Wood Badge Experiences

[RandyPrice]

I completed my first 3 days of WB 3 weeks ago and I'm getting prepared for my next three days. I don't know if the WB experience is the same throughout the US but for us days 4-6 are an outdoors experience. Looking back at days 1-3 I enjoyed the experience but would have preferred if more breaks were given. I felt like

I was a little kid back in school.

[GKlose]

My first weekend starts tomorrow morning.

[Crew21_Adv]

Randy,

 

Greetings!

 

If I may add my comments.

 

It feels that way for a few reasons.

 

The schedule is full, so participants need to be on the course timeline, not their own casual come and go as they please timeline.

 

Also, the group dynamics try to build a team and camaraderie within and amongst the dens, patrols, and crews; so that after the course you will network with other Scouters working to deliver a program to their youth.

 

Finally, it is not meant to demean or belittle any participant, or to act infantile. But it does help for a majority of participants to experience the program as though they were a Cub Scout, Boy Scout or Venturer. I have known and met Den Leaders (professional 9-5 business men and ladies) that have attempted to brief their Den with powerpoint lectures. I have met a few Cubmasters that would prefer to run the Pack meeting like an executive board meeting. It may be a good agenda, it may be a good advancement program, their enthusiasm may be overwhelming to help their Cubs, but the delivery is ineffective if they cannot relate to a Cub Scout or conduct leading EDGE with a Den. Also, a Boy Scout leader or Venturing leader, may not understand how it feels to a youth, after being told what to do by an authoritarian Scoutmaster; and then how a youth feels after being coached what to do, how to do, and why to do a project by an empathetic Scoutmaster.

 

So it is not to degrade an adult; but to ask the parent (or adult) to view the program with the perceptions and emotions of a young Cub Scout, Boy Scout or teenaged Venturer.

 

Enjoy the rest of the course and create some really good ticket items that will benefit you and you pack, troop or crew!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[RandyPrice]

Thanks Crew21adv for your explanation. Regards, Randy Price

[emb021]

"I don't know if the WB experience is the same throughout the US but for us days 4-6 are an outdoors experience."

 

Adding to what Crew21_Advisor said, ALL WB courses are to follow the same syllabus and schedule.

 

For a 2 weekend course, the first weekend is designed to take a webelos scout thru a bridging ceremony into boy scouts, and show the 3-4 weekly meetings. The second weekend is designed to be a troop campout.

 

 

The prior WB course was also designed around the idea of the participants being scouts, with the staff being the troop leaders & adults. Thus, information was given to the scout participants in dribbles, many times like it is in a troop. Some 'got it' and some didn't. (those who didn't got pissy because they believe they were being mistreated).

 

 

[Eagle69]

It's been 30 years since I went through WB and it was a Walking (Backpacking) Course. We didn't do all of the stuff that went on with a normal static course, but if you didn't catch on to fact of what everybody's role was you would of had trouble with the course. To this day I remember two things from my course 1. Asking the Senior Patrol Leader a question about something related to the day's schedule of events and being asked "Did you ask your Patrol Leader" thus teaching the chain of leadership 2. my patrol was always late because we couldn't get our act together and be a patrol instead of 8 individuals. We always got sung to. The last weekend we sat down and made a plan so that everybody had a job and if he finished his job he was to go help someone else. We were on time that weekend for everything and were so proud. The course was a lot of fun and informational

[Eamonn]

Randy,

The first part of the course is very hard on the backside!

The course used to be seven days.

With it now only being six, it does mean that a course can be planned to accommodate most religions especially religions that observe a strict sabbath day.

 

The idea when the new course came out was that the first part of the course not be held at a camp. This didn't happen as the cost of renting a facility for the course was too much and most Councils had a place that could be used anyway.

I have heard horror stories of some Councils using Dining Halls and having the participants sit on wooden benches!!

Man! That would hurt!!

As for the breaks?

Most of the Scouter's I know just love to shoot the breeze. Give them a ten minute break and you will be lucky to see them in about twenty minutes or so!

Stick with it, the worst is over.

Who knows? Maybe for the next weekend it will be wet and windy and everyone will be rushing in for the next wonderful presentation???

Ea.

[RandyPrice]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I hope the "worst" part is over and in retrospect it wasn't really too bad just not what I was expecting. I will be very happy when all of my ticket items are approved and I can get started completing them.

