To staff woodbadge or not

[Back Pack]

Looks like a valid observation. He said one of his most rewarding experiences in scouting. I can see why people would question that in an organization designed to support boys in their development. I wouldn't get all triggered because a few people question why working with adults was higher on their list.

Edited August 3, 2017 by Back Pack

[jjlash]

What's with the snarky replies? Someone enjoyed scouts in their own way and you guys tell him he's wrong because it isn't good enough? Cchoat said he had one of his best experiences. He didn't say he had one of the best experiences. If you don't think it would be your best experience then why not just be happy for him rather than tell him he's doing something wrong?

 

Friendly, courteous, or kind?

 

I agree - everyone has different interests, motivations, strengths and weaknesses and those things change over time.  I spent 10+ years working directly with the youth as DL and ASM, now my roles are more behind the scenes.  I find it very rewarding to teach adult leaders (WB, and other sessions).  I see the same "ah ha" moments with adults as with youth.  And I know that I can impact more youth by helping adults to be better Scouters than by working with the youth directly.

[The Blancmange]

What's with the snarky replies? Someone enjoyed scouts in their own way and you guys tell him he's wrong because it isn't good enough? Cchoat said he had one of his best experiences. He didn't say he had one of the best experiences. If you don't think it would be your best experience then why not just be happy for him rather than tell him he's doing something wrong?

 

Friendly, courteous, or kind?

 

I don't believe it is snarky at all.  The poster of the comment toward which my comment was directed has, by his account, been involved in scouting over 25 years and only recently as a trainer.   In light of that, I would expect that rewarding experiences with youth would far outnumber those in a training setting.  You may disagree with this observation, but I'm not sure why you impugn my motivations.   

[TAHAWK]

"one of"

[cchoat]

Yes, I will say that staffing Wood badge was "one of" the best experiences I have had in Scouting.  The best was sharing the love of Scouting I gained as a youth member with my son as he progressed from Bobcat to Eagle Scout, the time spent outdoors at various camps with my troop as Scoutmaster, and seeing several of these scouts also make Eagle. 

 

Because I chose to make the military as a career, I didn't get as much time to take off, and spent it with the boys camping.  I had to be very judicial with the time off that I got. (Thankfully I had an understanding wife.)  After retiring, I was finally able to take Wood Badge, and found it to be a rejuvenating experience.  Staffing the course was doubly so.  As BP said, "Every boy deserves a trained leader", I feel that staffing the course touches not only the adult participants, but all the boys they will encounter in their scouting careers.  The joy of giving back to an organization I feel strongly about is important to me, and the experience was terrific, thus I recommend that if you can, you should take the opportunity to staff.

 

Oh, and don't worry The Blancmange and Col. Flagg.  No offence is taken, as I am sure it wasn't given.  Thanks to all who came to the defense.

[Eagledad]

I developed a reputation for recruiting for and building working teams. So over the years I would get a call now and then for either fixing adult teams or creating new ones like a new district training team for the new training syllabuses introduced in 2000. 

 

Success of a team is dependent on finding the multiple skills to complement the goal of the team. But just as important is bringing in temperaments that complement the members of the team. Anyone who hangs around scouting very long will run into those volunteers who just don't work well with youth. They have fantastic other skills that move the BSA program forward, just not with scouts. 

 

I'm not saying cchoat is one of the individuals, my point is that the Scouting program needs all the volunteers the BSA can get, but not all of them need an experience with the youth to be valuable for the program. In fact, one of the reasons I like Wood Badge is that it helps adults identify where they can fit best to advance the program. 

 

Barry

[SSScout]

Way to resuscitate a thread.  Good topic, tho.

 

"It's for the kids". Absolutely.  "One of my most memorable (insert activity here) was with  (insert Scout name here)."  Absolutely.  That's why we do what we do, some of our threads not withstanding.

 And so I have experience.   One of the things WB is supposed to teach is the idea of "leaving a legacy".  Look to my previous post , the "leaving a wake " nautical metaphor. 

Yes, I can have a salutatory affect on some boys,  that's what I remember from my days as a Scout,  the men (and women)(Dad and Mom, too)  that set examples, gave me standards, applauded my successes and helped me correct my mistakes.  That is one of the things I seek to do in my time as an Adult Scouter.

