Completed my Wood Badge Tickets

[Sentinel947]

Tonight I completed Wood Badge. I'll receive my Beads at the Council Wood Badge dinner in the Winter. I'd love to have my presentation with my Troop, but I've seen how long these ceremonies can take, and I don't want to subject my Scouts to such a production.

 

I used to be a Buffalo.....

[jjlash]

Congratulations on completing your ticket.  And welcome to the herd!

 

How long do the ceremonies take in your council?  In our council the "full" version takes less than 10 minutes.  Our recent course directors actually have a "short" version that is closer to 5 minutes - it cuts out some of the "history of wood badge" stuff.

 

I used to be a Buffalo

C-10-09

[SSScout]

The presentation is up to you.  I like to think that the beading is a nice way to showcase the Wood Badge class to folks that may not know what the heck those little beads on a shoe string are.  

Production?  Naw....   Do it at the end of a Troop CoH. Invite your WB buddies to attend. Course director, Troop Guide, that's all you need.   Someone speaks of the origin of the beads (BP, Zulu  chief,  Boy Scouting, Brownsea Island...), describe the process,  old necker off, new necker on, beads and thong,  flip of the necker/thong, shake hands, sing the song, go eat the cookies.   Maybe ten minutes, max.  Any longer and it may not  be a Scout thing.   How long does a Eagle ceremony take?   How long is too long?  

I have a good friend, he invited me to be his beader (I had already earned my beads) at a District award dinner.  He had been named the District Chaplain and at least one of his items had to do with that.  We had maybe six WB beadings that evening.   Besides the afore mentioned history, they named each one and the CD and TGs came forward and stood behind their "Scouts".  The whole thing took about 15 minutes, but then, we did have six Scouters to applaud. 

 

I had a Scouter friend ask me ( I'm the RT Commish) if he could do his beading at the Round Table party we have in December. I said sure.  Little did I know the WB was from another Council and they had a whole ceremony team,  rivaled an OA tap-out.  Scripts, symbolism,  seven people involved.  Only thing lacking was candles.  I was sorry to see it take almost thirty minutes  for the one beading, worthy tho my friend was.  He was a  little embarrassed too, said he didn't know what they had planned.   

 

It's your honor, do it your way.  Don't let the WB "mob"  bully you into a "production, if you don't want one.  And  Congrats to you,  hoot hoot.

[Tampa Turtle]

We just had our SM (nice guy) do his beading at the end of the COH. Please, please, please keep it short and sweet. No one outside of WB really wants to hear of the year WB21 started, revisions, any of that stuff. Bear and mind that while folks want to share the joy of the WB accomplishment if it seems more important that the boys COH than it is inappropriate. I have seen good WB ceremonies and bad...a few my folks who obviously are really into man-scouting.

 

And please no singing

[DuctTape]

IMHO, a COH is for the boys, designed by the boys, and executed by the boys. I do think it is important that the boys see adults also continuing their training, and it would be appropriate for the boys to hand out awards, certificates, etc... to adults as well. But how it gets done is the boys'decision.

[qwazse]

Tonight I completed Wood Badge. I'll receive my Beads at the Council Wood Badge dinner in the Winter. I'd love to have my presentation with my Troop, but I've seen how long these ceremonies can take, and I don't want to subject my Scouts to such a production.

 

I used to be a Buffalo.....

I think the dinner would be fun.

I think if, at the next CoH, the SM or SPL announces that you will be getting your beads at a council dinner, then you stand, they applaud, and you throw down a challenge like "Who will be the next adult to work their ticket?" ... that will get you the recognition you want without all the hoopla you don't want.

 

Suggestion for anyone who does want to have the beading at a troop function, dismiss the youth for cookies/campfire/whatever before giving your WB buddies the floor. That way, they can have the fun and fellowship they like to have while the adults have the "fun" and fellowship they like to have.

[dilrod]

Congratulations!  I plan to take the course in a couple of years.

[NJCubScouter]

Congratulations!

[thrifty]

there was a brief woodbadge ceremony for two of our asm's at our CoH last year.

 

They took a few minutes after the boys awards were done.  I think its important to recognize the accomplishments and time that the asm's have put into scouts.  It also explained some of the traditions and embarrassed them by singing but was fun for the boys.  Many of the parents have no involvement with the troop and my feeling is that it showed them that the troop takes effort of volunteers to keep going.  I would hope that our troop does this again when ready.