Wood Badge Tickets

[Eagle76]

Thank you all for your responses. After I posted my question, I dug up some old threads, including a couple posted by Old Grey Eagle about 4 years ago on the same topic. Between your responses and the earlier ones, I think I have a better idea what it's all about.

 

However, it seems that a perception developed amongst some of you that I will soon be attending Wood Badge training, and that is not the case. Although, I guess my question was prompted because I have been idly considering it. My idle consideration started when someone said to me, "You should go to Wood Badge. You'll have a blast." My thought to this was, "Having a blast is all well and good, but what good will it do me?"

 

I see a number of areas where our troop is falling way short of the ideal depicted in the SM handbook. I have made a list, and I have been and will be tackling these many issues. Will Wood Badge training help me accomplish these objectives, and could some of them qualify as Wood Badge tickets? Thus the question I posted looking for examples, not to copy, but so I could gauge the scope involved. Or, are my objectives not suitable as ticket items, in which case, would I need to come up with ticket items which would take time, attention, and energy away from the important things I think need to be done? Thus my hesitation.

 

After my research, I suspect many of the most important things my troop needs would not make good ticket items, as they do not meet the "SMART" criteria I found mentioned; specifically some of them would be difficult to measure, and would be difficult to achieve in a short time span. Also, the next opportunity for Wood Badge training isn't until September or October, and I certainly don't want to wait until then before trying to bring about various changes, and it's probably not cricket to create a ticket for something that one has already started.

 

So, at this time it is my intention to put off Wood Badge for now, and to devote my energies to bringing about the changes which I feel our troop sorely needs. However, you are free to try to change my mind.

[Lisabob]

If you care to tell us a little more about the kinds of projects and changes you have in mind, you may be surprised at the many ways in which things can be evaluated (measured). Also, you might find it helpful to think about individual pieces of a project, rather than the entire picture all at once. Tickets are meant to be manageable and more than once my troop guide had to help me rein in my soaring plans and come up with something I could realistically do. In the end I found he was right, darn it.

 

I understand what you're saying. I chose to become heavily involved with our pack before I did WB and I certainly wasn't going to wait around to get started on things that needed to be done right then and there. In fact - this is exactly the mind set that I found many of my fellow woodbadgers had. They were already elbow deep and very committed to bringing about positive change in their units. This is part of what makes WB such an interesting experience.

 

From that view, what WB offers is a lot more than just a handful of tickets. It also offers you an opportunity to develop your vision for the unit and come up with a comprehensive strategy for achieving that vision. As a very busy volunteer (with a day job to support my scouting habits and a family to keep track of too) I found that there was a certain luxury in stepping back from the urgency of my pack's situation and really being able to think, talk, and develop that strategy with the input of other highly dedicated scouters. It helped me see how the things I'd already done fit into the overall picture, and how I might get from where we were to the end goal. Those middle steps between where you are and where you want to be are often really hard to identify alone.

 

Obviously you need to make your own decision about whether to sign up for the fall WB course or to wait a bit. However, it sounds to me like you are focusing too much on the details of the ticket and not enough on why WB is such a good program - which goes well beyond the specific tickets you create. Given that what most people who haven't gone through it already know about WB (emphasizing the tickets themselves), that isn't surprising, but it is nonetheless a bit misguided. I hope that comes across the way I mean it...

 

Lisa'bob

[Eagle76]

I'm taking off for the afternoon for personal reasons, but before I go I'll paste in my list of things I want to see the troop do. If desired, I'd be happy to share my reasons and motivations next week. Don't parse the wording too harshly; these are just notes I made for my own purpose to help me keep focused. I guess my biggest concern is I don't want to be diverted from these things. I'd be happy to have any and all comments on these things. I guess I'll be using all of you as kind of a virtural WB network. ;-)

 

BTW, I'm taking courses at our University of Scouting tomorrow on Training Youth Leaders, the Patrol Method, and How to Make a Troop Boy-Run.

 

1) Leadership Development

a) Provide youth leader training, and do so regularly and consistently after each troop election

b) Guide PLC to produce the troop annual calendar

c) Get youth leadership to follow through with leadership of troop outings

d) Get youth leadership to play a role in planning playtime activities

2) Patrol Method strengthen by:

a) Promoting camping by patrol

b) Promoting cooking by patrol

c) Interpatrol competition

d) Patrol outings?

3) Outdoor Program

a) Increase opportunities to participate in backpacking outings

b) Identify new places to camp and hike

c) Raise menu standards to require more cooking. No pop tarts, cold cereal, cup-o-noodle dinners

d) Require dishwashing/clean-up to Boy Scout standards

e) Implement patrol duty rosters

f) Plan scouting and/or advancement activities for campouts

4) Advancement

a) Incorporate requirements to 1st class into troop meetings and campouts on a scheduled plan

b) Provide/schedule time for testing and sign-off of requirements

c) Appoint Troop Guides for New Scout Patrols

d) Appoint ASM to New Scout Patrol to work with Troop Guides and monitor advancement progress

(This message has been edited by Eagle76)

[SueM]

Eagle76

 

Congratulations!! What I see in your "list" is that you have already developed a "Vision" for what you think the troop should look like...and that is simply a BLT! I see many of the same goals that I had set out for myself on your list too..they were to become my "big" ticket item...taking over as Scoutmaster for 1 year (time for measurement purposes only)! What WB can offer you now is the understanding of the importance of Team building and how to accomplish that best within the available resources that you have at your disposal! You can not POSSIBLY do all this on your own. When you put together as strong team around you, you will be surprised at how quickly some things do happen...especially when you get the team to the point where you can truly share leadership with them and set them free to work on their own and know that you're all working toward the same goals..the same vision.