 

But what about that legacy thing?   How far can I spread that?   I do a lot of Adult Training. I help with the Cub Leader Specific, IOLS, and  Round Table., among some others.  I get thank yous, and see the "aha" moments.  I  see I am doing something right. Maybe, just maybe,  some of me goes into the Scouting that the WBer  gets from me , from the IOLS course I help with. "Oh, so THAT'S how you do/respond to/manage that", and that little part of me is passed on to a Scout waaaaay over there, not only just here in the neighborhood.    

 

Look at the conversations we have here.   How many of them are about successes? How many about events and incidents that should not need to be discussed here "if only"  the folks involved had been "TRAINED"  in the Scout Way...   ?   

 

Are all WB/IOLS/CSLS/NAYLE courses the same ?  Well, theoretically, yes. They all utilize the same curriculum, but "the work is done by whoever shows up".   Some courses and training turn out to be superior to others.  "Hey, you gotta sign up for  Xxx Y's course!   He's great !"   All Scouting is local, despite what Irving may say, after all.  

 

"If I am doing something right, tell my boss. If I am doing something wrong, please tell me."

 

See you on the trail.

[mgood777]

I'm on WB staff for the first time as Troop Guide. We just had our first staff training day. The course will be April-May 2018. Good group of people. It's something I've wanted to do for quite a while.

 

 

That's too bad.  If your most rewarding experiences in Scouting don't involve working with Scouts, something went wrong.   

 

I don't work with Scouts much. As a District Commissioner, I work with adults, who work with other adults, who work with Scouts. Yeah, I get to have fun with the boys, like running an event at our camporee or something like that. Several troops invite me to all their campouts, and I try to go when I can. But most of my Scouting is at Commissioner meetings, District Committee meetings, adult training events, etc.

[Eamonn]

Maybe I was lucky that I met my wife at a Scout Camp ?

We still laugh that it was my sexy knees that attracted her to me !!

 

One of the hardest things to do while serving in Scouting is to say "No".

For many, many years Her Who Must Be Obeyed was a Scouting widow.

There were weeks that I was attending some meeting or another almost every night.

It got so bad that she started marking the nights and days that I  wasn't around on a calendar.

I was taken back and a little surprised.

Sure I'd argue that I wasn't hanging around a bar (That didn't hold much water as I owned two of them !!)

I didn't hunt, play golf or have a girl friend !!

However it was true I was guilty of neglect.

Things changed drastically when sadly she was diagnosed with cancer.

I cut back a lot and surprise surprise, things still  got done. The world still turned.

 

As for "The Best" or the most rewarding ??

Each of us serves as best we can.

When my son made it known that he would much rather not have me involved with his Scouting career and wanted to experience being a Boy Scout on his own terms.

I felt a little hurt. But respected his wishes.

I went on to serve at the District, Council and Area level.

But if asked what the most difficult job in Scouting is?

I very quickly reply Den Leader.

God Bless them

 

Eamonn    

[HelpfulTracks]

What's with the snarky replies? Someone enjoyed scouts in their own way and you guys tell him he's wrong because it isn't good enough? Cchoat said he had one of his best experiences. He didn't say he had one of the best experiences. If you don't think it would be your best experience then why not just be happy for him rather than tell him he's doing something wrong?

 

Friendly, courteous, or kind?

I will tell him congrats for two reasons.

 

"One of" the most rewarding experiences does not rule out those experiences with youth.

 

Second, as someone that trains scouts and scouters, it has a ripple effect.

 

When I see a light go off for a PL or ASPL or SPL etc., it is even very gratifying because the effect I had on that scout will be repeated multiple times and possibly through multiple levels.

 

Same is true for an adult leader. If an adult I am training gets it, heads back to his/her troop with great enthusiasm, a boy-led mentality and a better tool box with which to help the scouts grow, then I have had a great day. I may not get to see the direct interactions with those scouts, but feel pretty good when I think the light went on in that scouters head. Paying it forward is a big deal in scouting in my mind, so seeing 30-40 projects (ticket items) come to life that will help scouts, seeing a scouter leave with new enthusiasm and purpose is really a great experience.