Woodbadge ticket items

[eolesen]

Bobwhite says "If that is the case then go ahead and register because you will recieve a packet of information from the course director with everything you will need to know prior to attending the course. Including information on the ticket. "

 

 

You should receive a packet of information... All I got was the packing list and the 20 questions, which were good as a self-assessment, but they were no substitute for talking with folks either already working their ticket or who had already earned their beads...

 

It it just me or are there a lot of Bobwhites responding to this?... Who says patrol members don't reflect their critter...(This message has been edited by eolesen)

[GKlose]

Thanks...Fall '09 is the next session in our council. I promise I will pre-register as soon as they open it up .

 

(BTW, my local DE said that he completed WB out of council, but in my case, I think it would be better if I did it in-council, just to meet other local scouters)

 

Guy(This message has been edited by GKlose)

[John-in-KC]

Guy,

 

I went out-of-council for mine, but I was already encountering the same folk at OA, Scout Camp, FOS, MOS, RT, and campmastering.

 

If you aren't well networked yet, take it in council. If you are well-networked, then expand your network and go out-of-council.

 

Either way, have fun.

 

John

I used to be an OWL...

[eolesen]

I did my course out of council, and I'm glad I did because I never would have been able to take it in council based on how the dates and format of the course fell. In council, I had a choice of one week every year. Out of council, I had a choice of five different courses including a variety of Thursday-Saturday courses for LDS leaders and Friday-Sunday courses for traditional leaders.

 

My patrol turned out to be the strongest relationships I made during the course(contrary to Rick's misconception that the patrol method isn't part of WB21C).

 

As for networking within my district, that's what Roundtable is for.

[GKlose]

Thanks, eolesen...I appreciate your input.

 

Since joining (late April), I've been to two district events, one of which was the May roundtable (roundtables in our district are suspended during the summer, which I think is odd because I tend to have more free time during the summer than I do during the school year). Despite our district having between 40 and 50 units, I think there were only 6 other scouters at the roundtable. But I have started to notice some of the same people at events, and I've slowly started to learn names and roles.

 

I've traded email with my old Scoutmaster and he's told me that some of the most dedicated people he's ever met, and some of the finest people he's ever met, are the volunteers at the district and council level that he has worked with.

[trebor2152]

I'm signed-up for our council's WB and I'm excited. I've been putting it off for too long, and I know the skills I will learn will help me. I received the info packet from my council. 20 questions? What twenty questions? My dad is a four-bead WB member, and questions to him have gotten answers ranging from non-specific to downright vague. Is this normal? I'm an Eagle scout who prides himself on 'being prepared' and I don't want my preparation for this event to be any different. Any help would be appreciated.

[NeilLup]

Hello GKlose,

 

I believe that we have communicated about your council. There is a Wood Badge Course being held in the Spring of 2009 hosted by the cluster immediately south of your council. That opportunity is open to you. However, as a relatively new leader, I would recommend that you go to the course in your council. Part of the benefit will be the leaders from your council that you meet, get to know, and work with after the course.

 

As far as being prepared ...

 

Take my counsel here:

 

Breathe in

 

Breathe out

 

Breathe in

 

Breathe out

 

Don't worry about it. A certain degree of unpreparedness is expected, planned for and part of the course. Part of what we try to do is to show some of the experiences that a Scout goes through (unpreparedness being one of those) to help adults understand the Scout's experiences.

 

Don't overwork the problem. Let the staff do that.

[Bob White]

I am confident that if eolesen reflected back at what he recieved it was more than the 20 questions. He was also told where an when the course was, what the cost was, what the requirements for attending were, what to wear and what to bring.

 

There is nothing you must do to prepare for Wood Badge other than meet the requirement of being old enough and being registered in the BSA. Wood Badge (two words) is just a leadership training course, its a very good one, but it is not something you need to do any amount of planning for other than packing for a campout out and completing the physical, the self-assessment, and the registration form.

 

There is nothing imposing about it.

 

 

[Melgamatic]

I attended Woodbadge NE-II-168 around a year after I re-entered scouting, 30 years after I left it. I never made it past First Class, but found myself as a Cubmaster only a few weeks after my son joined as a Tiger Cub. I had attended all the required (plus some additional) training, but was really short on many of the basics of scouting in general.

