Do you really need extra beads?

[Eamonn]

I do wear my beads.

I wore two, then three and now do wear four.

A lot of my friends do wear three beads and a few wear the four.

Being as the Council I serve is in a cluster, the Council only gets to host a course about every six years. So having the fourth bead is seen as a big deal in our area.

I was very deeply honored to be selected as a CD.

I really did put a lot of work into the course.

I like to think that I did a good job and did a lot to being new blood into what had become a bit of a good old boys club (Yes I know I was a member of the club, but maybe a bit of an outsider??)

Anyway..

This question is for everyone who has ever staffed a course.

Would you be OK if there wasn't any extra beads, knots or recognition for staffing?

For the record I'd be OK with just wearing my old beads.

Eamonn.

 

[Twocubdad]

Technically, you only wear the extra beads during the course. Once it is over you're supposed to go back to the two beads.

 

Obviously for many the extra beads are a source of pride. I was on staff four years ago, so I can look at the experience with some detachment now. I have to say that Wood Badge staff (I have not been nor will I ever be a Course Director) is less time, work, involvment and dedication that serving as Cub Scout Day Camp Director for a week, which I did for five years. All I got for that was a t-shirt.

[ntrog8r]

What??? NO RECOGNITION?!?!

 

Sure, I think most would still do it - I sure hope so anyway. I only wear two beads, and only at "formal" occasions or WB events. But then I don't wear any knots either, except at CoH and the like.

[BrentAllen]

"Technically, you only wear the extra beads during the course. Once it is over you're supposed to go back to the two beads."

Source, please.

 

I'd still serve, as you get to go thru the course twice more while staffing (in course development & in the actual course). It was an honor to receive the third bead, and I wear them all the time when in uniform. The CD's I served under each made the three beads we were given as staff, and they were made from trees that were removed in order to create Gilwell Field at our Wood Badge area (back in the 1970's). So, each set of beads is special.

[eghiglie]

my shirts are similar to ntrog8r

 

The first shirt is the full blown shirt, required stuff, all the knots, Nat Camping School patch, Lodge Patch. Powderhorn dangle, tiny small OA sash on button. I wear this one with my two beads and only at CoH.

 

the 2nd shirt. It has just the lodge patch and the other required stuff. This is what I wear most of the time. I leave the beads off.

 

I must point out though that I do not like anything around my neck. To me its a choking hazard (woodworking, lathe operator in my early twenties).

 

Being a SM of a tiny troop spare time is a luxury, someone told me that it takes six months to prepare for a WB course and I don't have the time.

 

In my district WB is pushed strongly, almost everyone at RT has at least two beads. Quite a few have three and two have four. Twice a year I get told I need to go to WB and I just let them know been there, done that, got the beads.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Have never heard the: " you only wear the extra beads during the course. Once it is over you're supposed to go back to the two beads."Before ? I have been a lot of places where there have been people who I think might have mentioned this, so I'm inclined to think that it's not right.

 

While each of us can think of things that we have done that we can rank as we wish and maybe we rank what others do as being important or as being hard work. I happen to think Den Leaders have a hard job! I didn't really enjoy being District Chair and I thought the time I spent on the Area Committee was at times a waste of my time and money.

Ea.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Source: my course director, during the staff beading ceremony. It came with the disclaimer, "of course, we don't really enforce that around here."

 

I believe I recall reading that in the WB syllabus. Knowing our CD then, if it weren't in the syllabus, it never crossed his mind, much less lips. I'd look it up, but due to expense, we returned the books at the end of the course.

[BrentAllen]

Sounds like urban legend. The Insignia Guide mentions the 3 and 4 beads but doesn't say anything about wearing them only during the course. Two of our council pro's, who played parts in writing the 21st Century syllabus, both wear their 4 beads all the time. All the CD's I know wear their 4 beads. We put on 3 courses/year, so we have lots of CDs.

[Eamonn]

I just read over the "Sample Course Director and Staff Bead Presentation Ceremony" in Administrative Guide.

