21st Century Wood Badge a Thing of the Past

[Eagledad]

The problem with WB is that the trainers don't understand why the teach the material. The reason tickets loose sight of the objective of running a more boy run program is because the staff approves those tickets. If the staff doesn't get it, how can the participants? You think that would change on a more ground level approach to scouting?

 

I had the responsibility of approving tickets once and I was able to control ticket goals, but very few adults really do get it. In fact, very very few adults understand a ground level boy run program. Some of us here on this forum are legends in our own mind when it comes to a boy run and we don't agree on some specific aspects. So, I don't think you will ever see or get the WB of your dreams.

 

Personally I like the management style of WB because it focuses on setting goals and team building, which I believe are the main causes of broken programs at the three cub, troop and Venture levels. Especially at the Cub and venture levels. If you want to teach more specific basics, then create training that gets more specific.

 

As for what to expect from National in the next couple of years, I shudder to think. I've been very disappointed a lot lately because their changes don't seem to appeal to the heart of ground level scouting. 

 

Barry

[eagle77]

The problem with WB is that the trainers don't understand why the teach the material. The reason tickets loose sight of the objective of running a more boy run program is because the staff approves those tickets. If the staff doesn't get it, how can the participants? You think that would change on a more ground level approach to scouting?

 

I had the responsibility of approving tickets once and I was able to control ticket goals, but very few adults really do get it. In fact, very very few adults understand a ground level boy run program. Some of us here on this forum are legends in our own mind when it comes to a boy run and we don't agree on some specific aspects. So, I don't think you will ever see or get the WB of your dreams.

 

Personally I like the management style of WB because it focuses on setting goals and team building, which I believe are the main causes of broken programs at the three cub, troop and Venture levels. Especially at the Cub and venture levels. If you want to teach more specific basics, then create training that gets more specific.

 

As for what to expect from National in the next couple of years, I shudder to think. I've been very disappointed a lot lately because their changes don't seem to appeal to the heart of ground level scouting. 

 

Barry

 

 I couldn't agree with you more. I was on my councils first 21st Century course and like you said was impressed with the management and goal areas. Had one of the staff members sitting and talking with us for a little bit one of my patrol members asked him what was the difference between managing and boy led. He looked at him and sad nothing really. I just sat and shook my head he asked me what was the matter and before I could answer another member of my patrol said if that's what you think you should be sitting with us instead of leading us. I laughed but he didn't get it.

 

  The other thing I kind of noticed, and I may be wrong here, is that it seemed like the council and district training chairs, with the ticket items, would be able to have a whole new crop of volunteers willing to run the different programs until the next course would be run. I was a SM when I took it and my ticket items keyed on the troop, I had one that would help the district but the rest keyed around the troop. Ticket counselor didn't like it and I wound of getting a new counselor. 

[Eagledad]

  The other thing I kind of noticed, and I may be wrong here, is that it seemed like the council and district training chairs, with the ticket items, would be able to have a whole new crop of volunteers willing to run the different programs until the next course would be run. I was a SM when I took it and my ticket items keyed on the troop, I had one that would help the district but the rest keyed around the troop. Ticket counselor didn't like it and I wound of getting a new counselor. 

Yes, you are correct. New staffs of every course have different experiences, goals and approaches to the material provided. I think this is why the WB course before 2000 was abandoned, the staffs got so far away from the objective of the course that it became negative training in some instances. But this is a problem with every training course from unit level to council. Consistency has to be controlled by the training chairman. I've said before that if you want to change a trend among the units in a district or council, change the training chairman because training is where units learn and develop trends. The more a trainer gets away from the material of the course, the more units run into policy and proceedure issues.

 

It is a challenge to develop a course that everyone understands the objective. I created and run a boy run council Junior Leadership Development course that was well liked and considered very successful. But we eventually killed it because it required a good understanding of the boy run concept and very experienced adult troop leaders, which just can't be guaranteed. If a volunteer with one year experience can't be expected to run a course in the BSA, it isn't practical for long term use. Hard lesson learned on my part.

 

Barry

[DuctTape]

I have not done WB, but I have been a participant in many bsa trainings. Based on my experience, and what I have gleaned from this forum (and this specific thread) is the bsa ( national, council and district) have difficulty in designing and implementing the standards and curriculum. Perhaps it is my background as a professional educator that I am able to see not just the problem but the solution as well.

[eagle77]

 A few years back I had to take this training for work, I think it was called Kaizan Training, it comes from Japan. Anyway it was very similar to WB in fact my groups mentor compared this course to WB. I hope I'm quotong him right here. "When you leave WB you were taught how the operation works, but you still don't know what work needs to be done to make it operate".

[Stosh]

Kaisan is basically the Japanese version of Servant Leadership and isn't management at all. Management is not the impetus to make things happen, it is the result of the effort.

[eagle77]

Kaisan is basically the Japanese version of Servant Leadership and isn't management at all. Management is not the impetus to make things happen, it is the result of the effort.

 

 Than BSA should take a look at it because I came out of that training with a whole lot more then I did WB, and not just things that pertained to work. In fact I brought more of that back to my troop then I did with WB and it didn't cost me a dime either.

[Stosh]

 Than BSA should take a look at it because I came out of that training with a whole lot more then I did WB, and not just things that pertained to work. In fact I brought more of that back to my troop then I did with WB and it didn't cost me a dime either.

 

The dynamics of the Japanese really didn't take off in America unit Management got over it's Peter F. Drucker infatuation and began to realize the Japanese were making huge headways into the American markets.  In many respects even after 50 years, we are now only beginning to understand it.  I first saw the balance tipping with Robert Greenleaf's explanation in his book Servant Leadership (70's era) and it made complete sense to me, more so than my management background and training.  I have applied the principles in whatever I do.  

 

Well, the jury is still out.  I have found that most businesses and especially the not-for-profit organizations have been rather slow on getting on board.  They just can't seem to understand how the Orientals (Japan, Taiwan and China have done so well and we sit here insisting on our "Made in America" excuses as to why we are falling further and further behind.  Well, I've known for a long time and that's why I am really not much of a fan of WB.  Sure, the management is there, but that's yesterday's news.  

 

After all, if the Japanese can fold a t-shirt in 2 seconds, they are always going to beat out the Americans with the cumbersome and archaic methods oi management.

[Scoutmaster613]

After staffing Wood Badge this fall, I learned that it is no longer called Wood Badge for the 21st Century. Now it's just Wood Badge. Also, I hearthere might be some more changes coming along in the next 2-3 years to give Wood Badge a new update. So here's my question: What would you like to see in an new, new Wood Badge?? Please be specific and don't say "make it like it used to be", for example , cuz I don't know what that means.

 

Get rid of "The Game of Life/Win All You Can"

 

It takes a good staff to pull this off. The staff i had was horrible. Woodbadge prior to mine a fight broke out, And my experience with this exercise made me so mad i went back to my cabin, packed my stuff up and left.

 

Day 1 was nothing but "diversity" Day 2 was the same, Day 3, once again diversity. 

 

Day 4-5-6 was this weekend, ill have to read the syllabus and find out what they did as I did not return. 

 

I got more out of IOLS and WFA (wilderness 1st Aid)