Wood Badge Five Central Themes / 11 Leadership Skills

[Eamonn]

In our WB Cluster, it was the norm when one of the sessions of the 11 Leadership Skills was covered that the participants were invited to write:

I will use the skill of whatever ( Planning for example) to better serve my Troop by.....

They then would add a few lines of how they would put this skill to good use. (This came in handy when it was time to write a ticket, but made the participants aware that these skills were to be used in a Troop setting)

I don't see the themes in the 21st Century course as just being about adult management.

They work just as well with and for our youth members.

Maybe if the sessions were called:

-Listening to Learn from youth members?

Communicating with Patrols

Giving and Receiving Feedback (Isn't this just a new name for the good old Reflection?)

Valuing People and Leveraging Diversity

Coaching and Mentoring of youth Leaders.

 

3.Models for Success

Patrol Development Model

Situational Leadership for everyone?

 

4.Tools of the Trade

Project Planning for Patrols

Problem Solving for Patrols

Managing Conflict within the Patrol

Assessing Patrol Performance

Managing Change

Celebrating Patrol Success

 

5.Leading to Make a Difference

Leaving a Legacy

Learning the Greatest Leadership Secret and passing it on to the youth leaders?

Eamonn.

 

 

[Lisabob]

You know, the more I read this board, the more I reach the conclusion that my WB/21st C experience was a strange hybrid of actual 21st C syllabus and odds & ends from the "old" course.

 

Barry, I never said WB doesn't teach adults how to work with youth. I'm not sure whether I believe that or not, will need to think about it. What I said was that there are a lot of adults out there who don't know how to work with scouts (WB or not).

 

And by the way, I am the only WB-trained individual in my son's troop. None of the others can go/will go. Too bad. Actually I think it would be quite beneficial to the troop if they would.

 

Beyond that, I'm not really sure how useful this is to Eamonn's question so I'll quit commenting on this thread (sorry Eamonn!).

 

 

 

 

[Eagledad]

My oppologies Lisabob.

 

Barry

[asm 411]

Eamonn first I would like to say thanks for sharing this observation with us.

 

I think this just goes to show that the new coarse is not as radical departure as some would lead us to be. Additionally it seems there is more of the Patrol Method embedded in the new course than what the syllabus indicates.

 

Does anyone know how many incarnation there have been of the Wood Badge course and what the differences have been?(This message has been edited by ASM 411)

[HICO_Eagle]

Why is it that when you attend a Wood Badge course you are separated from your friends?

 

I thought the best way to align patrols was putting all the Scouts in a room and letting them form their own gangs as boys do?

 

It seems to me that this is an example of dividing a troop into patrols; instead of having patrols that make up a troop.

 

I can't tell you the book answer since I haven't actually taken the course or taught it. From what I can tell, there's nothing in the course that I didn't get already as a Scout or after that in the military.

 

However, I would venture that the reason is to force you out of your comfort zone. It would be too easy for the course to devolve into being in the woods with your buds if you got to form a patrol with your existing clique. Placing you in a new patrol, separated from them, will increase the odds of working together with your new friends on completing the program and just perhaps learning what the patrol method really is all about.

 

Bear in mind you are in your WB patrol to learn about the program and patrol method and you're in that patrol for a relatively short period of time. Most Scouts are in their patrols for months if not years so the relatively aspects of being with your existing friends versus being in the company of strangers are different.

 

For what it's worth, we will sometimes intervene to "balance" the patrols after they split up voluntarily -- although we try to take care to explain the rationale for the adjustments so the boys understand the decision process.

 

Example: Hey guys, the Sharks seem to have all the experienced Scouts while most senior guy in the Eagles is a Second Class. Don't you think it would be better to mix it up a little? You could swap Johnny for Bill and then Johnny will be able to help out with the leadership tasks.

 

(of course, if Johnny was in the same patrol as his brother Timmy, the trade might have some additional benefits in helping each brother become more independent but you don't have to mention that)

[Mafaking]

 

I think back at the training I have had, SM specific, Outdoor Leadership, Baloo countless roundtables and the Woodbadge course sticks out as the only one that emphasizes the patrol Method. Just by virtue of the role playing scenario they could have been teaching us Cricket and we would have learned a good chunk of the patrol leadership system.

