What will Wood Badge offer me?

[gwd-scouter]

I have been asked several times by folks in my Council to take Woodbadge. Maybe because they know I am an ardent Scouter and maybe just so that they can fill the quota for the course.

 

My question. What will I get out of the course that will benefit my Troop? Right now, I am only concerned with helping my Troop become organized, focused and successul.

 

I have been in Cubscouts for many years, Tiger thru Cubmaster. I've worked on the District level in traing new leaders and day camp. I've been to National Camping School so that I could deliver a Cub/Webelos Resient Camp (Director for 5 years).

 

I've been to Scoutmaster training - all levels - and additional trainings.

 

So, what will Woodbadge (that I will have to pay for myself) do to enhance the program I am trying to deliver to my Troop?

 

Please don't think I have anything against Woodbadge. I just want to know what it will do specifically to help me help my troop.

 

[Lisabob]

gwd, I guess there were three things about WB that I found extremely useful. Given your background, you might find that certain of these are more, or less, important to you. But here they are anyway.

 

1. Networking, networking, networking. I took the course 3 years ago and I continue to rely on the folks from our course today for ideas, resources, skills, and shoulders to lean on. They do the same with me and with our other fellow WB'ers. It has been invaluable as a resource to me in that sense. And this is true even though I knew a lot of people in the district prior to attending WB.

 

2. WB helps you figure out how to build a vision and get buy-in from the other people in your unit. And that's so important to someone who is struggling to re-build a unit (as you've described your own role within your troop). I signed up for WB for exactly this reason, as I was engaged in rebuilding a pack, along with the pack CM, who also took WB at the same time. Our combined experience with the course helped us immensely in our attempts to rebuild the pack.

 

3. The ticket items. They're really all about improving your own unit (and perhaps yourself using scouting as a venue, depending on how you structure them - which is a personal choice). I focused my ticket on things that I knew the pack needed, that I could help them get going with, and that would help develop a sense of shared ownership and mission within the pack. Some of these things, I might've done on my own anyway, but the process of drafting and revising the ticket, in consultation with other highly dedicated and competent people, was very helpful and certainly improved my motivation and perseverence.

 

And the process of writing and explaining my ticket to others in the pack gave me many opportunities to work on building that shared vision - opportunities that might not have been there otherwise.

 

I don't know if now is the right time for you to take WB or not. I do know it was by far the best training experience I've had within the BSA and I highly recommend it. (and I paid most of my costs out of pocket too and was pretty sceptical about it, going in.)

 

Lisa'bob

[SueM]

gwd-scouter,

 

You and I have been following this parallel path with our troops as you know...knowing that and what it takes to get these troops back on the path..I would HIGHLY encourage you to go! You already have a good idea of your vision for the troop and where you want to see it go, WB will give you MORE tools and a better understanding of how to bring that vision to life. The improvement that you make will depend on what is of personal importance to you..what you see as the major hurdles that you still need to overcome to get your troop to where you want it to go. These areas would probably be where you should focus your ticket items.

What WB also gives you is more of an ability to learn how to value what other people have to offer and most of all, how to use not only your own talents, but the talents of those people around you to bring your vision to life as part of a team! Take it from me..the more people who share your vision, the easier it is to accomplish the goals you have for the future of the troop.

 

This is corporate style leadership training and you will find that you will start using the skills that you learn in all other areas of your life! It give you confidence..focus..and as others have mentioned, the expansion of your scouting network is invaluable! You will also find that you will gain new respect within your distict/council.

 

Yes, it is fairly expensive, but there are often "Scholarships" out there to help. Some employers will help cover the cost because they know that the skills you learn will translate into the workplace too. You might also approach your CO and see if they would be willing to cover some of the cost..or even your troop committee. We have a Wood Badge Association in our council and they offer scholarship help.

 

On top of all of that...it is the most FUN that you can have as an adult scouter!!! Don't hesitate..maybe you'll even be lucky enough to become a Beaver..always the FIRST in everything!! (and you get to sing the Gilwell Song!)

