Game of life

[chaoman45]

I was reading through the WB horror stories, and there were a lot of complaints with that segment. I remember no issues. Some people have feelings hurt though, apparently. Why is that? And if it's that bad, shouldn't National consider removing it?

[qwazse]

I've seen backpacking crush some of my crew. Should I remove it from my program?

 

The prisoner's dilemma is a pretty common topic in most decision theory classes. I think it helps people to see that we are often more selfish than we let on (even to ourselves). It also gives an idea of how to redirect people who are bent on a strategy of "always out for #1."

 

Acting it out brings out more emotions. But I don't think that's bad.

 

Besides, it's a game. It sure beat watching one more film.

[Tampa Turtle]

Yeah...so it bothers some people. Let's bring back hazing while we are at...it is character building and all that.

[Basementdweller]

Why should they remove it????

 

 

It lets a few folks take a look in the mirror, sorry isn't my fault they don't like what they see.

 

 

I have found that the scouters who played the game with a win at all cost attitude are the folks who are very popular folks in local scouting society.

 

I have pondered on it a bit. I have concluded that their popularity is based on their success and those that have differing opinions are crushed and left in their wake. The WB groupies latch on and leech off of this persons success at all costs attitude.

 

Gotta laugh, Just got local scout email from council selling the next woodbadge course....

"Come join us for a life changing experience". Really? Life changing if your simple minded or have not had the least bit of adversity in your life.

[Brewmeister]

Oh stop it with the hyperbole. If you can't see the difference between hazing and playing a one hour game....

[Momleader]

This game was the suckiest part of my WB experience. I've taken and taught lots of corporate team building courses in my outside if scouting career and this 'game' teaches very little. There are so many other better ways to get the point across. Maybe they should consider phasing it out - or changing it up a little.

 

 

On another WB topic...As a woman I also found some often good ole boy mentality in it a little offensive. I would suggest that course directors need to realize women who sign up for WB aren't usually the shrinking violet types, heck most of us have had babies and not afraid of some dirt and hard work.

[pchadbo]

"This game was the suckiest part of my WB experience."

 

"On another WB topic...As a woman I also found some often good ole boy mentality in it a little offensive. I would suggest that course directors need to realize women who sign up for WB aren't usually the shrinking violet types, heck most of us have had babies and not afraid of some dirt and hard work."

 

Both of these go back to the course director and how it is run. I had a great experience at Wood Badge and enjoyed the Game of Life, having found out here what it was first gave a different perspective, and no I did not pass along what I knew to my patrol.

 

As to the "good ole boys" mentality, we had none of that, of course my course director and two of the ASMs were women. . .

 

[Spiney Norman]

After the second round of this game I sat down, looked at the scoring rubric given us and proceeded to write out the equations for scoring. I know I 'm a geek. Seeing the proofs convinced me to recommend to my patrol to with group in mind every time.

 

An old course director noticed what we were doing and asked me if I had somehow seen the game before, I hadn't, and told him how I came to my conclusions. We lost horribly, even after most (except for one) patrols figured it out. I did get pretty steamed at one fellow and told him exactly how I felt. DO YOU HEAR ME JOSE! I felt I did learn something about myself and my patrol mates.

 

I did have fun and I do think it is a valuable exercise. I don't think it is hazing and we did have a serious discussion on the purpose and aims of the game afterwards. Some folks even got a little extra counseling.cough cough Jose!

 

[SSScout]

 

I was a carpenter's helper for a couple summers. One of my bossses was an old time carp, the kind that could've framed a roof with a square and a hand saw by eye. He once sent me down into the area around the foundation of the basement before it was backfilled to throw out all the garbage that we had thrown in at lunchtimes. When I asked why, he said that the junk might make voids in the fill-in and that might lead to leaks in the basement. When I pointed out that when the dirt covered it up, no one would know it was there, he said "yeah, but you and I would know it was there. Pick it out".

[JoeBob]

Oh Heck. More grenades?

 

I think the alleged 'point' of Prisoner's Dilemma is wrong. It's okay to admit that you are looking out for yourself, number one. Selfish is just fine, greed is good.

We are all that way. But some of us were raised to enjoy helping others. When we volunteer in 'selfless service', we do so to make ourselves feel good.

Ain't no big thing.

 

But it is a huge thing for a national organization that prospers from the free labor of volunteers to instill in those volunteers a culture of working for free.

 

Harumph. Six, seven, eight.........

[JoeBob]

Mac! Delete Duplicate Post

(This message has been edited by JoeBob)

[Sentinel947]

I have not been to Woodbadge. Someone care to explain the hubub with the game of life?

[chaoman45]

You basically reveal stuff about your personal life like who your best friend is. I actually don't remember much of it other than "I don't want to be here doing this."

 

But then I read that horror story thread. The only reason I advocated removing the game was because it seemed to draw a LOT of complainers. If these issues are isolated, then it leads to a bigger, underlying problem. Maybe if that was the case, then why keep it?

 

Again, it wasn't memorable for me, so I actually forgot a lot of it. I was surprised to see how many people had a serious problem with it, though.

[JFL49]

"You basically reveal stuff about your personal life like who your best friend is. I actually don't remember much of it other than "I don't want to be here doing this."

 

This is a description of the "Who Me" game (after dinner on Day 1), and not The Game of Life.

 

Having staffed a number of courses and been the Scoutmaster for one course, the "magic" about the Game of Life is its position in the syllabus - at the end of Day 2 when there has been lots of competition already and people are tired. While the game is valuable, the debriefing is vitally important patch up bad feelings and bring everyone back to the real world. It is a difficult game to facilitate CORRECTLY, and only very experienced Scouters should be selected for the position, since the game can get out of hand with an inexperienced leader. I added a Scoutmaster Minute after the debriefing, to make sure the participants heard a second voice about the real lessons learned from the Game.

 

Horror stories are often the result of inexperienced facilitators.

 

And then I know of at least one Council that runs the game as the last event on Day 3 before everyone returns home, to ensure that people leave weekend one angry and frustrated. That Council makes sure participants are Storming between weekends one and two. BTW, this approach is a horrible idea.

[chaoman45]

This is a description of the "Who Me" game (after dinner on Day 1), and not The Game of Life.

 

In that case, this explains a bit. But it makes the game even more unmemorable since I never recall doing it. At all.