I was just invited to be on staff!

[SueM]

Eagle Pete,

 

The Pagemaker files are all converted to PDF format so it wouldn't be too much of a problem. They could be edited from there. They all follow the current syllubus, but just with some personalized clip art to make them more visual. I have never used PP and couldn't see any -real- advantage in using it, especially since you can't save to a DVD from it. I guess if you are allowed to use a laptop for your presentations that's one thing..but we were told they did not want us using laptops, which makes sense when you're in outdoor settings..so flip charts were the rule and one can print hard copy just as easily from Word as PP or anything else.

 

Your staff development won't start until 90 days out, so you have lots of time. I don't know how other councils do it but on our Staff development days, there were blocks of time set aside where we would/could practice giving our presentation to the other staffers, who would then make sure we were following the syllubus and give us hints for how to improve our presentations.

 

Anyway..if you'd like to look them over sometime..just give me a yell

 

Sue M.

[eagle-pete]

Hey SueM

 

That sounds good. A couple questions Not sure how I would edit a PDF file. I don't have software capable of doing this. I can read them, but my understanding is you have to have something like Acrobat Writer or some other application which can edit a PDF.

 

Also, I am not sure what you mean when you say that you cannot save to DVD from PowerPoint. Are you saying that you cannot go directly to a DVD from within the application? If so, you are probably correct, but I wouldn't do that anyway. Typically, I create my presentation, save the file, and then copy the .ppt file to a CD or DVD. I've never had any problem doing that.

 

I will be using a laptop during staff development, which does have a CD burner. But I don't anticipate needing to burn my presentations to CD. I will need to print hard copies of the slides, however.

 

At any rate, YES I would like to see what you have put together. Please send them to:

 

eagle-pete@comcast.net

 

Thanks a million

 

Eagle Pete(This message has been edited by eagle-pete)

[SueM]

Eagle Pete,

 

If nothing else, you can copy the pdf to the clipboard and then paste it into Word to edit. I only have a couple of things in pdf anyway...I'll try and send you some of them when I get a chance..keep in mind that I have geared my presentation notes to my own style..trying to highlight things to remind myself of certain things that needed to be emphasized.

 

sue m

[BrentAllen]

Sue M,

If possible, I would like to take a look at your materials as well. I have been invited to serve as a TG for our Council's summer course, in August. This is one challenge I want to be extremely prepared for.

iballen@mindspring.com

[SueM]

Sure! I'll send them to you when I can

 

Sue M.

[SueM]

Brent...I have not forgotten about you..just have been busy..will try to send them tomorrow.

 

Sue M.

[JKevin]

I have been reading this thread with great interest. I attended Wood Badge in May/June 2006, I finished my ticket items Nov 1 2006 and will be getting my beads awarded to me on Jan 22 2007. Wood Badge was an awesome experince for me and I jumped on my ticket items right away. Last week I got a phone call inviting me to be staff on Wood Badge Spring (May/June) 2007, specifically as a Troop Guide. Yikes! I don't even have my beads and I have this invitation. I am both very excited and concerned at the same time. What a great opporutunity. I have already gladly accepted the invite but, although I have years of Troop level leadership experience I am concerned that I will not measure up to the rest of the staff. I remember when I attended Wood Badge I was thinking just how well polished all of the Troop Guides were, I never imagined that I would be one of them a year later. The advice I have been reading in this post has been incredible, if anyone else has any advise as to how I can be prepared to staff Wood Badge I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Many thanks, K

[John-in-KC]

JKevin,

 

Welcome to our campfire

 

Remember, WB is a leadership development course, not a policies and procedures course. If you have a good grounding in Troop operations, you'll do OK ... for the troop meetings and campouts are vehicles to communicate the course content.

 

Have fun staffering.

[eagle-pete]

JKevin

 

My advise... stay focused on completing your ticket. Don't allow anticipation of staffing or how that will all take place to affect your experience working your ticket.

 

Just my opinion, but I don't think it's a good idea for CD's to select participants who have not yet earned their ticket to be on staff. In fact, they should probably give them some time after the beading ceremony as well; say, a year or so... At least allow the newly beaded Wood Badger to enjoy their new beads.

