Safeguarded Wood Badge Discussions?

[SMEagle819]

In my district, WB still exudes the "elitist" attitude. What I mean is, if you have something to share, or an opinion to offer, it doesn't seem top be taken seriously (or sometimes, even acknowledged) unless you have the WB beads and other accoutrements. I'm trying to have an open mind about the course, but still can't get past the "upptiness" of many involved in WB. From what I read on these posts, I think I would like to take it, but the attitude here in my district, turns me off.

[SR540Beaver]

OGE,

 

There may still be some pockets of elitism regarding WB, but the folks doing that are not being trustworthy. A Course Director is required to attend a Course Directors Development Conference prior to their course. At this conference, the CD signs a contract and takes a pledge to deliver the syllabus as written. I don't have my Admin guide here at work, but many requirements are in place on how to staff a course that go a long way from preventing the cliques of old. Each course has to have a minimum of 30% new staff. Once a person has staffed as a CD, they can no longer staff. A great deal of effort goes into being as diverse as possible when assembling a staff. Age, gender, religion, program, race, district are just a few of the items on the list. If you are a black, muslim, woman who is a Venturing Advisor from a small outlying district, you are a shoo-in for WB staff! I am currently serving as the back-up CD on a course and it is kind of sad to see our CD who has staffed 5 courses previously NOT be able to assemble the staff he wants, but the staff he is required to pull together. I say sad on a personal level because of the relationships built while staffing a course. I understand the method to the madness. The idea is to open WB staffing to everyone who meets the requirments for staffing and for the CD to develop a staff rather than make it a reward for his buddies and our CD fully understands and embraces the concept. We do two courses a year, so that is 96 people who can attend WB per year in our council. It is rare that we have a completely full course, so I am hard pressed to say that WB in MY council is elitist. Anybody who can afford to go can and we have scholarships if they can't.(This message has been edited by sr540beaver)

[jhankins]

The 30% new staff recommendation is just that -- a recommendation. The language in the guide states it's a "deisrable ratio." Sometimes it's just not possible to get new people because of other things happening in a council. This year has been hard for us to get new staff because of the anniversary events adding an extra load to the calendars. This year our spring course is at 20% new staff, and for the fall course we're just over 30% at the moment (but staff recruitment is on-going).

 

Yes, we strive for diversity, but sometimes it's not possible. It takes time to foster relationships within our ten districts. Some districts just don't have people who would care to attend or staff. But we won't recruit diversity for its own sake and risk not delivering a quality program.

 

The 2010 Admin guide states that a WB course director can come back and staff in a required or optional position after their 18 month term as Course Director is over. They just can't be a CD again (page 5).

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

jhankins,

 

Finally got my hands on the admin guide and you are right. BSA has to accomodate a variety of situations. In our council, we do a spring and fall course each year. That gives us plenty of material to work with for developing new staff and the 30% isn't a guideline, but a council requirement here. The council to the south of us is much smaller and more rural and has not had a WB course in years. Their scouters rarely travel up to our council to attend WB. As a result, they have so few WB21C trained leaders that they can NOT pull together a staff to hold a council course if they wanted to. We have one scouter in our coucil who once traveled out of state to be CD for a course so their council could get enough people trained to begin running courses again. Our council has two metropolitan areas in it and that is where the majority of our participants come from. The scouters in the rural towns in the outlying districts tend to not come to WB as much. So when we are trying to build a diverse staff, the district diversity often gives us fits. Because we have two courses a year and a lot of potential staffers to pull from, we don't put 4 beaders back into staff rotation. They do serve as support staff and do the cooking and dishwashing. This frees our QM staff to do the heavy lifting their jobs require as well as do presentations and still get some sleep. Occasionally we will have a 4 beader support staff person serve as a back up presenter if a staffer gets sick. We are very fortunate to have a healthy and active WB culture in our council. Others are not as fortunate and therefore the admin guide allows for some needed flexibility.

[OldGreyEagle]

Gentlemen, Let me say that I loved the Wood Badge course I took and heartily reccommend Wood Badge to anyone who thinks they might be interested

 

There are not many times you meet as many people as excited about scouting as you meet in Wood Badge. I took Wood Badge for the 21rst Century and was kinda derided for it in my District as it wasn't the Real Wood Badge. Then it was pointed out to me here that unless one took Wood Badge before 1972 (I think I have the year correct) you didn't take real Wood Badge anyway.

 

I took Wood Badge because I noticed at Roundtables there would be discussions about various things, such as what theme for the District DInner, I would say, Space Travel and the discussion would move on. A minute or so later some guy wearing beads would say I think the theme should be Space Travel and he would be aclaimed a Creative Genius. After this happened a few times, well more than a few times, I decided if I wanted a voice in the District I would have to get beads. Along the way I had a great time.

 

Having a safeguarded Wood Badge area would only fuel some of the poor attitudes some scouters have about Wood Badged Scouters. Now I know this attitude is supposed to change. National has recognized the elitist notions and is working to change it, but change is slow.

 

I am very glad I did Wood Badge and would do it again even if it meant I didnt find a voice in District Affairs (BTW, I am now heard in District Meetings)

[dg98adams]

This is an interesting topic, especially since I have been a participant and a TG. Want to see a reaction, ask about going "out of Council for WB", even though we had a couple in the last course come from "out of our Council"

 

But not to derail the topic... ever notice how many WB neckers/beads you see at Council/District events volunteering? Often they have sons who have grown and gone. A few I know have sons/daughters/spouse that have completed the course.

 

I didn't realize it much when I was CM.... even thought it was strange with the "faded red neckers & wood necklaces". Now that I have been a ASM for several years, and a WB'er myself it's significant.

 

 

 

[jhankins]

Oh, that's a whole other matter -- going out of council for Wood Badge! Recently, we had a gentleman come all the way from 3.5 hours away to our district's BALOO training because his council wasn't offering one for a year! That's one dedicated Cubmaster! In the end, after doing our little Wood Badge commercial we do at every training, this guy signed up for our Wood Badge, when I know for a fact his council does one. Impressions and friendships can pull people to other councils, and I'm so glad it does -- To me it doesn't matter where your Gilwell is, it just matters that you go.

 

At our last Area Leadership Conference I heard more than one cluster course happening. SR540Beaver, has that ever been brought up as an option, to get your southern neighbor involved?