may want to order the Wood Badge pocket card for $10 from National BSA. The order form is at the following link: http://www.scouting.org/forms/34169/65.pdf

[Eamonn]

All the records for Wood Badge Training are kept by the local council.

The $10.00 card does not put you into a national data base.

Records of the old Cub Scout Wood Badge course are kept by the Region, because it was a regional course.

Attendance at the Course Directors Conference are kept by the Region, again this is presented by the Region.

It is a good idea to check with your District Training Chairman to make sure that your training records are up to date.

Eamonn.