My thoughts on Wood Badge weekend 1

[Tokala]

nolesrules 2nd weekend is March 26-28. We highly encourage the participants to work on writing their ticket during the break. The diversity item is usually reserved until the second weekend when they are given the presentations on diversity.

[BrentAllen]

At the courses I served on, we tried to get the Tickets pretty well fleshed out during the first weekend. They HAD to have them ready to turn in at the beginning of the second weekend. The staff were lined up at the gate for the beginning of the second weekend, waiting for the participants to arrive. As they did, they were required to hand in their tickets before they could go any further. If a participant had problems getting them worked out by the end of the first weekend, the TG/Ticket counselor worked with them over the break to get them written.

[Tokala]

We also encourage them to discuss their ideas with their units during the break between weekends. If they have an idea and it gets approved by their Troop Guide and the unit refuses to let them work that part of their ticket, then we haven't accomplished much. Communicating with the unit during the break can save lots of headaches on the second weekend.

[NeilLup]

Congratulations, fellow Bob White. We are lovers, not fighters.

 

Sounds as if you are having a fantastic course. You may want to rethink and polish a few of your ticket items as you go through the second weekend but that, of course, is up to you.

 

How large is the course?

 

Have a wonderful time at the second weekend and working your ticket.

 

Loquacious Bob White

R-12-25

[Tokala]

NeilLup, SR-1022 has 39 participants. One dropped at the last minute due to his landlord selling his house out from under the renter. Forty was max for the course because I ended up with 5 troop guides.

[NeilLup]

39 is a nice reasonable size. AS you get to 48, schedules start to get pushed.

 

At one time, I directed a course of 61. This was before the current number limits were in place (2001.) We had 8 patrols of 7 and 8 and schedules got extremely tight.

 

One question and I know that the Course Director does what he or she has to do.

 

I had been trained that patrol sizes should be a maximum of six participants to give each participant a chance to serve as PL. That's how the course maximum of 48 is achieved. Six participants per patrol times 8 patrols = 48 participants. If you have 39 and only 5 Troop Guides, you have 8 person patrols. For 39 participants, shouldn't you really have 7 patrols? If you were short TGs, could you get some last minute TGs. I know, for example, that in our council, was have a "swat" team of former course directors and other experienced staffers who can step in at the last minute to fill in. These could either be a last minute TG (it has happened) or else step in as Scribe or QM to allow the current scribe or QM to move to TG.

[Tokala]

I had discussions about shuffling some staff around to get back to 6 or 7 troop guides. It didn't leave us with enough people to cover the remaining material and responsibilities. My Council does an excellent job of moving staff through and not going back to the 'old guard'. I had lined up 2 previous staffers that could fill in as troop guides at the last minute, but they both decided that if they weren't good enough to be 'on' staff than they didn't want to be 'standbys'.

[NeilLup]

" I had lined up 2 previous staffers that could fill in as troop guides at the last minute, but they both decided that if they weren't good enough to be 'on' staff than they didn't want to be 'standbys'."

 

That's sad and somewhat at odds with "A Scout is Helpful" and "To help other people at all times." It's truly a shame when that happens.

 

Sounds as if you were well prepared and handled it very well. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

 

[Tokala]

Part 'gotta do what ya gotta do" and part trust in the staff that I do have. The guides really did a good job. I would have liked to spread the work out, but none of them grumbled about having 7 or 8 patrol members.

[nolesrule]

Two thumbs up for Bruce the Troop Guide.

 

And he's been staying in contact with all of us SR-1022 Bobwhites through the time in between.

 

Now if only we can find some time for our patrol to meet once or twice for the project. We have ridiculously divergent schedules. We've been working via email so far, but there's lag time in doing that.

[nolesrule]

Weekend 2 starts tomorrow morning. Time to finish packing.

 

We developed a commemorative Bobwhites patrol "temporary patch" , but unfortunately we didn't come up with the idea in time to have them ready for this weekend.

 

Looking forward to begin working my ticket on Monday.

 

I was looking at our District newsletter and it appears that a College of Commissioner Science course day is being held in mid-May, and on a date that doesn't conflict with anything (that I am aware of). So hopefully by the end of May I'll have 2 ticket items completed.

 

I'll write up my thoughts on the second weekend when I get back. It might be a few days, since Passover starts Monday night, and I'm not sure how much free time I'll have until after the second seder.

[JMBadger]

How much did you know about the two weekends before you went?

 

I knew almost nothing! When I asked, one wood badger told me that going in cold was sort of the point, that everyone started at ground zero and built up from there. I wasn't told it was all a secret, but from her reticence I figured it simply was part of the plan that I go in clueless.

 

It wasn't until almost the last minute that I thought of doing a web search. DUH! Even then I didn't have a clear notion of what was expected for the ticket, and knew nothing about a "diversity" item. I jotted a few ideas down, but writing the actual ticket didn't occur until day 5.

 

I remember my troop guide early on the very first day saying we should start writing up our tickets as soon as possible, but he didn't go on say what it was. It seemed he expected us to already know, and I felt odd that I seemed to be the only one who wasn't up to speed.

[John-in-KC]

Tokala,

 

I know you are already in the field for weekend 2 along with your student nolesrule, but your implementation of the curriculum sounds spot on. Perfect is the enemy of Good.

 

I am saddened that other staffers, when asked, would not step up to the plate. I remember my CD specifically thanking two who had stepped in at the last minute.

 

Please give my special kudos to TG Bruce. My TG in my course was emphatic that "During the intersession, I am Troop 1. Ask me a question, I will get you an answer you can hang your hat on." Bruce sounds like the same sort of guy.

[jhankins]

Something we did to accommodate an added patrol member was hold a patrol leader oath ceremony at closing flag of weekend 1. This allowed for a PL for the mid-course patrol meetings and for a large leadership role. I was pleased with the result of doing that.

 

I wish more councils took into consideration that the 30% staffing request is just that -- a request. If it means short-changing your course to have a perfect ratio of old:new staff, it's only penalizing the participants of the best program that could be given.

[nolesrule]

Today was a rather emotional day for participants and staff. I'll need some time to organize my thoughts. I'll spin off a separate thread when I have it all written up and ready to post.

 

John, TG Bruce was our sole point of contact with staff during the intersession period (other than what Tokala has posted here in this thread and the fact that one member of our patrol is the son of one of the other TGs for the course... and I don't think they avoided each other for 4 weeks). TG Bruce did his role well (for a Beaver). Our patrol formed quickly on that first day 30 days ago and he enabled us early on.