Looking for Porcupine Patrol members

[my3sons1295]

35-40 years ago 9 Americans (while stationed over seas)took wood badge in England. They were together in one patrol and given the chance to choose any animal for their patrol. They choose the porcupine because it was native to America.

 

I am now taking Wood Badge in Illinios. One of the original 9 is on staff here. In honor of him my fellow patrolers and I have been named the Porcupines.

 

We are looking for any information on the original Procupine Patrol or any since then.

 

Thank You for your help.

[orennoah]

Me thinks that you'll be doing a lot of solos at Wood Badge events!

 

- Oren

WE3-41-03

"I used to be a Bear . . ."

WE3-41-05

QM

[my3sons1295]

The search is to follow the history over the years since the first group to see if we can find the rest of the original Patrol.

[nldscout]

Is this a nickname for your patrol? My understanding is that you are only allowed to use one of the 8 official patrol names for WB.

 

Any course directors out there want to clarify this for me?

[my3sons1295]

this is not a nickname for a patrol. You are right there are only 8 original patrol names and you are supposed to use those names. The original 9 were given special permition to pick their own. This is part of what we are researching. This all took place in England about 35 or 40 years ago.

 

Thank You to everyone for your imput.

[nldscout]

In your origonal message you said

"In honor of him my fellow patrolers and I have been named the Porcupines."

 

So you are or are not the porcupine patrol?

[my3sons1295]

Yes, we are named the Porcupine Patrol in honor of one of the original 9. Because of that we "the new Porcupine patrol" want to get as much Information on the first Porcupine Patrol as we can. I was not give the information on what had to be done for them to name us the Porcupine Patrol. I am sure there was some kind of "redtape" that they had to go through. We are just trying to find out about the first one. It would be nice to find out if any more of them are still in scouting.

[Eamonn]

Where in England did you take the Course?

I took the Scout course in 1971 at Gilwell Park and was a member of the Cook coo Patrol!!

I did notice the other day that Canada had a Cook coo Patrol, maybe I'll have to move there.

While we tend to use the same 8 patrol names in the US, I don't think there is any hard and fast rule that says you have too.

I have heard of large courses with nine patrols using Raven.

I think there is another country that does use porcupine? Something tells me it is Korea, but I might be wrong.

Eamonn.

[nldscout]

Eamonn,

National only allows the 8 current names to be used. If you want to use another name it would take approval from national. Our course director tried and was turned down flat.

 

I wonder who approved using this name? I suspect it wasn't.

[Eamonn]

All the dealings I had when directing a course were done at the regional level.

While attending the Course Directors Conference, some of the people from the National Office did make an appearance, one topic was off the wall patrol names, the impression they gave was that no one really cared what critters was used and the only draw back would be that National supply wouldn't be able to supply some items that might be needed.

I would love to know who gave out this information?

Eamonn.

[my3sons1295]

Gave out what information?

[Eamonn]

my3sons1295

Asked

Gave out what information?

nldscout had stated:

National only allows the 8 current names to be used. If you want to use another name it would take approval from national.

While the Course and its content does come from National the:syllabus, staff guide.

The administration is done at the Regional level as part of the Program group. These guys and the Associate Regional Director - Program are the people who manage how the course is delivered at the local level. They give the green light for a course and can allow a Course to go ahead with the extra patrols or in special circumstances allow a course to go forward with less than the required number of participants. They also assign the course number.

Each Area Committee has a Wood Badge Coordinator who works closely with the Regional guys and the Council Wood Badge Coordinator, who works with the Council Training Chairman (In some Councils the Council Training Chair is also the Wood Badge Coordinator.) Who works with the District Training Chair.

National has nothing to do with the delivery of the course.

The Course Director does have to submit reports after the course and these go to the Regional Wood Badge coordinator.

For my sins I have been a: Council Wood Badge Coordinator, Council Training Chair. Wood Badge Course Director (NE-IV-153) And do sit on the Area Committee. At no time other than the "Guest Appearances" of the people from the National office, who were from the Boy Scout Program Division along with a couple of people who had worked on putting the then new course together have National had any say about how the course is managed or delivered.

When we had deposits paid for a ninth patrol we did have to ask for permission from the Region to go ahead. But again there was no direction as to what to call a ninth Patrol.

In the grand scheme of things the Patrol names really are of little importance.

Eamonn.

[my3sons1295]

EAMONN

 

Thank You for clearing up the whole matter of weather or not my council is in the right or wrong with the name of our patrol. Now maybe I can find the information I was looking for.

 

I am taking the course in IL now. We have a staff member who took Wood badge at Gilwell park in England about 35-40 years ago. By your 1st message it sounds like England uses different animals quite often.

 

Thank You again for all your information on the National and Regional level.

[KojakC3805]

You won't be singing many solos. And it's too late NOW!!! WE ARE THE PORCUPINES!!!!

 

Don't forget to get that ticket done GI JANE !!!