Looking Forward to Wood Badge

[Kudu]

 

JMHawkins writes:

 

"What's missing from the introductory training?"

 

Maybe we can use EDGE to figure out what's missing from the Patrol Method presentation of Scoutmaster Training.

[TAHAWK]

Rick says: "Maybe we can use EDGE to figure out what's missing from the Patrol Method presentation of Scoutmaster Training."

 

As of mid-January, neither "EDGE" was incorporated in the SM/SA training syllabus, which has many other problems. Beyond that, your comment is equivalent to "Maybe we can use FOS to figure out what's missing." Very "edgy" but hardly logical.

 

And what's wrong with teaching that talk needs to give way to application (Teaching EDGE) or that adults need to step back and let the Boys run things (Leading EDGE)?

 

 

Still waiting for a statement of your point, Rick.

 

WB needs to be improved? Doubt that given your unalterable hatred of all leadership training for generations.

 

Scrap current version and return to pre-1972 course? For all basic-trained Scouters or for elite as before? Cubbing Scouters?

 

 

[Kudu]

 

Only a total dick types his name in CAPS.

[TAHAWK]

So nice to have reasoned discourse, Rick.

[Kudu]

 

Just sayin'

[ScoutBox]

I will have to tell you that my scouting experience isn't long. I only got back involved two and a half years ago. When I joined my troop, I found a unit that was adult lead. No trained leaders, the SM wasn't involved. no TLT. No nothing. The adults who were leading the troop weren't very pro adult training. They wanted a more non-BSA scout troop as many scouts and families were from the UK. I did the basic training, and very soon afterwards did IOLS. Then soon afterwards went to Woodbadge. All inside of 6 months. I got my hands on a SM Handbook, and though that it was a waist of time. I read it several times and found it lacked in boy training, and real information for a SM on how to do his job. Later I started finding and reading older copies of SM Handbooks where I was educated better. WB was in between this education. THere I really got to see how things were properly done in a Troop. You see, many of you are either older scouters, or have been involved with communities that have longer BSA roots. You aren't alone in scouting in your area. your districts, and council isn't so far away. We here were more like on our own. ANd things got out of hand. Scouting went the wrong direction. That's why I was and am still a problem where I scout, in my area. There are still units doing it their own way, and not the BSA way. I was asked to become a Commissioner here. I saw the need, since there were none anyway. I have found it hard going. but I work daily on the job. Getting units to re-charter on time is a task. THere are no round tables. There's bad blood between troops. People don't want to be helped. SO you see, I got here, and being a former military person, knew that I would need some training, so I got it. And now I am a Council Trainer, I am organizing adult training in my area. That's because people wont drive 6 hours for training. COunt yourselves lucky. YOu next door to whatever training is offered. I find it funny when someone says that driving two hours to train is too far. Hell, I wish that's all I would have to drive. In fact, the min. time it takes to get to a training for anyone here is a hour. And that's the lucky ones. So when I say I learned about the Patrol method in Woodbadge I wasn't joking. IOLS really didn't talk too much about it. in fact nothing I can remember. But WB Did.

[packsaddle]

LeCastor opened this thread with a very upbeat, optimistic opening. It deteriorated, putting it mildly. ScoutBox improved the tone and I thank him for that.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[skeptic]

Please, those that find the need to be insulting or bait others; stop! Try to remember the Scout Oath and Law. Thanks.(This message has been edited by skeptic)

[airborneveteran]

LeCastor enjoy your Wood Badge course. There is much useful info to be learned there. Nothing is perfect but it is a good course. Meeting your fellow scouters and sharing the good and the bad of how to make this program work for boys was one of the best things about WB21C.

 

Get contact information from everyone you can while you are there (not just the staffers) and make a note of what they know that's unique. Some of here speak as if they "know it all" but one thing I learned at WB21C is that almost everyone in the course knows at least one thing that you may one day be able to use to help make the program work out better for the boys. When you encounter problems know who to email.

[Twocubdad]

CAUTION: HISTORICAL CONTENT

 

I am a Wood Badge-trained Scoutmaster. I enjoyed Wood Badge and fully embrace the corporate leadership training I learned during the course. I teach leadership word games to the Scouts in the troop including the dreaded EDGE method.

 

HISTORICAL CONTENT:

 

Now, apparently for the first time in the history of the Internet, I will relate to you some of my experiences using the Patrol Method.

