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Woodcraft as Adult Training


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If I'm tracking with you Basement, we're talking about using woodcraft skills for adult training.......

 

- Hiking

- Patrol Camping

- Patrol Cooking

- Various competitions--first aid, orienteering, pioneering, fire building, swimming, etc.

 

Essentially, anything we ask our scouts to achieve, we should be able to achieve it as well.

 

Some have commented that woodcraft is one method of scouting, and emphasis should be placed on the other methods too.

 

While this is true, woodcraft skill has traditionally been the hallmark of a scout. If woodcraft is no longer a prime interest of scouting, then what's the point?

 

Also, the emphasis should be on leadership, with management being the minor consideration. Management teaches us how to build a patrol duty roster. Leadership motivates the scouts to actually perform those duties, and juggle the challenges of ability and motivation.

 

Scouts have traditionally learned leadership skills this way for decades.

 

Proof of the detrimental effects of downplaying leadership and woodcraft? BSA history, '72 - '80.

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I think a that a Scoutcraft week's worth of training would be nice for those who need it. You take the basics of what you learned in IOLS, and apply it the week or two weekends. Topics/activities to include (but not limited to) the following:

 

Patrol Method

Cooking over open fire (no stoves)

Orienteering competition

Pioneering competition

First aid

Backpacking

Wilderness survival

Knife, ax, saw work

 

adn I know I am forgetting a bunch.

 

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I was thinking even more basic than Patrol method.

 

We are talking basic woodcraft.

 

As stated

Cooking over an open fire

Campsite selection and setting up with in the site

Fire building

Leave no trace

Respect and the outdoors

Plant ID

track ID

animal ID

reptile ID

Sounds of the wild

Weather forecasting

way finding

Season specific issues

Improvised shelter,

gathering food

Pioneering, rope work

True cross country Orienteering.

Backpacking

Gear selection, type and quality

 

The course would probably be 4 weekends all in the field over the course of a year, one per season. This would be probably need to be a regional type training.

 

Remember most Adult scouters are life long city dwellers, they have minimal if any outdoor skills. They could not find their way out of the woods let alone self rescue.

 

With that said, there is no possible way it could be implemented or taught at a troop level. this would absolutely positively have to be Patrol level instruction.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

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I wonder if you'd want to break it up into a couple of different tracks. Building off the existing lists...

 

Tracks would be something like:

A. animals & nature - would focus on understanding nature & the world around us.

Plant ID

track ID

animal ID

reptile ID

Sounds of the wild

 

B. warm season camping - would focus on camping when weather is not an issue and the camping is easier. Allows you to focus on taking your IOLS training to the next level. For example, cooking

Cooking over an open fire

Gear selection, type and quality

Campsite selection and setting up with in the site

Fire building

Leave no trace

Respect and the outdoors

Pioneering, rope work

Improvised shelter,

gathering food

 

C. challenging conditions camping - focused on the challenging conditions you may experience with scouts. This is a region specific unit. i.e., the north east might do winter camping

Gear selection, type and quality

Campsite selection and setting up with in the site

Weather forecasting

Season specific issues

 

D. hiking & back country/minimalist camping - A several day trek covering a moderate distance and focusing on building those hiking and orienteering skills.

way finding

True cross country Orienteering.

Backpacking

Gear selection, type and quality

Campsite selection and setting up with in the site

 

Each track would be a combination of a class room day and then a long weekend camping experience.

 

If there were something equivalent to Woodbadge beads given out, you'd need to complete all the tracks to earn them.

 

 

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This idea or variants of it have been kicked around here before, and I'm thankful it still has life. Seemed for every Scouter who would like to lead or take this sort of training there is a White Stag trained WoodBadger speaking against it and I can't believe very many in the professional ranks will approve either. Still there is hope, my local camp is underutilized once summer camp is over so I don't think they would have a problem with renting a campsite for a long weekend of informal Scouter training.

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IOLS will soon become required training in order to have a unit chartered. IOLS covers teaching adult leaders the skills needed to meet the Tenderfoot thru 1st Class requirements. In addition, our council has a two weekend council developed course called Outdoor Skills Training that covers more advanced high adventure outdoor skills beyond Tenderfoot to 1st Class. Then there is always Powderhorn.

 

The current Wood Badge course isn't intended to teach what these other courses teach. It's stated purpose is different. I don't understand why so many Scouters misunderstand it's intent and purpose.

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1st, IOLs is inadequate. You don't even need to demonstrate skill to receive your card. Seen participants unable to identify poison ivy get their card......how do I know they were sitting in it at graduation. Amazing.......

 

Powder horn, from the outside, appears to be Adult scouts having fun. Nothing wrong with that, but not exactly what we are after.

 

"Much like the new Powder Horn course can change the life of the Venturing crew advisor. It gives that advisor the opportunity to taste high adventure. It gives them confidence they need to find experts and resources to help them provide experiences for their youth. "

 

Correct me if I am wrong or misinformed but Powder horn is how to conduct a high adventure program. Not exactly what is being proposed. We are talking intermediate to advance outdoor skills.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

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"The current Wood Badge course isn't intended to teach what these other courses teach. It's stated purpose is different. I don't understand why so many Scouters misunderstand it's intent and purpose."

 

I don't think that the new course's purpose and intent is misunderstood. What I think is misunderstood by many Scouters (including myself) is why the course was changed so radically, or why this kind of advanced training is being held up as preferable to advanced outdoor training, or why there isn't more emphasis being placed on traditional Scouting.

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