 

Believe it or not...my path down the WB path started when I too decided to take it on myself to teach the boys that there was something beyond eating hot dogs and hamburgers at campouts! I slowly got sucked into more and more things..and here I am now..the Scoutmaster! What's the saying...be careful what you wish for...

 

Best of luck...

 

Sue M

[NeilLup]

Wow Eagle, what a wonderful list. I can tell you that if a Wood Badge participant presented me with a list like that, we'd have a ticket in about 5 minutes.

 

I can also say that if Wood Badge doesn't help you to complete that list, the staff and course are doing a rather poor job.

 

You should budget your time as best you see fit. But The specific purpose of Wood Badge is to help you do the things on that list.

[Lisabob]

Seconding what Neil said about coming up with a ticket from that list...you can absolutely do that.

 

Obviously you're looking at some short, intermediate, and long term goals here. No, you wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't be able to do all of these in the 18 months that you have to "work your ticket" but so what, units (and personal goals) are always works in progress. You can start some things now, work on some things as part of a wb ticket, and continue working on other things after wb is done and you've earned the beads. Nobody ever said you had to stop helping the unit once your ticket was complete!

 

I have to say that anyone who has put in as much thought as you already have, to develop a list of areas where your program can be even better, will most likely really appreciate and "get" what woodbadge has to offer. In other words Eagle76: you're exactly the kind of leader who SHOULD be taking wb!

 

Lisa'bob

[Eagle76]

SueM, NeilLup, and Lisabob, thank you for your thoughts. You made me blush, and you made me think. I've been thinking about this very hard all week.

 

SueM says I can't do it on my own, and she's almost certainly right. NeilLup says Wood Badge can help complete my list, and I'm sure I'll need it. The classes I attended at University of Scouting last Saturday were OK but short on specific ideas and tools. And as Lisabob points out, there are short, intermediate, and long term goals involved. We need to conduct youth leader training next month, and we need to get the PLC more involved in the annual calendar in a few months, but chances are there will be plenty of room for improvement for the next time they come around. In one sense they're short term, but in another way they're long term. It occurs to me I've been making the same mistake we sometimes accuse our corporate executives and financial analysts of making: Focussing on the short-term results and neglecting the long-term ones. When next fall comes, I'm sure there will still be many things to do, and I'll be grateful for any tools I can get that will help me.

 

So, barring conflicts with my job, I'll sign up. As for my biggest reservation, that WB will divert me from what the troop needs, it will be up to me to make sure that doesn't happen. One meeting and 2 weekends won't take that much away, and if it comes down to making a choice between working on a ticket item and doing something that will benefit the troop, I'll choose the troop without regrets, and I'll still have the advantage of the course experience.

 

Thank you all again.

[OldGreyEagle]

Eagle76, I am not a trained Wood Badge Ticket Counselor, but I can't fathom any thing you would do to benefit your troop that couldnt be at the very least a part of a ticket item if not the ticket item itself Wood badge is done to strengthen your value in your scouting position, not undermine it. Leastwiese thats what I was taught

[Eagledad]

>>One meeting and 2 weekends won't take that much away, and if it comes down to making a choice between working on a ticket item and doing something that will benefit the troop, I'll choose the troop without regrets, and I'll still have the advantage of the course experience.

[Lisabob]

Eagle76, that's great; I hope you enjoy it and let us know how things are progressing from time to time.

 

About that choice you mentioned between your wb ticket and your troop - this shouldn't be an either/or kind of deal. WB tickets are supposed to support you and your unit, not detract from your efforts. I wouldn't worry too much about this; your wb staff can help you make sure that you draft your ticket in a way that compliments your personal and unit goals.

 

Lisa'bob

 

 

[SueM]

Eagle76,

 

Congratulations!! I know that you will enjoy the course! You are right that you can't think "short term" many of the goals that you envision do take some time but they ARE obtainable! When I first took over, I had to keep reminding myself that if I even saw ONE positive step at each meeting, that THAT was progress! It takes time for some of these concepts to sink in with the boys who have not had an example to follow. When you come home from a meeting and wonder "WHY am I doing this??" just keep telling yourself "it's for the boys!"

 

Let us know how things are going.

 

sue m.

[Eagle76]

I figured I would resurrect this thread as an attempt to update the kind and concerned forum members who shared their advice with me.

 

I just returned from my first Wood Badge weekend, and it was great. Lots of new insights. My patrol mates are a great bunch of guys, and we have the best patrol one could imagine.

 

I now begin working on generating my ticket items, along with other planning that has to occur before our second weekend, 3 weeks from now. I am optimistic that the ticket I end up with will mesh well with the things I want to accomplish.

 

I am a Bear.

 

 

We're the Bears, we're in the woods, where are we gonna go?

[SueM]

Eagle76,

 

Let me be the first to say congratulations for taking the plunge! I'm glad that you didn't decide to put it off and hope that it has given you a fresh perspective on how you can help the troop better. And see..didn't we all tell you you'd have fun!

 

Sue M.

[orennoah]

Another BEAR! Horray!

 

Congrats and get to working of your patrol projects!!

 

- Oren

WE3-41-03

BEAR

WE3-41-05

QM

[John-in-KC]

Have fun doing the inter-weekend stuff

 

Congratulations on being a Bear. We Owls are just to your right and around the corner should you ever needs some wise help

 

John