 

Another question - after the second weekend do you have any more involvement with your patrol?? It seems to me that after your ticket items are approved that you are on your own to complete them?? Is this correct? I understand making friendships that will last a lifetime but is there any "offical" involvement??

[John-in-KC]

In fact, my Patrol bonded because we got the point early on: The sylabbus is set up to substitute time pressure for lack of knowledge.

 

There was one Patrol corner very early on: We, collectively, save 1 20-something, were in our 40s, had had multiple AW-#### moments in life, and we weren't going to let the

%%%%%%ds get to us. We were going to have fun and learn on our terms, thank you very much. In other words, we normed, we bypassed storming, and we performed.

 

At the end of weekend 1, our 20-something, who had not had his AW-#### moment in life just yet, tried to get us to storm a bit. He told all of us about how we weren't trying to be kids again. My Lord, we unloaded both barrels on him. Every one of us looked at him and told him to his face we'd been there and done that, we'd all lived through it again with our own kids, and two of us talked about grandkids. Our message to him was &&&& you and the high horse you came in on, son. We said we intended to have fun in this course, and by God we will.

 

Guess who never made any of our 3 interim meetings (and we were a cluster course, coming anywhere from 50-120 miles to get to our convergence point)? Yep, Junior. Guess who, having volunteered to bring the dessert fixings for weekend 2 Friday night supper, didn't? That's right, Junior.

 

Guess who was the one student who didn't bead in our entire Course? You got it: Junior.

 

I guess he had his first AW-#### moment in life. The rest of us still have fun and email, and use each other as resources!

[emb021]

"Another question - after the second weekend do you have any more involvement with your patrol?? It seems to me that after your ticket items are approved that you are on your own to complete them?? Is this correct? I understand making friendships that will last a lifetime but is there any "offical" involvement??"

 

There is no official involvement after the WB course is 'complete'. No required patrol meetings. You have completed the 'theoretical' part of the course, and are in the 'practical' part of the course. (putting into practice what your learned in WB by 'working your ticket').

 

You will be in contact with your troop guide/coach counselor/ticket counselor. While patrols members are encouraged to help each out, that may or may not happen. (some patrol bond real well, so much that all work to make sure everyone in the patrol completes their ticket, and even the whole patrol will be beaded together. some patrol don't really bond, the members may or may not complete their tickets and may not even know if other members did so. some are somewhere in between.) Distance between members is a factor. If all the members from a patrol are from the same district, there is usually more inner patrol support, then if they are from different district or worse different councils.

 

How much you are 'on your own' to complete your ticket will vary from council to council. In my council, the idea is we want everyone to complete their ticket. Participants are encouraged to say "I am doing this for my ticket" to ensure that people will help and not hinder them to complete things. Many councils will have annual WB gatherings, which is pretty much the only 'formal' continuation after the course. We will get updates on past courses, have some beadings, etc.

 

 

[eghiglie]

I had a great time at my Woodbadge experience and learned a lot about myself.

 

We camped in the ourdoors all 6 days, the first weekend in camp tents, the last three in our own tents, but in a campsite that had camp tents in it.

 

It was drinking water from a fire hose. We were kept up late each night, with only about 8 hours of break.

 

We then went home, with instructions to come back 3 weeks later. Because of the length of my drive I took Monday off. The break was great, I recharged my batteries.

 

Our patrol met once during the break face to face and used email a lot.

 

On the sencond campout of three days we were refreshed but by Sunday night we were again exhausted. Again very long days.

 

I took the Monday off again.

 

Contrast this to my son taking NYLT a few weeks ago. Checkin was Sunday night, with a 5AM Monday wakeup. Everyday they were up at 5AM for a mandatory swim, everyday there were quite a few sessions, with little break time. Even meal times were used to deleiver a lesson. Very little down time.

 

By Wednesday night he was exhausted, Thursday, Friday and Saturday sessions did not sink in because he was too tired. On the way back from the outpost the Troop Guide, who is a 17 year Eagle scout college student in Army ROTC, forced them to march in cadence and would insist that they stay in step for the 1 mile journey.

 

He got little out of the course because of this.

 

I learned a LOT from my Woodbadge.

 

[Lisabob]

Eamonn says: I have heard horror stories of some Councils using Dining Halls and having the participants sit on wooden benches!!

Man! That would hurt!!

