Woodbadge as Cult

[acco40]

I took Wood Badge. I was the only one in my troop to take it. To be perfectly honest, my wife signed me up. Did I start hanging with a different crowd? No. Did I wear my Wood Badge regalia to troop events? No.

 

However, I did notice about 1/3 of the folks could care less or possibly were not even aware I had completed my ticket or taken the course, about 1/3 had a positive reaction and congratulated me, and about 1/3 had a negative response - so you think you're better than us now?

 

I see it in the workplace at my job wrt Ph.Ds. Some respect them, some don't give a damn one way or the other and others go out of their way to criticize them. In my department, I have about 5 Ph.D. folks - some are great, some not so great and some fairly lacking wrt work performance. Same with Wood Badge.

[Basementdweller]

I have two of my ticket items completed, third is half finished, four one is tentatively scheduled, I intend on working on my diversity ticket item between thanksgiving and new years, to be presented on scout sunday 2011.

 

So I am going to finish it, I am maybe 1/4 the way done.

 

All of my ticket items are Pack related and things I am very passionate about. The tough one is the LNT Master educator, big commitment, hopefully I can get it done this year.

[WAKWIB]

Basementdweller:

 

Isn't Leave No Trace just another cult?

 

.....just kidding!

[Stosh]

Basementdweller,

 

Do it for the boys, and if you get left out in the cold by people, don't worry. Been there for almost 20 years now and all you need to do is put on an extra sweater and have fun with the boys.

 

However, with an outsider's perspective you have good insight into helping others with whether or not to participate in such programs as WB. I don't think the new program is any better than the old regardless of what people say, yet the idea of the ticket and doing something challenging for your pack/troop is a good idea. I re-work my ticket on a continual basis, each year setting up new goals of what I want to do for my troop in the coming year. I don't get any more beads or recognition for it, but it keeps me focused on what my boys need and whether or not I'm doing a good job of providing it. The ticket was the best part of WB for me.

 

Stosh

[Basementdweller]

Stosh if it weren't for the boys I would have stopped doing it a long time ago. A weekend camping with them exhausts me but also recharges my spirit.

[SMEagle819]

Thought about taking Woodbadge a couple of times. Once was when I was right out of college, and the troop I was working with wanted me to stay around, take Woodbadge, and one day take over for the Scoutmaster who had been there for 20 plus years. Couldn't find a job there, however, and moved back home. Hooked up with the troop I was in as a boy, signed up as an ASM, abnd started going to "general" training classes. Since I was young (and naive) at the time, I was offering to help with any committee out there on the district level. No wife or kids yet, so I had some time. I was never contacted. Tried to talk to people at Roundtables, saw the beads and neckers, and was more or less ignored. Thought about taking it then, but determined I did not want to become "one of them," my focus was on the boys (as many have stated here).

 

Few years later, took over as SM of the troop I grew up in. Replaced my SM, who had over 25 years service as SM. He's still around today; much better resource than some of the training I have attended. He passed on to me that the boys in the troop are primary; don't need all the glam and glitz of the knots and awards. The boys still look up to him, and he shares his knowledge freely with them. He is approaching 80, and any time I ask his advice on Woodbadge, he continuously says I don't need it. Right now, I believe him.

[CC332]

When I first joined our pack in the early 90's, the Cubmaster told me "If you go through Woodbadge, I will stop talking to you." When I asked why, she said "It's cult". I laughed and walked away.

 

In the early 2000's, our Scoutmaster was promoting Woodbadge and told all of the volunteer's that it was "manditory" we go through Woodbadge. After having been around the block a few times, I questioned him about it. This escalated into a heated arguement on his part, not mine, that left him totally enraged with me and I walked away laughing AGAIN.

 

In 2007, I took Woodbadge in my own council and had an awesome time. My course was very structured, very fun, and very exhausting. After all the book work, camping, tickets items and everything else that came from it, I walked away with a great sense of pride in what I had accomplished. Not for me though, for what I could give back to our pack and troop. Let's face it, that's the reson we do all this training.

 

It's unfortunate that your Woodbadge experience was so bad. I would encourage you to finish your ticket items, attend your beading ceremony and wear the beads proudly. You have earned them. As for the elitest's, well every council, district, and unit has them. Don't worry about them.