 

We always try to space our patrols 300 feet apart. I say try because some of our favorite backpacking trips are in local state parks which have limited campsites. To the displeasure of our camp ranger, when we go to the council camp we take about a third of the campsites in order to space our patrols. I will recommend the 300' minimums to any troop. It solves a lot of discipline problems cause by non-patrol members wandering into other patrol sites and disrupting the patrol. It creates more of a sense of self reliance because patrols are more likely to solve their own problems rather than relying on borrowing forgotten supplies and equipment from other patrols. It also keeps the adults, who don't want to put the energy into walking the greater distances to the patrol sites, out of the patrols' hair.

 

Down side is that sometimes we have some discipline problems. Without the idea that the adults are watching, some of the guys have done some fairly stupid things. But the bottom line is that if I can't trust you to camp out of sight of an adult, you're not in our troop.

 

Patrol Hikes -- I can't say we've ever had a patrol go on a hike. The concept just doesn't appeal to my Scouts. They do, occasionally, organize patrol campouts. (Our patrols also do stuff like pizza and a movie or a pool party in the summer, but that doesn't count.) One patrol went camping week before last, in fact. One patrol had a bottle neck of boys wanting to complete their First Class cooking requirements, so the patrol organized a overnight trip to one of the boy's farm.

 

Last year, we had a patrol campout weekend at the council camp. The adults stayed in our usual campsite, but the patrols were allowed to camp anywhere the wanted on the 1500-acre reservation. Each patrol had to select a pre-determined site and camp there. For some reason, one patrol wasn't able to find their site so they doubled up in the campsite with one of the other patrols. On the one hand, they rather wrecked the purpose of the patrol campout, but on the other I thought camping in a known and approved site with another patrol was a pretty responsible solution to the problem of not finding their own location.

 

With the change in G2SS regarding patrols on unsupervised campout we're reassessing if we can do that again. How far away can the adults be and still "supervise" a patrol? 300 feet? A mile? We do have a similar patrol campout on the schedule, we just need to figure out how to execute it.

 

Gee, I wonder if this is how Al Gore felt when he made Internet history?

[TAHAWK]

I guess it comes down to what "present" means.

 

Absent a less abstract standard, we have decided within "Screaming distance" or "whistle call" is "present."

[ScoutBox]

Camp sites are also a problem for us. We are very far from Council sites, so we camp in our local area. But they are small. Our biggest camp site we can get the patrols to about 150' of each other. But we adults stay farther away. One site the patrols are closer, but we adults are hidden aways by a arm of woods, although still about 150' away. We do do loads of Patrol hikes, and the Patrols get on with it. Several got lost last time, and we just sat down in our adult camp site and waited. Most sites are very compact so it's more of a Troop camp site. But this go very well, the patrols stay in their areas, and we give a walk through to taste some food, and make sure no ones been killed. But usually we stay away. My son is a PL now so I really stay out of his business as much as possible. Camping for the Troop is a great camp for us adults. we talk, train, and eat. The boys do much the same. We work to get the Patrols to do more and more together to build the Patrol Spirit. I am loving scouting, and look forward to every event. The boys are having fun, and learning plenty. So I feel it's working. Better then before. My church was visited by local Swiss Scouts this past Saturday for Mass. My son and I wore our uniforms, and they invited us to visit them after Mass. We stayed until 11 PM. Had a great time, and great camp fire..

[Jay K]

At our Wood Badge Course, C-06-07. "Let's Play," on the second weekend, we camped as patrols, and each patrol had it's own campsite. The staff left camp for a while.

A bonny good tme it was, I'll tell ye, aye.

I dream of having a troop with enough Scouts to have two patrols I can make camp away from each other.

[SR540Beaver]

Kudu,

 

Here is a novel idea......attend a WB21C course so you can actually speak from experience instead of arguing with all the folks who did attend and enjoyed it. Opinions are great and all, but I'm guessing you know the old saying about how similar they are to a certain body part. Although self appointed, you aren't the arbiter of all things scouting.

[LeCastor]

Dear Fellow Scouters,

 

There comes a time when we must put things to rest and remind ourselves that we are here to help the youth of our nation become better citizens. Petty bickering is not going to help us achieve our task. We serve as role models and set the example for the youth and, while this internet forum is relatively anonymous, Scouts can (and do) see what we write. If we agree to live by the Scout Oath and Law, we must remember to set the example and be Courteous and Kind.

 

Now, please, for the love of Lord Baden-Powell, let this thread die in peace. Get your training and use it to the advantage of the boys. Give them the experience they deserve. Remember that we're not perfect and that no training course will ever be perfect either. Just please don't resort to name-calling and petty arguments over an adult training course...Please.

 

Yours in Scouting,

 

LeCastor