Off to Gilwell -- worry time

[schleining]

Barry-

 

And thats what its all about... Understanding the thier vision and the mission of SCOUTING.

 

I went to my Wood Badge Course 5 months after I returned from Iraq.

There is NOTHING in the Wood Badge Course that equates to the daily life of a Soldier.

Leadership is in fact Leadership... but the difference is the context in which you apply it.

Leadership in Scouting is 180 out from the way it is applied in the Army or the corporate world for that matter.

 

Wood Badge not only provides a forum to establish or refocus vison, but I found it gave me a great set of resources and networking that I have used in the last months to make my unit better.

The people at Wood Badge made all the difference in the world.

 

I am afraid that if I had people in my Patrol that did not take it for what it was, than we would not have had the close knit group and the experience that we shared.

 

Anyone that comes to the course thinking they know it all and can do without it could just save the $185 and stay home. I know that when I get my beads it will be the culmination of alot of hard work and the pay off that my unit is better today than it was a year ago.

And I firmly believe that working the ticket is a Scouting career project. I don't think my ticket will ever truly be complete. I might earn the beads... but my vision will always need to be worked.

 

Jerry

[John-in-KC]

By and large, agree with Jerry.

 

The leadership psych and soc, for many of us is indeed, well plowed ground. Even so, it's worth plowing again.

 

The RELATIONSHIPS are the valuable thing from this course. The curriculum without the relationships (a la a business seminar) would have had me asking for my money back.

 

Jerry hit a nail on the head: In the Armed Forces, folks get to make one decision: Do they join, or do they not? Once a trooper has joined, he or she is part of a hierarchy, and while there are some incentives to obedience and superior performance, there are more DISINCENTIVES to disobedience and inferior performance. Advancement is a matter of time served and not making your commander angry at you, until you make buck sergeant. Then, you have some more responsibility for your own advancement.

 

In Scouting, the youth, and their parents, can tell the leaders to go fly a kite, and walk away from the program. We're here to develop these young men and women, not to use them. We use far more coaching and far more encouraging. We have more celebrations of success. Advancement comes from learning.

 

 

[Eagledad]

>>And I firmly believe that working the ticket is a Scouting career project. I don't think my ticket will ever truly be complete. I might earn the beads... but my vision will always need to be worked.

[schleining]

I could not agree with you more Barry...

 

and to John's point-

 

Shared leadership is the key in Scouting. And working as a team is critical in the success of a Scouting unit.

 

Vision (in my view) has to be flexable in Scouting.

That is what I liked about my ticket... You get 5 angles to approach you vision from. 5 seperate goals that ulimately get you to that point at which you say... ok I have accomplished this on the way to seeing my vision become a reality. And if you really give it some thought and have a vision that has goals that can be reached, you surely will find that there is always more to be done or sustained.

 

I am the Scoutmaster of a troop that is 19 months old.

My ticket focused on the Troop and community.

Goal 1. was to work toward having Boy Led troop. up until June the Troop was pretty much led by me.

We are a Boy led Troop now.. The SPL and the PLC run pretty much EVERYTHING

Goal 2. was to work with the SPL to conduct monthly PLC meetings.

I provided the format and as of June we have held by weekly PLC mmetings (run by the SPL not me).

Goal 3. was to have the SPL and ASPL conduct the Troop JLT.

with practice and some coaching, they did a great job. The Troop leaders are going to a Leadership development Conference next month.. that will add to their success.

Goal 4. was the diversity goal. We had a fire side chat during a camp out to talk about how it takes all of us to make up the team. Scouts and their families that come from divorced parents, ethnic differences and economic backgrounds... it all adds to the value of us as a group.

Goal 5. is to establish a Scout Sunday committee at the Church and conduct the Scout Sunday event in February. That one is currently being worked, but it has spun off into three different lives.

Since starting that one, I have got the committee going, became a Religious emblems counselor, and started a Venture crew at the Church.

 

All this to say its all about the troop and what makes Scouting better for the youth.

 

My vision was make our Troop better and get more envolved in our community.

My vision is growing and changing, all the while it stays the same and we get to see immediate results and that helps the Troop.

One thing I thought was important was to get the Troop on board for my Ticket. If they don't help me I fail. They are doing a great job.

Shared leadership.

 

Jerry