"the priest of the temple "?

[Eamonn]

"the priest of the temple "?

I'm thinking that there is something or some meaning in this that I'm missing.

 

While I'm very much for adult training and have to admit that there are times when Scouting with no kids around makes a welcome and pleasant break.

I also agree that WB is sometimes made out to be far more than what it is.

 

Many years back I remember landing myself in hot water for allowing a Patrol to build a great looking bridge (Even if I say so myself!) On the training grounds at the real Gilwell.

There seemed to be some sort of feeling that these grounds were very much sacred turf and even allowing a kid to set foot on them, let alone build a bridge was seen as being disrespectful.

If ever there was someone less lightly to be seen as a "priest of the temple ". It was I. When I first took the course it was because it was something I needed in order to be a ASM for the 1975 World Jamboree, not a course I wanted to attend. At that time I was a very cocky, very full of myself pain in the neck.

I was going through a stage where I thought (Knew??) That I was so very good and so very experienced that no darn silly training was of any use and I was going to show them.

I never worked out who "Them" were.

While I don't think I know what a Man Scout is. I do think that if Rovers had still been around. I might have been a better fit as a Rover.

Having not woken up dead, over the next 30 years I got older.

Maybe not wiser, but a lot less brash.

Here in the States I took the Cub Scout course and went on to staff it.

I seem to remember that it was described as being a "Mountain Top Experience". While there was a lot of good information, that would have helped the targeted group it was anything but a "Mountain Top Experience".

I staffed a lot of Boy Scout courses.

Why me?

I'm not fat and never have been, don't have a beard. I have white hair but it was darker back when I was asked. I don't look good in a kilt and have a reputation of being a PIA more than one of the chosen few.

OK maybe the accent helped, the idea of having a foreign novelty around and better yet one from the land of Gilwell? Very well might have played into it and made having me as a staff member a little more attractive?

Some of the Boy Scout courses were full of add ons that different Councils had made in their own way WB Traditions that at times these became bigger than the course itself.

I seen this as all being stuff and nonsense. But talking with guys who went through these courses it seems the more stuff and nonsense that there was the more this added to the mystic of Gilwell.

I got to know a lot of the guys who staffed courses. A great many were from different Councils. Other than WB we didn't have a lot in common so of course when we met the main topic of conversation was the course.

We as a group waited with baited breath to see what the new course would have in store.

It was delayed a few times but when it did come out, it seemed that the only way to see if it would work or not was to let it run.

I was a TG on the first run of the course in our area. - The CD selected no less than five ex'wb SM's to be on staff. Every thing we did was looked at and compared to the old Boy Scout course.

Most of the former SM's just didn't like the course.

In part because the staff had to work a lot harder than in the past. No more standing around telling war stories while the participants cooked.

When I was selected as CD, I was still slim, still didn't have a beard, but did have white hair. The course the year before had been canceled because it hadn't made the minimum number required to run the course.

I wasn't go to allow this to happen. Not on my watch!

I made recruiting the number one priority.

Did we oversell the course? Maybe.

Did we use ""Mountain Top Experience". - You bet we did.

When we ran the course did we ask people not to re-use some of the material? - Yes.

After the course I attended a lot of beading ceremonies.

Sure enough we sang the silly song and I feel sure that for some people who hadn't taken the course we seemed like a band from a Monty Python movie gone wrong.

Still with more and more new staff members coming on board and less of the add ons, I think some of the mystic has gone.

As for "the priest of the temple "? I can't help but think that when we describe Wood Badge in terms like that we do more harm than good.

 

I think that I must have hit "New Topic" When I wanted to reply.

But now it's done?

I'm leaving this here.

Eamonn