 

I have known Wood Badgers who were invited on staff right after receiving their beads... in fact, one was in my Wood Badge patrol. Their experience was that the whirlwind of jumping from participant - to beading ceremony - to staff was so overwhelming that they had trouble absorbing it all. They told me they didn't feel their staffing experience had the same meaning as it might have if there was time to pause and reflect between the experiences.

 

This is not to say, JKevin, that you won't have a great experience staffing. It is just my opinion that your experience may be different than one who has had time to breathe before arriving at Staff Orientation.

 

Before I was invited to be on staff I kept wondering if I would ever get the chance. After three years went by I began to doubt that I would ever be invited. I know a few older scouters who still had "only" two beads (as if that was some kind of deficiency). Now I see the benefit of waiting and not having the invitation cloud my experience as a participant.

 

It's an honor to be invited on staff, JKevin. Make the most of it. But finish that ticket before worrying about staff.

 

Eagle Pete

[kb6jra]

Eagle Pete,

 

Thanks, and right back atchya. I've got to check this forum more often...ha! To answer your question:

 

"What staff position will you serve on?" Troop Guide, just like you. I think it's an entry level position, but one I'd rather have as well. I'm very excited to say the least.

 

"Share your experience... I'd love to hear about it." Oh you know it, I'll be giving a blow by blow. We've had our first development and I'm really pleased with the staff we've got, all top notch people. This is the third time I've been asked to participate as a staff member, but only the first time I have been able to because of other scouting related events (NSJ 2005, Troop 50 miler, etc).

 

Regarding our patrol presentations, on our course the TG's will not be using PowerPoint, but old fashioned presentation binders. The sheets will be Black block print on white paper, the separators will be full color. We've been practicing our presentations for about 2 weeks now so we'll be ready for the next Staff Dev meeting. I'm a bit nervous, although I do presentations for scouts all the time (other trainings and FOS, etc.) These scouter's on staff are such heavy hitters I feel a bit out of my league...I suppose that's normal.

 

In the end it all sums up to the need to practice practice practice and become overly familiar and comfortable with the material.

 

Matt

 

[eagle-pete]

Matt

 

I think you will find that most staffers here on this forum, and perhaps other staffers you've known, do not consider Troop Guide to be an "entry level" position for Wood Badge Staff. In fact it is an incredibly crucial position, as we will be directly interacting with participants. Much of their experience depends directly on us. Do not take this position lightly or perceive it other than a key element to the participants' Wood Badge experience, as is surely is.

 

I share your sentiments about the presentations as well as much of the other aspects of staffing Wood Badge. We have not yet begun Staff Development. I am, nonetheless, nervous about it. I have had other staffing experiences, but nothing to compare with Wood Badge. I hope to replace my inadequacy with confidence.

 

Yours in Scouting

 

Eagle Pete

[dancinfox]

Some additonal advise to all of you. Read the syllubus from cover to cover. Then read it again from cover to cover. Then read it again from cover to cover. Even though you took 21st Century WB, when you read the syllubus, the light will turn on just what they were trying to teach you. As a TG, I read the syllubus once. On course I felt I didn't understand everything. As SPL and Backup CD, I read the syllubus 3 times and got a better understanding. As a CD, I read the syllubus 4 times and had a great grasp of what the course was presenting. I had asked all my staff to read the syllubus at least once, but told them they would get more out of their presentations if they read it twice. What's really cool, is when you read the syllubus for NYLT and the new Troop Leader Training, and also the basic training syllubus's, you can see all the ties to Wood Badge.

David Harrison

Course Director

C-12-06

[kb6jra]

Believe me when I say I understand the importance of my role on course. I'm certainly taking it very seriously and am very excited about the possibilities. I took Wood Badge out of council and although I had one of the most rewarding times of my life I would have given anything to have taken it within my own council, but it wasn't in the cards.

 

I'm excited about the responsibility I will have to provide a very rewarding experience to those attending the course, coupled with the fact that our council has just recently merged and has morphed into the 16th largest in the nation just adds weight to this task. I knew almost everyone in our old council, I felt like the Wal-Mart greeter at council functions, so now I get to re-schmooze myself into the fray and making 40 new Wood Badge friends will sure help.

 

Oh, and I've read the Admin guide and Syllabus once. I'm done with the admin guide (yawn), now I'm planning on re reading the syllabus and remembering my own course.