 

(Holding my hand up) Quite a bit of our course was delivered in that venue. Not entirely pleasant.

 

I enjoyed weekend #2 a lot more than weekend #1. After the formal course was over, I only ever saw a couple of people from my patrol. None of us actively participated in each other's tickets. But 6 years later, I am still in regular contact with 2 of them. I just served as a character reference for one, who was 19 at the time of our course and is now finishing college and trying to land a full time job. I can honestly say I know him pretty well as a result of spending 2 wood badge weekends with him.

 

 

[MomToEli]

I just finished up the first weekend of the course. What a great experience!

 

Not to be confused with a totally smooth experience. There are four of us on our patrol that are what I would call strong personalities. You know - vocal, decisive, doers. A couple of those are highly educated. Two are more quiet types. Not to say they aren't doers, but just different types of doers. One describes himself as a helper and seems very timid at the idea of being in charge of anything. You have to ask him his thoughts. That sort. Very nice man, but you have to draw out a smile from him. The other is also very nice, very friendly, has a smile for everyone sort of guy. But very quiet, so you have to make it a point to ask him what he would like to say and be quiet long enough to listen to him. That part is difficult for one of our members to do. The listening part. We did some major storming on the second day. It was a difficult day emotionally. Frankly, I've never been on any committee that was trying to function the way we were. Makes me thankful for the dysfunctional committees I really DO belong to One of the vocal guys and one of the quiet guys tend to complain about a lot of things. To the point that I told the vocal one that next time he has to serve up cheese with it, because too much whine without cheese makes me goofy in the head! A couple of people think they have to have their hands in every single thing and we have to have a consensus to the point that it makes it difficult to accomplish anything. Did I mention we did some major storming? One guy keeps complaining he doesn't have enough free time. Free time? Man, I'm not on vacation here! I paid big bucks to LEARN. (They did tell us there would be a little more down time the second weekend, but I suspect that is a relative term!)

 

I realized this is precisely what my son is going to have to go through as he is thrust into the Patrol situation (he is crossing over Oct 1). This experience, first and foremost, is equipping me with the skills to teach my own son how to navigate and learn to build relationships with others more effectively. Secondly, I've learned a great deal about myself in this process. Some of it I like, and some of it not so much. I will learn from it, adjust what needs to be to the best of my ability, and build more on my strengths.

 

All of this and I still have another weekend to go.

 

I encourage you not to look at the formal part of the course as something to endure so you "get" to work your tickets. Learn the lessons they are trying to teach you in leadership and cooperation. You will need those skills to effectively execute your tickets at the very least. I also encourage you to use the experience as a mirror. We are ALL a work in progress.

 

Now, back to Gilwell - and hi to all you Foxes out there

[John-in-KC]

MTE,

 

Remember, one of your Scouting jobs (as a parent) will be to stay away from your son. Some of what he needs to learn needs to come from the school of hard knocks.

[Eamonn]

Lisabob

The first year the then new course came along, I was serving as Troop Guide.

The course was held at Camp Mountain Run near Du Boise PA.

The Council is fortunate in having a donor with deep pockets who I think is a retired architect. The facilities were first rate. Unlike most Councils who build great buildings and then furnish them with whatever castoffs can be found. Everything was really nice.

Later that same year I attended a Wood Badge Cluster meeting. For some reason Greater Pittsburgh Council had been invited. (Strange as they are not in a cluster) Greater Pitt has two camp sites that are both in our Council (Our Summer Camp is within the boundaries of the Council next door? Go figure!!) Heritage Scout Reservation is really nice. I have staffed NCS Cub Scout Day Camp training's at Heritage. They also have Camp Twin Echo. They had just presented a the course in the dining room at Camp Twin Echo, on the wooden benches.

When I was asked to be a WB Director, I fist looked for a non-scout facility for the first weekend.

I was very tempted to use a local Mennonite Church Center.

( http://www.laurelville.org/index.html#start)

But this would have really pushed up the cost. So I used our Summer Camp. We had a new building, but as is normal in the Council no money had been allocated for furnishing. The chairs I think at one time had been used by a local funeral home and when the mourners found them too painful they had been donated to the Council.

At about the time I was preparing for the course the OA Lodge was thinking of making a donation to the Council.

After a word in the Lodge Advisor's ear and a chat with the Lodge chief, the donation was new chairs and tables.

The Lord moves in mysterious ways!

Eamonn.