Safeguarded Wood Badge Discussions?

[Scoutfish]

There is a forum fo OA that is safeguarded. There is a password to get in. I guess that password is part of some ceremony when you join or are accepted into Order of the Arrow?

 

Anyways, reading about part of a Wood Badge course activity has me wondering about wether some things in Wood Badge should have this same set up: a private Wood Badger Safe area.

 

Now, I know by reading the original posters comments that there was no intention to "display" a course activity in the public eye, but it was also unavoidable in order to get some info or opinions from others who TOOK Wood Badge.

 

Now, I guess I could say I know I should not have read the posts, but it's also like saying you shouldn't stare at a train wreck in front of you either........You know you shouldn't..but you can't pull your eyes away either.

 

Now, I have informed my own opinion over something in a class I plan to take next year. Originally, I was going to take Wood Badge this year, but talked myself into waiting, and had that decision confirmed by many of you as well - telling me that you too felt my waiting was wise.

 

Again, I think I figured out the point of the exercise, but I also hope that I am wrong about that as to not ruin the point of participating in the exercise in person!

 

Then again, I can talk about eating food all day long and it's not quite the same as actually sitting down at the table and eating real food! Know what I mean? I can tell you about a movie, but it's not the same was watching it yourself.

 

Anyways, shouldn't....couldn't Wood Badge have the same "private and secure" forum available as OA does?

[Eagle69]

OA is an honor society that is part of scouting. You have to be selected to get in, Wood Badge is open to anyone that wants to sign up for the course and pay the money. There is nothing "secret" about WB. There is some stuff that people try and be vague about so they won't spoil the fun for someone that hasn't been. The more discussion the better people will understand what it's about and they can then decide if they want to go or not so there is no reason for a super secret forum.

[dg98adams]

I agree, no protected forum needed for WB. IMO the only discussion on the board for WB concerned a very minor object lesson. If you know the desired outcome going in, you would likely keep quiet.

 

In fact, I found the object of that lesson not very useful anyways.

[CalicoPenn]

Back in the day, Wood Badge was seen by many as elitist and not worth the time and effort by those "on the line" (the folks actually working with the Scouts). The impression was that the folks that took Wood Badge were District and Council Scouters, not Unit Scouters - and that's the way that Wood Badgers wanted it. Many saw it as some kind of secret, inside club among adults who thought they were more important than others. I knew an awful lot of old timers that never went to Wood Badge, never would go to Wood Badge, and would toss anyone who came in to their campsite spewing "Wood Badge Nonsense" out on their ears.

 

As I recall, the reason for this push back was because of a general sense of secrecy that some in Wood Badge expressed, and a general lack of sharing of the wealth, as it were.

 

Whether any of these complaints were legitimate isn't the point. What is the point is that too many people felt there were too many secrets about the whole Wood Badge training. The attitude around Wood Badge seems to have changed for the better since those days - it would be a shame if a sense of secrecy started popping up about it again.

 

 

 

edited to remove a hanging sentence fragment(This message has been edited by CalicoPenn)

[Scoutfish]

Okay, let me rephrase it:

 

Woudn't it be better to have the option of 1 "inclusive" forum for Wood Badge?

 

If you go to the OA form, you see some are public and some are not.

 

For speaking specifically on a certain subject, maybe Wood Badger would like an area where - while talking about specific things such as the post this thread was spun from, could do so without giving away the specifics of the course.

 

For instance, I "believe" I understand the point of the particular activity. But I could be wrong too. What if I or others had a blemished view of Wood Badge based on misunderstandings or false impressions?

 

I still plan on taking Wood Badge next year. But what if I had previous reservations about Wood Badge, and after reading some of the negative comments on the spun thread...decided that Wood Badge was not benificila at all?

 

In that particular case, wouldn't a private discussion amongst those who already have taken Wood Badge been more appropriate?

 

Again, not saying the entire thing should be secret, but having the option of one "Wood Badgers Only" thread available.

[jhankins]

Open communication about what Wood Badge is, what topics are covered and the ticket process is vital to getting people to sign up and participate in my council these days. We demistify what a ticket is before the course, for those that want details we talk Blanchard, Covey and DePree so they understand what type of course this is. For college students or people asking work to pay for Wood Badge, we write letters explaining in detail what we discuss.