 

 

Sue M.

 

I used to be a Beaver

[orennoah]

I agree with all of the above. Wood Badge is exactly the type of training and experience that will help you make your Troop "become organized, focused and successful."

 

On top of that, it's the most fun you'll ever have in Scouting (except for some of those absolute precious moments working with the Scouts, themselves, such watching a boy become a young man before your eyes when he overcomes a major obstacle).

 

My Wood Badge experience and training come in handy all the time, both in Scouting and in my "day job."

 

As for helping my Troop, my ticket alone (a) gave it a website, (b) documented our procedures for adults going along on boy-led trips and © instituted the Scoutmaster minute at meetings. (Two other ticket items improved things District-wide and Council-wide.)

 

- Oren

WE3-41-03

BEAR

WE3-41-05

QM

 

[Vicki]

Hmmm. I really don't even know where to start. I have had a lot of corporate style management training (Dale Carnegie, Franklin Covey, etc.). Wood Badge was the best. It took lots of stuff from the best b-school classes - SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, learning curves of group behaviors, job sequencing, just as examples - and put it in the BSA context. Also, the intensity of it is a test all by itself and unlike anything I'd done before. There is a point during the training that sets apart those who can step outside of a situation and observe it and those who can't. One of our patrols failed miserably and it was not pretty to watch. I'm not sure I approve of it exactly, but it is part of the program and it works. Of course, the opportunity to act really foolish is not to be missed! We were told early on that we were not acting appropriately for a Bear patrol - well, talk about permission to test the limits! Party on, Garth!!

 

Just a few thoughts, in no particular order.

 

Anyway, it was a mountaintop experience for me. All of my fellow Bears were from different districts within our Council and it was really great to talk Scouting with them and hear how they did it. Then to observe their troops at each of our beadings (although now that I think of it, one did it at his RT).

 

Vicki (C-12-04)

[John-in-KC]

In addition to every good point made above, Wood Badge can be FUN!!!

 

John

A Good Old Owl Too...

C-40-05

[SR540Beaver]

Dang it John, you stole my thunder!!! I'm currently recruiting for our fall Wood Badge course. Our fellow posters have described quite well what benefits someone will get from WB. We talk about all of that when we recruit, but we always emphasize that above all else, it is.........FUN!!!

 

As one of my fellow staffers likes to tell people, it is the most fun you can legally have as an adult.

[Lisabob]

Woodbadge IS fun. I admit to being surprised how much fun it really was. But I hesitate to "sell" it that way on a general basis because a lot of adults have already tapped out their "discretionary spending" for scouts and while we all like to have fun, the big question I often hear from people who have been heavily recruited in this way is "yeah, but is it WORTH it?"

 

To which, of course, my answer is YES IT IS, followed by specific examples of how it helped me and my unit, and how it might help them and their unit. And it is fun, besides.

 

Lisa'bob

 

[SR540Beaver]

Lisa,

 

The FUN part is the "value added" cherry on top. You recruit based on what the course will do for them and then throw in the "but wait, there is more" infomercial pitch. We throw in the FUN for free. No matter how great the material might be, if it involves sitting in a chair in a conference room for two weekends....who wants to go?

[Eamonn]

I'm big on training and training's.

I really like the Wood Badge Course and I'm happy with the changes that were made.

I have been involved with a lot of courses over the years and have served as both a District and Council Training Chairman.

The course is a Leadership course.

While the skills that you can take home are really good, the friends you make are fantastic and the course is a time when most people have a lot of fun.

I think you need to look at where you and the Troop are at.

What impact will the time spent on the course have on the Troop and your family?

What about the course fee? Will paying that have any effect on what you do with the Troop?

Having read some of your recent postings.

I think if I were you I would be inclined to not rush off to Wood Badge and use the time to go about strengthening the Troop.

Of course, I'm not you!!

