WB registration question...

[camilam42]

Our CM has inquired to me about the possiblity of attending Wood Badge or sending committee members/leaders. The problem comes in that many of our leaders are not financially able to swing the course. My question is two-fold: 1)are there scholarships/aid available and/or 2)is it unheard of to have the pack/troop pay/CO for the leaders to attend?

 

Thanks in advance!

[GKlose]

There are units that do pay for their adult leaders' training, Woodbadge included.

 

Mine didn't, but then again, I didn't ask.

 

I expect to become a CC someday, and I plan on implementing the policy. If we have an adult leader willing to make the commitment for Woodbadge, the course fee is a small price to pay.

 

Guy

[OwntheNight]

Contact the course director and ask them about their scholarship opportunities. The course I took, we passed the plate around specifically for the Wood Badge scholarship fund set up by the Council. Come to think of it, we passed the plate at our 90 day reunion, and our Wood Badge Council dinner!

 

Some employers might be inclined to pick up part or all of the fee, since it is marketed as Leadership training.

[JFL49]

AFL-CIO offers scholarships:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/Relationships/AFL-CIOWoodBadgeScholarship.aspx

 

as does the VFW:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/Relationships/VFWWoodBadgeScholarship.aspx

 

Some employers will pay for the program once they recognize the value returned.

 

Many units in our Council pay for at least half of the Wood Badge fees, and often 100% of the cost.

 

Finally, we have an annual WB Dinner for the express purpose of raising funds for participant scholarships, typically paying half of the fees of participants based on demonstrated need. For our most recent course, we provided partial scholarships for over a dozen Scouters.

[jhankins]

Definitely talk to the course director, and consider asking your employer. I wrote a letter last year for anyone looking to approach their employer for paying for all/part of the course, and it details the basis of the program and the learning objectives.

 

This year we raised $1,000 at our reunion dinner for scholarships. That doesn't even count the people who chip in to pay to help send people from their districts on their own.

[SSScout]

Ditto the above. My union at the time (AFL/CIO) paid for mine. My bosses looked at it and put me in for a pro

 

motion (denied... another story).

Also, approach the local Lions Club or Kiwanis or Rotary. All have sponsored local Scouters in the past for such opportunities.

And your CO?

[Eagle92]

Question, does WB21C now provide CEs, CEUs, or whatever they are called, like the older course did? I know that some companies in the past did pay for WB, and in 1 or 2 cases I heard about, also paid the employee their wages for the week.

 

 

[emb021]

"Question, does WB21C now provide CEs, CEUs, or whatever they are called, like the older course did?"

 

No.

 

Am told the reason is that there is a cost involved (for the BSA) to do so, and not enough people took advantage of this with the prior course to bother to continue to do so.

 

 

Some councils have Wood Badge Scholarships. I know the councils down here do this, funded by grills run at scout events by WBers, and annual WB gatherings/breakfasts. If your council doesn't have this, consider proposing they do so.

 

Also, some units may be willing to help with cost (all or part, usually based on finishing your ticket), as well as other service groups or employeers.

 

 

[airborneveteran]

2)is it unheard of to have the pack/troop pay/CO for the leaders to attend?

 

My pack paid for me to attend.

[dg98adams]

Our WB staff dinner & shoulder patch sales generates scholarships, no more than 1/2 of the cost of a participants WB course I believe.

 

My pack was too small to pay for mine when I was CM or the previous CM, I don't think either one of us brought it up though.

 

If I was serving a pack/Troop/Crew now in a position other than as UC, I would bring it up. It was that useful to the Pack/Troop IMO.

 

Our troop has 2 (including myself) Wood Badge leaders (and staffers), so it's not an unknown subject if the Troop had the funds.

 

(This message has been edited by dg98adams)

[JFL49]

If you need help convincing an employer to pay for Wood Badge, we've found this type of presentation helpful:

 

http://www.ctyankee.org/fs/page/001148/08woodbadgedearemployer2.pdf

 

 

[airborneveteran]

BTW, In our pack I had already bought my own adult leader uniform (mistake) to save the unit the expense (I really didn't understand that in my son's unit they really don't want me to buy stuff because some of our leaders can't afford to do the same).

 

So me *not* paying for Wood Badge was about me finally getting on board with the way the pack committee wants things done.(This message has been edited by airborneveteran)

[Lisabob]

Different councils and different units operate with different budget constraints and philosophies.

 

1. Yes, there are scholarships out there. My council offers to pay about half of the cost of the course for scholarship recipients. The council philosophy has been that all participants should have some financial stake in the course, which is why our scholarships don't cover the entire cost. Other councils (and other groups outside the BSA) may think differently about this.

 

2. Yes, some units fund this. The pack I was part of when I took WB paid for about half the cost (scholarship covered the other half). I paid out of pocket for the additional uniform stuff that I didn't already own.

 

Again, it really depends a lot on where you are and what the local policy is. For my part though, I think that both the council and my unit got enough out of me to justify their financial support. And I could not have done WB without that support.

[Tokala]

My Council typically offers up to four 50% scholarships. No free rides. People tend to follow through when they invest their fair share. The troop that I was registered with would contribute 50% of the fee to attend also.

[JMBadger]

As COR I just got my American Legion Post to agree to pay $200 (maximum) for one leader per year to attend Wood Badge. BUT, the money is in the form of reimbursement, not cash up front. Seems the members know of too many leaders who failed to earn their beads.