How soon is too soon for Wood Badge?

[UCEagle72]

I became a Scouter in 1976 when I aged out of Scouting. Took WB in 1983 - all of 25 years old. I was glad I waited a few years, gave me a chance to get some perspective on being a Scout Leader (much like Tom Peters' saying that no one under 30 should be allowed in a MBA program).

 

Fast forward to 2010, and I am contemplating taking WB21C ... why? Because I enjoyed the first class that much, and I want to see what else I can learn.

 

Wait? I say yes, give yourself some time to learn what Scouting is about, have some successes, and some "lessons learned" ... but never, never, never stop learnin'.

[Eagle92]

Sherm,

 

To answer your first question, I was told that ALL leader specific, from TCDL to Adviser/Assoc. Aedviser training will be available online. Only courses that need to be "face to face" will be BALOO and the new Outdoor Skills Course that will combine WeLOT, IOLS, and may incorporate some outdoor Venturing stuff.

[Twocubdad]

While I agree that a couple years under your belt is best, I dont' agree that you should wait until you're a Boy Scout leader to take the course. One of the big changes to the WB21C program was to incorporate Cub Leaders into Wood Badge. As LisaBob says, packs need WB trained leaders too.

 

Stosh, I'd be pressed, too, to discourage your new ASM from taking the course. Clearly, with his credentials, he has a perspective on the program far greater than, say, some 35-year-old dad who has only been an ASM a couple months.

[JMBadger]

If it weren't for the ticket items, I could see taking WB a week after joining Scouting. But with the ticket, you are committing to 5 significant acts of service to scouting. How are you supposed to commit to anything if you know nothing about it?

 

It took me a couple years chaperoning at Day Camp before I felt comfortable volunteering to lead a station. This year I'm doing it again as a ticket item and I feel very confident it will go well.

 

For another ticket item I became a LNT Trainer and gave 3 seminars. I would never have taken the training in the first place if I hadn't had some camping experience.

 

Even so, I had people suggesting I "chair" some jamboree or something. I've never been to a jamboree...how could I think of chairing one?

 

I think a prospective WB trainee should first sit down with an experienced wood badger and figure out the 5 ticket items. Once he is comfortable with making that commitment, then go do WB and start working the ticket items.

 

As it was, all I knew about the ticket was I'd be making some sort of promise to do something. Nobody discussed anything with me about it beforehand. Maybe they didn't want to ruin the experience for me...maybe they were afraid I'd be scared off. But writing the ticket was the toughest thing I did for WB; trying to come up with something I believed I'd be able to accomplish in 18 months, and be "significant" enough to satisfy the people approving the tickets.

[Scoutfish]

Well, first,I want to thank everybody for their answers. I will seriously use them im ant thoughts and decisions I make..

 

But I want to be clear about two things:

 

1) I am in my second year of CUB scouting, and in my first in a leadership (asst) position.I was a very active parent in my first year and asked by the pack to be in the current position I am in. I was also asked by the CM and ACM as well as the COR to head up a Webelos Den next year.

 

So far I have had the following training:

 

Scout Parent Unit Coordinator

Unit Commissioner Fast Start

This Is Scouting

Youth Protection Training

Youth Protection Quiz

Trek Safety

Weather Hazzarda

Fast Start: Cubmaster

Pack Committee Fast Start

Fast Start: Wolf/Bear Den Leader

Fast Start: Webelos Den Leader

 

THose were all online classes.

I have taken BALOO this past weekend and I am slated for Leader essentials and Leader specific mid April.

 

2) If I do take Wood Badge, it would be towards the end of this year around November before it's offered again in my Council - at least, that's what our Sr DE said . But he also said don't qoute that. LOL!

 

So If I took it, I would have at least two years activity in the scouts at the time it was offered.

 

Again, I do not want to rush it as I want it to be for the benefit of the scouts, not me.

 

Thanks everybody for your replies!