I do know that given where I'm at with a new Sea Scout unit, giving up three weekends to attend Wood Badge isn't something that I'd do.

Still I'm going to give up one weekend and pay $175.00 to attend Sea Badge. - Maybe I'm being a little unfair to Wood Badge?

Eamonn.

[eagle-pete]

Eamonn, I am not quite sure what you mean by being "unfair to Wood Badge"

 

I do know that given where I'm at with a new Sea Scout unit, giving up three weekends to attend Wood Badge isn't something that I'd do. Still I'm going to give up one weekend and pay $175.00 to attend Sea Badge. - Maybe I'm being a little unfair to Wood Badge?

How is attending Sea Badge, which directly helps your Sea Scout Unit, being unfair to anything? Besides, you have already been to Wood Badge! I don't get the correlation.

 

gwd-scouter

 

Let me answer your question this way... Wood Badge will not do anything to enhance your specific program. That is entirely up to you, as it always has been. The Wood Badge Staff will not show up at your troop and analyze your program. They will not provide any specific instructions to improve or change what you are doing. They will not hand-hold any of your scout leaders.

 

Wood Badge is not all about what you take from it (nor is Scouting, for that matter). It is an advanced training program which primarily teaches leadership, how to successfully deal with adults and youth, interpersonal behavior and conflict resolution, problem solving, and team work. You also "get" trained specifically in the Patrol Method. For one week (or 2 weekends) all you will do is eat, sleep, study, play, listen, and learn these skills along with some 50 or so other scouters. The other posts have also listed many things which occur at Wood Badge, so I will not bore you by repeating those.

 

Now, that having been said, I do understand your curiosity. I asked some of the same questions you did before I went to Wood Badge. Most of my questions were answered during the course. Any remaining questions I had were eventually answered after the practical course while I was working my ticket - some things just cannot be addressed in a class, you have to experience them.

 

As far as the money, I have never really quite understood why so many people are so leery about investing a small (and it is small compared to comparable trainings in business) fee which covers, among other things, food for a week, training materials, and facility costs. "Extremely reasonable" is how I would classify the Wood Badge fee. What you "get" for that fee has been thoroughly explained, not only in this topic but in several others.

 

I am certain you will have all your questions answered when you go through Wood Badge. I have never seen any WB Participant walk away from the course saying, "What was that all about. That was a waste of my time." On the contrary, without exception, everyone I have ever talked to has found it rewarding, life-changing to some degree, and well worth the time and money, even when they have had some difficulties during the course.

 

Eagle Pete

[Lisabob]

Eagle-Pete, I agree with 99% of your comments regarding WB.

 

As for why some people are leery about investing $200 or so: well actually for some of us, $200 out of pocket is a budget issue. That's no small chunk of change. It isn't just a question of whether the fee is reasonable, in exchange for what you get; it's whether or not you can afford to pay it anyway. (Though, for people who have paid for other BSA trainings out of pocket and not felt they got their money's worth, this might be a legitimate question to ask - I know I've been fed up a couple of times with paying $15-$30 for basic training provided by my district that didn't go well at all, and that did enter into my pre-WB thinking about whether it would be a good use of my $225.)

 

Also for some of us - esp. those newer to scouting - the cost of WB may really be more than the course fee. For example, when I took WB, I was finishing my first year as a registered leader in a cub scout pack. Our pack was quite casual about uniforming so I didn't own most of the uniform. I had to purchase it for WB and that also cost money.

 

And then too some people have to take time off from work, perhaps unpaid.

 

Don't get me wrong: I don't regret it. The course was worth every penny and I would've eventually bought the whole uniform anyway. But all at once, the course fee plus potential uniform costs, plus potential cost of taking time off from work, can really add up for those of us who keep a close watch on our budgetary bottom line.