It makes no mention of the beads only being worn on the course.

I do now remember at one time hearing that people who had earned their third bead were seen as an assistant course director(staff) which was a 2-year appointment (technically, at the end of the 2-years they should then wear 2 beads)But four beads signified a certified Course Director (Scoutmaster/Cubmaster) and was a permanent appointment.

I never heard of this being enforced, at least not in the area where I live.

My apologies to TwoCub.

Ea.

 

Eamonn(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

[BadenP]

I think you should wear all your beads and every knot you can think of, some people might even think you are in the service, lol.

It is still just showing off and bragging looking like a five star general in a boy scout uniform with beads, knots, and medals galore, time to get back in touch with reality gentlemen. Remember the program is first and formost for the boys not to pump up your own personal egos.

 

 

I removed the material that was not in keeping with the Scout Oath and Law.

Eamonn. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[John-in-KC]

I think that as with any education or training, you learn more when you're the trainer/teacher/instructor than you do as the learner. So yes, I'd like at some point to do the work which justifies the extra beads.

 

Will I wear the beads themselves? Dunno, to be honest. I have to think through: Would it be personal braggadocio, or would it help others to identify me as a resource?

 

I've seen a couple of uniforms where you could hardly see the shirt fabric for the patches.

 

Sorry, I have an "I Love Me" wall already at my home. These days, it has two pictures: EagleSon delivering his thank-yous to his Eagle Court of Honor, and one particular senior portrait of him.

[shortridge]

"I can understand why Brent would think it is vital cuz its the only recognition he ever got or ever will in his life."

 

Off-topic, I know... but why is this line of argument necessary? And how does it fit with Scoutlike behavior?

 

Back on-topic... IMO, the beads are a form of communication between WB alumni and staff. I'd wager that very few people outside the fraternity (like myself) understand the significance of two, three or four beads. If you want to communicate your experience to others who've BT, DT, then yeah, wearing extra beads might be helpful. Otherwise, they don't really mean more than two beads.

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Scouters,

 

 

If I can comment

I have served in a few councils and on just a few Wood Badge staffs in a few councils.

 

One Council I served with, read the vague directions in the WB21C guide. Although the guide will not explicitly state a rule, it became the interpretation from a vague instruction.

 

I guess that is how Urban Legends are born. The rational many of the trainers had was; if a manual states an action specifically, then the absence of a follow-on statement must mean that the action must come to an end. My fellow Scouters in that Council read what was written, then "read into" what was not written and added their own rational.

 

I dont have my Admin Guide with me at this moment; but it kind of stated, Wood Badge staff members may wear their third bead. That statement is fairly much written into the Admin Guide.

 

So here is what is not written, and bear along with me.....

The rational is, after 18 months, a Scouter may possibly no longer staff WB again, and therefore they no longer serve on staff, and therefore no longer a staffer, and therefore no longer eligible to wear the third bead.

 

So I doubt Twocubdad or any Scouter will ever find any instruction stating that you must remove your third bead after a course is over (practical course plus 18 month of application phase). But we will probably encounter Scouters that read too much into policy that is not written and doesn't actually exist. Then during the course director conference (these are great Scouters, but they too make mistakes) will state a vague "Urban Legend" policy as the absolute truth and absolute meaning of the Uniform Guide.

 

As for me... I've served five (full week) WB and WB21C courses, two (full week) NYLT courses, maybe 25-30 Intro to Outdoor Skills, and a handful of other seminars. They'll have to fight me, to take my third bead away.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[ntrog8r]

@shortridge,

 

Good points all around.

 

The three Councils I've served in, no one would know what the extra beads were for anyway, at least not in a specific sense.

 

@Brent - Very cool backgound to your beads, thanks for sharing the story.

[BrentAllen]

BadenP,

God has blessed me in more ways than I can count. I know I am undeserving of His gracious blessings. I don't need to recount them for you or anyone else. God has also given me the task of suffering fools like you. So, your boorish behavior is neither shocking nor surprising; it is actually expected. Have a nice day.