Mark

[Oak Tree]

Scoutfish,

 

Since I recommended the ideal time as being during tenure as a Boy Scout leader, let me follow up and say that in your case you probably would be well-served to take it as a Cub Scout leader. For the benefit of the entire Scouting program, it's great to have leaders from all different types of units in the course. And for the benefit of your pack, it would be great to have more trained leaders.

 

My answer was a bit more theoretical...I think that the highest average usefulness of the course for a given person, assuming that they spent time as both a Cub Scout leader and as a Boy Scout leader, would be while a Boy Scout leader. But I agree with Lisabob and Twocubdad, for the reasons they state, that this does not mean that you personally should wait. I'd say you should take it when you think you're ready.

[Eagle92]

Since it will be NOV and you will be a WDL, go aheead and get the WDL specific out of the way.

[jhankins]

I went to Wood Badge one year after I started in Scouting. I had just finished my first year as a Tiger Den Leader and had moved up to Wolf Leader.

 

Seeing the progression from Cubs to Boys to Venturing was incredibly beneficial for me. Being a woman, I was always viewing Scouting from the outside. Being in a patrol and doing the outdoor experience and the conservation project and having that camaraderie has been invaluable to my success.

 

Now, two years after my course, I'm a 3 beader, District Training Chair, Pack Trainer, and a unit commissioner. I serve on the Eagle Board panel on occasion and have a better feeling for the program as a whole. Wood Badge not only taught me the core of Scouting and how to apply leadership to the youth we serve, but it filled in a lot of things I hadn't learned yet as a Cubber.

 

Seeing how everything fits together as a Cubber really helps me feel like I can teach the boys better, knowing exactly what they'll be doing by experiencing it before I teach it.

[GKlose]

There are elements of what everybody is saying that I agree with too, especially Twocubdad's assertion that "time as a yute" member should make a difference.

 

I had time as a youth member, and a little bit of time as a Cub leader, but signed up for the next course scheduled in our council after I had signed on as an ASM with a troop. I was ready, and the part I thought is really valuable is that I knew some of the staff and participants, but not all. Now, I feel as if I know more than 3/4 of them, some of them very closely.

 

In my Owl Patrol (who?), Owl Patrol NE-I-267, we ranged in experience from someone who had been a Cub Den Leader for a year, and felt that he wanted to prepare to become a Cubmaster, to a Scoutmaster with a couple of years of experience, to an ASM of a few years of experience, to a district training chair with about 15 years of experience. All of us are maybe ages 35 to 55. A congenial, laid-back and wise group.

 

I've run into a few people, for example on our troop committee, that kind of have an attitude of "why would I want to sign up for that?" I'd have to say that if you have that kind of an attitude, WB would not be for you. But I would say that if you want more out of the Scouter experience, WB is the way to go.

 

Guy

[Basementdweller]

I believe that you must have all of the basic Boy Scout leader training completed. At least on the three wood badge applications I have seen all ask that question.

 

 

Whats the rush????

[Lisabob]

You have to have the basic training _for your position_ completed. For people who are not boy scout leaders, that is different from needing to have the basics for boy scout leaders completed.

 

Sounds to me like getting his cub leader training completed would not be a barrier for ScoutFish. He would need New Leader Essentials (now called This is Scouting), the appropriate Den Leader Specific training (which he is already planning to do), and Youth Protection training. The course is in November. He has a lot of time to do any of these that he hasn't already completed.

 

This is not to say that it either is, or is not, the right time for him to do WB, just that it doesn't sound like pre requisite training would be an issue.

 

 

[Scoutfish]

Basement... that's my whole point!

 

I don't want to rush it. But I don't want to wait too long either. Granted, each and every person has their own unique timeframe , but I wanted to get a general feel of when would might be a good time.

 

[nolesrule]

Well I've been a commissioner for almost 5 years now, and I'm taking it in 2 days.

[Scoutfish]

Good Luck Noles.

[Scoutfish]

Good Luck Noles. Keep us updated!