 

Why are we here? It's not for the knots, beads, sashes or patches. It's to help the youth of today become the leader's of tomorrow. Plain and simple. It's unfortunate some scouter's don't look at it that way.

 

Antelope's Rock!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alabama Scouter]

I had an awesome time in my Wood Badge course. Sorry basementdweller did not. WB exposed me to parts of the program I was unaware, being a fairly new scouter at the time. Later I was asked to serve on staff, and was impressed with the effort the Course Director took to recruit first time staffers. When asked again to serve, again the CD bent over backwards to recruit first time staffers. It was well over 50% that time. That is hardly elitist. I've read about some councils where WB is an insiders game. That is too bad, and I'm thankful my council is not one of these! The networking that can happen after WB is the strong selling point, you can make friends and contacts that you can use to benefit your unit. I'll say, too, that the CD on the second course made clear that "kidnapping" of totems and the like were not to happen. Didn't even come up in the others. No invitations are required to attend here, just pay the fee and meet the minimum National standards (be trained in your current position). I think attitude goes a long way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

I take people at their word that they've had bad experiences with Wood Badge and Wood Badge Trained people.

 

I took WB in 1985. It was a good experience for me. I would never require Wood Badge as a condition for any ordinary Scout position, but I'd encourage people to take it if they have the time and money to deepen and extend their Scouting experience.

 

As a district leader myself, I can't recall anyone being screened out of a leadership position because they hadn't taken Wood Badge. It might be commented on as a recomendation from time to time, if someone knows.

 

I've never heard of problems caused by Wood Badge in other districts of the council either.

 

 

[jhankins]

The only requirement for having a Wood Badge in my council I've heard of was Jamboree Scoutmaster.

[Eamonn]

I first took WB back in the 1970's. At the time I was a young know it all Scout Leader in the UK.

The only reason I took it was that I needed it in order to be an Assistant Scout Leader at the 1975 World Jamboree.

As a youth, the Troop I was in one of the better Troops. Very active and kinda old school, doing traditional type scouting in traditional ways. Being a Queen's Scout, I was very full of myself.

Wood Badge in the UK at that time treated the participants as Scouts, placing them in Patrols, having them work on Scouting type challenges. The Staff while for the most part proficient with the skills needed tended to be graybeards and maybe a little full of themselves. I had a great week, but I treated the entire thing as a bit of a joke.

When I moved to the USA, I first took the Cub Scout WB.

This was a course intended for people involved in training people involved in training. While held at a Scout Camp, it could in my opinion just as easily been presented in the conference room of the local Holiday Inn. All the meals were served in the dining room, there really was nothing of a practical nature to do.

This was a Regional Course and the staff tended to think that they were the cream of the crop. Something that was made very apparent when I later was invited to join the staff of a course.

Before being invited to staff the Cub Scout course I was invited to staff a Boy Scout course.

I was one of two new faces. Everyone else had served together numerous times. I did feel very much like an outsider, while maybe some of these old timers were willing to award me a couple of "Brownie Points" For having taken the course at the real Gilwell Park, the fact that I'd taken the Cub Scout WB was not seen as a good thing.

I went on to serve as a staff member for a good number of Boy Scout WB courses and was at times witness to some of the silliness that went on. At times and on some courses the silliness overshadowed the real aim of the course and worse still was the fact that many of the participants came away seeing this silliness as being what WB was all about.

I served on one of the first 21st Century WB Courses in our area. It was of course new and the CD invited seven guys who had served as SM on past courses to serve on staff. They just didn't get it. They were unable to accept that this new course was in fact the new course.They just didn't like the new course.

I served as CD for a 21st Century course. Over half the staff had never served as a staff member before and I was a real pain when it came to sticking to and following the syllabus.

I hope and like to think that everyone was very aware that the course was for and about the participants. A good number of whom have gone on to serve on courses as staff members.

I know that I was selected as a staff member and later as a CD because I was in with the people who had the last words on these selections.

I had over the years put myself forward and got involved in the Training's that were offered at the Council and District level. Of course when I first got involved people were unsure about me. Not sure what my motives were? Not sure how skilled I might be and maybe what my attitude was.