 

Lisa'bob

[emb021]

"I have been asked several times by folks in my Council to take Woodbadge. Maybe because they know I am an ardent Scouter and maybe just so that they can fill the quota for the course. "

 

"My question. What will I get out of the course that will benefit my Troop? Right now, I am only concerned with helping my Troop become organized, focused and successul. "

 

"I have been in Cubscouts for many years, Tiger thru Cubmaster. I've worked on the District level in traing new leaders and day camp. I've been to National Camping School so that I could deliver a Cub/Webelos Resient Camp (Director for 5 years)."

 

"I've been to Scoutmaster training - all levels - and additional trainings. "

 

Let me answer this from a different angle.

 

You say you've been to 'scoutmaster training - all levels'. Well, if you HAVEN'T been to Wood Badge, you have NOT been to 'all levels'.

 

BSA has organized its training into 4 levels:

 

* Fast Start

* Basic

* Supplemental

* Advanced

 

I have to assume you've been to Fast Start (used to be videos, now mainly on-line) and Basic (NLE & position-specific), which means you are 'Basic Trained'.

 

I also assume you've been thru several types of Supplemental training: Roundtables, NCS, etc. Others at this level are things like University of Scouting and Philmont Training Center.

 

But what about "Advanced". Per the BSA, Wood Badge is Advanced training, and you haven't gotten it. (I also consider Powder Horn and Sea Badge as Advanced, but National doesn't.)

 

"So, what will Woodbadge (that I will have to pay for myself) do to enhance the program I am trying to deliver to my Troop? "

 

Unsure. WB is a leadership training course for all adults. Everyone gets different things from it, as everyone brings different things to it. For some, a lot of stuff they already have, but WB its a great way to recharge, connect with people around the council, and get you to do something new.

 

I went to WB after being a Scout and Assistant Scoutmaster. I knew most of the scoutcraft skills stuff, so for me the leadership and meeting new people were what was important. I also got some ideas on how to better run our troop after seeing things at WB.

 

 

[gwd-scouter]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. You've given me a lot to think about. Our course is set up for two 3-day weekends in October and November this fall. There are still spaces available so I have a bit of time before I have to register.

 

And, OK Emb, I stand corrected - I have NOT been to all levels of training. Part of my reluctance to attend Woodbadge was that I knew it to be advanced training and really didn't think I had the required skill base to attend. The only people in my District that I knew took the course were the old time experienced Scoutmasters. Don't see any woman in my District wearing the beads!

 

So, it has been especially nice to hear from you ladies out there and about your experience with Woodbadge.

 

Thanks again all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[eagle-pete]

Lisabob

 

I apologize; I did not mean to infer that anyone was being ignorant for not jumping right in and writing a check without thinking. I completely understand the budget issues. I had to finagle my own budget to pay for my Wood Badge course.

 

I had also forgotten about the uniform. Probably because after I had made the financial and psychological decision to go to Wood Badge, the cost of the uniform was secondary. "In for a penny, in for a pound." Right? Plus I already had a shirt and insignia, so I didn't actually buy a full uniform all at once as you pointed out.

 

What I wanted to accomplish by bringing up cost was the value Wood Badge has meant to me far outweighs the monetary fee; besides, gwd-scouter brought this up as a determining factor in her post.

 

I was sent to a computer training course from the company I worked for. The course lasted, in all, about a week. There was no meals provided, no lodging, no compensation for expenses. I did receive several manuals in the course. Although the training was good, it certainly did not cover the vast amount of more valuable skills I learned from Wood Badge. The course cost in excess of $7,000 for the week.

 

No, I would not have chosen to go to this computer course if the company had not paid.

 

Yes, there are many more motivating factors for going to Wood Badge and still more factors which allowed me to gain more from Wood Badge.

 

I guess my whole point is that $225 plus expenses is relatively much less expensive than other types of comparable trainings. Many, many people do go who have budgets, careers, family, etc. But there is enough draw that the courses get filled somehow. Also, consider this. gwd-scouter and other scouters like her will spend that same $225+ somewhere. Let them spend it on something of value which will help their units.

 

I apologize for my inept communication skills. I will do better.

 

Eagle Pete