 

My first few hours at Woodbadge were a little of a culture shock. It was clear that 95+% of the other attendees had a much deeper background, and I had no idea what was going on some large amount of time. However, I took to it like a fish takes to water, and loved every minute of it. I had a fantastic time, learned an amazing amount (probably more than anyone else there, since I had so much less at the start), and have taken back an energized, excited and active attitude to the pack. They've certainly benefited from my ticket items (all of which were about improving the pack), but also my knowledge and enthusiasm.

 

Our SPL was an amazing guy. I've never seen anyone with such energy, enthusiasm, etc. I learned so much from him. Before Woodbadge it never would have occurred to me to stand in front of the pack and make a fool of myself leading some silly cheer. Now I do that all the time, and rather than thinking it's "foolish" the kids just eat it up. My fellow Cubmasters and other leaders don't know what to say!

 

-Melgamatic

 

[NeilLup]

Hello Melgamatic,

 

I hope that you have the opportunity to serve on Wood Badge staff. Perhaps even be SPL some day for Wood Badge.

[Doug Walker]

Hey Gang...

I too am in the thick of Wood Badge training. Having completed the first weekend and now heading to the second weekend.

 

I have NO clue what to set as my ticket goals. The ideas I thought would be great ticket items, well, my guide shot down. So I am in a fog. Almost feel like it is NOT going to happen. I tried to email my guide with 5 updated items, but no response. Guess I will try to call him. Frustrating to say the least. If this doesn't happen, ticket goals, by this weekend, all this is for nothing.

 

Thanks for lending an ear...

 

Doug

 

I "still am" an Antelope, a good old Antelope too.

[GKlose]

My course starts up in about 3 weeks (one weekend in September, one in October). I'm looking forward to it.

 

While I haven't started to think about a ticket yet, I thought it might be helpful if I started to write down some "improvement" ideas (for lack of a better term) that I've been thinking about for awhile. Whether or not they can lead to ticket items, I don't know. I just wanted to have a list to draw from, if necessary.

 

My DE and I had lunch last week, and he told me something funny about one of his training sessions. The people who led it had a table filled with all sorts of "manipulatives" (various small toys, for those that don't know "edu-speak"). One of the trainers later told him that it was well-proven that some people learn better if their hands are busy with something (even something unrelated to what they are learning). My DE admitted he must be one of them, because he spent a few days with a Slinky in his hands.

 

Guy

[NeilLup]

Hello Doug,

 

Just saw your note. Sorry that things are a bit confusing.

 

As a former WB Course Director, please let me suggest that things should get a lot better the second weekend. The staff's objective is to make 100% sure that you have good solid, workable ticket items by the end of the second weekend.

 

But if you get toward the end of the fourth day and still are really uncertain about your ticket items, be sure to see your Guide. If you still don't get satisfaction, then you can see the ASM for Troop Guides or even let the Course Director know that you really want to get good tickets written and are having trouble doing it. Don't just sit there. Let the staff know that you want and need help and guidance. They will give it to you.

[SunnyD]

I'm scheduled to take WB in a few months, and I have a related question. Can ticket items be initiatives that we already have in progress at the time of the course?

 

I'm a CM but have some ideas that I plan to work on with the district and council that will also benefit my unit at the same time. I would be doing these things anyway, with or without WB, to contribute to the local Scouting community. By their nature, even if I start soon they will be in progress but not yet complete by the time of the course weekends.

 

I'm not going to hold off on starting these things just so that I can "count" them later. I think they will be of benefit, so I plan to do them regardless. So my question, perhaps moot but certainly of interest, is whether starting them now disqualifies them as ticket items, or if pursuing them to completion after the course makes it valid to include them. I'm not looking to get off easy or play games with the requirements, but if the point is to encourage me to do the sort of thing I plan to be doing, then it just seems a little forced to have to come up with some additional ones just because I already "used up" the ones I felt really made an impact and had a passion for. They actually seem a lot more significant than some others I have heard of.

 

Anyway, I appreciate the board's insight.