Training Questions

[zippie2223]

A list of my training then a few Questions:

 

1. Leader Essential

2. Leader Specific- Tiger

3. BALOO

4. Stay Afloat

5. Swim Safety

 

Questions:

1. How long before I have to take Leader Essential and BALOO before they expire?

 

2. Do I need to take Leader Specific every year?

 

3. What is Woodbadge? And why does it cost so much? (I heard over $200.00)

[Bob White]

Hi zippie,

 

New Leader Essentials is a one time course, as is BALOO. However I would send a new person from the pack to BALOO each year, and I would recommend revisiting the course at least once in a three year period.

 

You take leader specific as you specific program position changes. When you become a Den Leader after Tigers you would take Wolf/Bear training and that would take you through two program years of your BASIC training. Then as a Webelos leader you would take Webelos Den Leader Specific training that would support you through your 18 months to 2-years as a Webelos Leader.

 

If you were to change from a den Leader to a Cubmaster or Asst. Cubmaster there is a specific course for that, and another if you switched to the pack committee.

 

Wood Badge is a 6-day fees include meals housing camping fees, camp equipment, participant notebook, lots of paper and stuff. 2 different kneckerchiefs, a woggle (neckerchief slide) beads, certificate, usually a patrol and troop photo. Prices vary from course to course depending on local cost of resources.

 

PS

You didn't mention Youth Protection! If you haven't done that yet you really should. It is available on-line at your local councils website.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Bob White]

Sorry, that was suppossed to be "Wood Badge is a 6-day course".

[zippie2223]

The reason I forgot Youth Protection was because I took it at home on line. But yes I took Youth Protection.

[eagle-pete]

Zippie

 

Speaking of Youth Protection online... can I make a suggestion?

 

The online course has some advantages - Convenience, easy to do, available anytime. However, in my humble opinion, new leaders especially should take the course in a face-to-face, classroom environment... at least on their first time when introduced to this topic.

 

There are several reasons that I do this for our new leaders. First, the importance of Youth Protection cannot be stressed enough. A classroom with an instructor seems to be taken more seriously than the online course. The material is essentially the same, but the participant may regard a classroom to have more weight or seriousness than reading and clicking through an online course. In addition, a computer does not place any weight or importance on particular areas of the course, where a human being can. My first YPT course was in a class and the instructor was very good. He made certain things in the course very clear, so that there were absolutely no misunderstandings, and the seriousness of those subjects was made very apparent. Only a live human being could communicate that.

 

Another good reason for taking this course in a class with an instructor is for questions and answers, both during and perhaps after the class. You cannot ask the computer any questions, nor can the computer read your facial expressions and determine appropriate responses based on your body language. A human being can.

 

Some of the subject matter of Youth Protection Training is sensitive enough that the impersonal computerized online course cannot possibly, in my opinion, convey the right attitude or seriousness, nor can the computer treat a subject with any particular sensitivity. I have a good example in my own unit of an improperly trained leader. We have one leader who has not had the benefit of YPT with an instructor (this is an assistant den leader.. the den leader is fully trained). We have explained the importance of 2-deep leadership out of necessity to her, but she still continues to meet sometimes with boys by herself, or unintentionally finds herself behind closed doors with cub scouts without another leader present. She either does not understand or does not feel that it is really that important (or both). I suspect if she had the benefit of an instructor-lead Youth Protection Training course, she might take better precautions and ensure that 2-deep leadership is followed (you can lead a horse to water...).

 

After all our leaders attend their Youth Protection Training with an instructor, I provide the information for the online course which they can take at their convenience. This method seems to be more effective for us. Leaders that have done it this way in our unit are more inclined to take all precautions presented in the Youth Protection course.

 

Anyway, for what its worth, that's just my suggestion. Thanks for listening.

 

Pete