 

There's nothing really secret about Wood Badge anymore.

 

So yes, in the other thread we talked about "The Game," but when you're actually on course, go through the stages of team development, and experience it, what we talked about here will mean something different for you.

 

This is why we have training courses. Reading the material is one thing, actually experiencing Wood Badge is another beast entirely.

 

 

[Scoutfish]

That's cool !

 

I'm not trying to argue a point or side, but my second post was just to make sure my question was understood.

 

I asked a question, and I got great answers.

[Eagle92]

J,

I was told that WB21C no longer qualifies for CE credit like the old WB course. Has that changed? While I know my job doesn't have the budget to pay for me to got ot WB, esp after goign to 3 conferences with in a month, I may be able to get them to pay my salary to go IF I can get some CEs out of it.

[Jeffrey H]

Interesting disussion. Both Woodbadge and the Order of the Arrow are NOT secret societies and all Scouts and Scouters should feel free to share their experiences with anyone. Secret societies are not allowed in the Boy Scouts of America. All activities are open to public observation and inquiry. I'm a Brotherhood member of the OA and I will not hesitate to share with anyone who asks me about my Brotherhood ordeal. OA members like to pretend there are "secrets" they are forbidden to share, but that's a bunch of bologna.

 

It seems strange to me that there would be a "safeguarded" discussion board for the Order of the Arrow. If you have something private to share with another, just take it offline.

(This message has been edited by Jeffrey H)

[emb021]

"I was told that WB21C no longer qualifies for CE credit like the old WB course. Has that changed? While I know my job doesn't have the budget to pay for me to got ot WB, esp after goign to 3 conferences with in a month, I may be able to get them to pay my salary to go IF I can get some CEs out of it."

 

AFAIK, WB21C no longer qualifies for CE credit.

 

My understanding was that it costs money for the BSA to do so, and so few people took advantage of it.

 

Most companies who pay for WB do so for the content, not CEs, in my experience.

 

[jhankins]

It depends on the school. If you're taking leadership classes at a local college here, they'll give you internship credit for WB. A local employer asked us to write a letter for HR to put in the file, and they have paid for 5 employees to attend WB in the past three years.

 

It helps to have Scouters in the top ranks of the schools and companies too

[jhankins]

While the OA isn't a secret society, the handbook encourages misdirecting topics, mystery and vagueness when answering questions about the Order. The handbook even says not to disclose ceremonial information unless it's to your parents only. To some this can be seen as "secret."

[emb021]

"Back in the day, Wood Badge was seen by many as elitist and not worth the time and effort by those "on the line" (the folks actually working with the Scouts)."

 

I think this was largely true, but this was so decades ago. When WB was brought back to the US post-WWII, it was pretty much offered in only 2 places: Schiff and Philmont, so only the top council/district people could go. Much later, cluster-council courses were offered. But the 70s/80s, councils were offering it every 2-3 years. This made it possible for 'front line' scouters to take it. (that's when I, as an ASM was able to go; along with our SM and his wife, a committee member).

 

Yeah, there was an element of elitist. Some was actually caused by how the course was to be administered and delivered. This slowly changed, and many of the changes in the current WB was to reverse this.

 

Most councils are offerent WB every year or so, so few 'front line' scouters have an excuse not to go. Sure, there many be some councils were the 'wb elistist' still exists, but that should be rare.

 

So let's move on.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Emb,

 

Unfortunatley it may be the time to move on, but several Wood Badgers, in my Council at least, have not.

 

There is a course this September and the SPL boasts it will be his 8th course.

 

 

Wood Badge continues to be elitist in some areas and the best way to combat this is to be upfront, acknowledge it and then move on

[Scoutfish]

Well, I see "elitist" as an attitude deficiency.

 

After we finished taking BALOO , I was talking to some DL's from another pack. One had an elitist attitude already having only finished BALOO 10 minutes ago. He in no certain terms decided that everybody in his pack HAD to run everything by him concerning going outside. One of his felow pack members pointed out that he now was part of a group of 15 guys who had BALOO at his pack.

 

But his was "The most recent and therefore superior" !

 

 

Just meant to point out, anybody can act elitist about anything!(This message has been edited by scoutfish)