Of course the more I got involved the more people I worked with and the more we got to know about each other.

I think it is only normal that when you are asked to get something done you ask people you know who can get the job done along to help. Even if the risk is that it might be seen as some sort of elitist group.

When I wear a uniform I do wear my set of 4 beads. I am proud of them but I hope that maybe in some ways that they mark me as someone that others can come to and ask questions. Maybe some kind of a "Go to Guy"?

I have attended a lot of training's some have left me feeling inspired and wanting to go out and set the world on fire, while others have left me feeling that attending was a complete waste of my time and the time of others.

As a Council Training Chair. I really wanted to do everything possible to ensure that people didn't come away feeling that their time was wasted.

 

I am a big fan of training.

I enjoy spending time with adults who share the same values that I hold close to my heart.

I also have a lot of fun at trainings.

I think the 21st Century course is not a bad course.

But I wish that maybe it wasn't called Wood Badge.

In time it will be accepted as being The Wood Badge Course, but as long as there are people who want to look back and compare it to what it once was there will be an on going discussion which one was the better.

I do not in any way feel that I belong to any kind of a cult.

Wood Badge is just a course.

Some courses will be presented better than other courses, some participants will take away more than others.

Some Patrols will form bonds that last a lifetime while some will have a hard time remembering each others names five years after the course ends.

Some people I know talk about their WB experience almost like my Father-In-Law talked about his service in the armed services during WWII. A time of wonderful fellowship while working under pressure. They see what I see as the silliness as part and parcel of the course and look back on the window dressing with great fondness.

 

Basementdweller,

I'm saddened to hear that the course you attended didn't live up to your expectations.

A lot of what we try to do in Scouting falls short of maybe what we might want or like.

My hope is that just like the meeting or camp that we might be involved with falls short of our own expectations, we don't give up or point fingers, we in fact do our best to try and make the next one better and the one after that better still.

I know from your postings that you are a very busy fellow, but at some time you might want to remember how bad your experience was and then take on the job of making sure that no one else has to suffer as you did.

Ea.

 

 

[Basementdweller]

the courses SPL had two early twenty something sons in the course. One of these "EAGLE SCOUTS" was in my patrol, it was very obvious mom earned their eagles for them.

 

While I struggled writting my ticket as did most of my patrol members. one hour before the dead line for the final ticket turn in the SPL's son had not lifted a pen to begin writing his ticket. A staff member came into our Patrol site and dictated to him his Ticket, then the staff member hand carried it to turn it in point and it was approved first trip, well duh. I sat there and witnessed this first hand.

 

 

This will probably let the CD and SPL figure out my course and who I am.......I probably will not get my beads because of this post. This puts me in one of two patrols and one of sixteen people.

[BadenP]

I think most scouters who have not been through WoodBadge view it as a cult, and those of us who have been through it, some more than once, don't even realize that sometimes we act like we are a cult, especially the three and four beaders, lol.

[TAHAWK]

Hardly a "cult" hereabouts. Not remotely that controlling. More so if you want to serve on Staff.

 

But where you have people, you have politics, egos, cliques, plotting, etc. Scouting is not immune. Adults could keep that in line, but training in general has never been important in my Council. Effectively, there has been no Council-level head of training for about ten years (years of vacancy and years of title-holders). So the training folk do their own "thing" - for better or worse - and sometime it is better.

 

This third version of Wood Badge is a decent course with some very odd confusion in the text of the syllabus. (I'm told the syllabus suffered from a rewrite at B.S.A. to avoid having to pay royalties to the Blanchard folks who initially developed it.) Odds are, if you don't go in already negative, it's worth taking (but less so if you already took "Interactive Leadership" in the private sector).

 

The secrecy is unpleasant. There is an inner group that selects Staff and senior Staff that is so secret that its membership is secret.

[ScoutBox]

Not where I am.. I was chosen, and I am as far away from my council as I can be. And there are others even farther. I'm 6 hours. But no click. No good ol'boys. But like scouting a lot of the Usual Suspects.. I'm becoming one of those. But my Council works hard to make sure that everyone gets involved. Seems to me there's more of the old boys club in the States..