 

For a reasonable outdoorsy adult, scoutcraft skills are not that hard. Fire building, compass work, first aide, topo map reading, cooking in the field, hitches and knots if an adult has been camping for a while they have picked up on these skills or self educated themselves.

 

I think lisabob is on target, its breaking these skills both the scoutcraft and the leadership skills into small chunks for pre-teens and young teens to understand.

 

 

[Eagle92]

Mafaking,

The challenges as I see it is that 1) WB has the reputation as the ULTIMATE in adult leader training, and it appears that scout skills have been downgraded, and 2) You now have folks going through the course who have NO outdoor skills as they are CS leaders.

 

I honestly believe that the post-WB course Philmont is now doing is closer to what BP and GBB envisioned as WB than WB21C. At least that is the impression I am getting.

[Eamonn]

Being the miserable old goat that I am!

In the past I have posted how sad it seems to me that a good many new leaders do seem to lack the outdoor skills that are needed.

We in the forum have talked about ways of turning this around.

At the end of the day we kinda end up with the old "You can take a horse to water, but can't make him drink."

 

We have a Mate in the Ship. A super nice guy who is happy to tag along to just about anything and everything. He had been an ASM for seven or eight years and just doesn't get it.

Scouts and Scouting for him (And his son) is all about advancement. Pushing kids to receive the next rank. (Note I didn't say earning the next rank).

 

A little while back OJ my son said he was thinking of joining a Troop as an ASM.

This Troop wasn't the one where he received his Eagle Scout rank.

I maybe wasn't as kind as maybe I could have been? When I asked him what he thought he was going to do if he did join as an ASM?

He looked at me as if I'd landed from Mars.

I went on to tell him that he lacked the outdoor skills to be able to teach these to anyone, I pointed out that he hated hiking, would much sooner "Camp" in a building than in a tent.

He pointed out that he'd staffed JLTC, attended the OA leadership course, staffed summer camp and worked at the National Scout Jamboree.

All of which is very true.

Looking back I can see that he had a great time as a Scout, he made some wonderful friends and from my point of view I was happy that the guys he hung out with and grew up with are just a nice group who in their own way have kept each other out of trouble.

He is a very nice young man.

But if I were a SM I'm not sure what I'd use him for?

I suggested that he remain in the Ship and hone his skills.

Sadly he was by this time too busy doing other stuff.

Pushing aside the fact that he has now got Volunteer Fireman Fervor and at this time has no plans to become active in Scouting.

I wonder how many other Eagle Scouts have managed to become Eagle Scouts without mastering the skills needed to be First Class Scouts and are now returning as adult leaders?

I can't imagine myself being a leader of a Boy Scout Troop and not knowing the basics.

I'm all for the leadership skills and courses.

I do believe that if you are going to practice servant leadership, you have to have something to serve.

I believe that a Patrol working on a pioneering project or cooking a meal and cleaning up learn a lot about team work and leadership.

I really do think that both leadership skills and practical skills working hand in hand is the best way to go and when the adults don't have the skills we end up short changing the Scouts we are supposed to be serving.

 

As for Wood Badge?

I have seen guys with many years in Scouting take the old course and hide behind the more knowledgeable members in their Patrol for a week at the old course, letting this "Super Scouts" carry the weight. After a week they couldn't do much more than they could at the start of the week.

I've also seen totally inexperienced Cub Scouter's attend the new course and work with the "Super Scouts" in their Patrol.After a week they not only have learned a lot but have got the bug and want to go on and learn more.

It's really more about the person than it is about the course.

There are a few adults who see Woodbadge as some kind of adult advancement.

I have to admit that the first time I was asked to serve as a staff member, I for a while seen me and my third bead being the important thing. Thankfully the CD was a great guy and soon put me right.

 

The new course that Philmont is offering sounds like a great idea.

I'm not sure how many active leaders have the time or the cash to attend?

Maybe it's something that is just being field tested and will in time move to become a Council training?

 

With next year marking 100 years of the BSA,it might be a fun adult activity for the traditionalists to get together in their areas and offer a kind of "Way it was" training?

Eamonn.