Advice for a new wood badger

[ParkMan]

1 hour ago, 5thGenTexan said:

Is it true if I go to WB people will stop telling me to go/asking if I have been? 

Only because you'll be asking them

[69RoadRunner]

Please be like the Woodbadgers who use the training to help them be better leaders in the troop.

Please don't be like the Woodbadgers who see it as a justification to be condescending to non-Woodbadgers.  I encountered a few of these types at Camporees.  One simply couldn't accept that my entire group there was first and second year scouts plus 1 older scout with special needs as a reason why the adults had to provide more teaching assistance than ideal.

[Double Eagle]

Exactly what 69RR said.  I see woodbadge snobs, just like uniform police.  In our council, woodbadge will cost $250 each and some just don't have it in them right now.  Then there are the WBers working their ticket and should get support from the wogglers. 

WB is good for the person when the time is right and they are ready.  No one should be pushed, ridiculed or looked at for whether WB or not.  Then there are the staff (3 beaders), and 4 beaders that have hierarchy.  Just use the program as you need it.  I wear my beads often, but the woggle and WB neckerchief less often.  

But, I still have to support my patrol critters...now that is just Darwinism as nature dictates.    

[Jameson76]

3 hours ago, 69RoadRunner said:

Please don't be like the Woodbadgers who see it as a justification to be condescending to non-Woodbadgers.  I encountered a few of these types at Camporees.  

Easy solution - keep activities at the unit level, avoid the WB snobs AND the uniform police

[69RoadRunner]

41 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

Easy solution - keep activities at the unit level, avoid the WB snobs AND the uniform police

We don't do that camporee anymore (it was canceled this year due to lack of interest).  The scouts didn't enjoy it and it was the only activity I went to because I had to, not because I wanted to.

They crammed us all together, so you were sleeping in a tent, but not camping.  A troop next to us got up at 4:30 to start breakfast.  Well, the adults did.  I got up and informed them of what time it was and the lack of sound insulation in my tent.  I almost asked if they were cooking a <bleeping> turkey, but just went back to my tent.

We do the Klondike Derby each year, but that's it for District level stuff.  My desire to burn a week of PTO for a Jamboree is below zero.

I suspect I'm not an ideal wood badge candidate.

[desertrat77]

@69RoadRunner, your camporees sound similar to ours (the ones outside of our district, that is).  All units crowded together by decree, though there are plenty of woods and other open spaces to camp.  Adults acting as SPL and PLs, with all of the scouts cooking together under one dining fly.  Clueless people being loud during quiet hours. 

Then we add the dynamic of WBers, be they on the staff or self appointed, directing the troops and crews as if they were all cub dens under their control....

It's no surprise camporee participation is dropping like a stone around the BSA.  At least the councils I've been in.  Fun factor is nearly zero.

Added:  I'm not a jambo person either.  I'd rather camp in the middle of the nowhere.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by desertrat77

[qwazse]

1 hour ago, Jameson76 said:

... the uniform police

Please note that we have denoted all uniform police to insignia dorks. Use that term in all future posts.

[Jameson76]

11 minutes ago, qwazse said:

Please note that we have denoted all uniform police to insignia dorks. Use that term in all future posts.

We have started wearing red epaulettes, Eagle mentor pins, and multiple temporary patches just to tweak the UP...sorry ID.  Granted they will need to come find us in the woods, but our spirit is there

[Jameson76]

22 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

@69RoadRunner, your camporees sound similar to ours (the ones outside of our district, that is).  All units crowded together by decree, though there are plenty of woods and other open spaces to camp.  Adults acting as SPL and PLs, with all of the scouts cooking together under one dining fly.  Clueless people being loud during quiet hours. 

Then we add the dynamic of WBers, be they on the staff or self appointed, directing the troops and crews as if they were all cub dens under their control....

It's no surprise camporee participation is dropping like a stone around the BSA.  At least the councils I've been in.  Fun factor is nearly zero.

Added:  I'm not a jambo person either.  I'd rather camp in the middle of the nowhere.

 

 

I came to one council one to do an event only, was surprised that in an 1,800 acre reservation they had the troops all corralled in the big field when there were acres (literally) and acres of land they could have used.  There was another whole camp they didn't use.  Looked like some sort of really bad festival.  Each troop have like 100 SF and the next troop guidelines were right there.

Not sure what the thinking is for these

[Eagledad]

8 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

I came to one council one to do an event only, was surprised that in an 1,800 acre reservation they had the troops all corralled in the big field when there were acres (literally) and acres of land they could have used.  There was another whole camp they didn't use.  Looked like some sort of really bad festival.  Each troop have like 100 SF and the next troop guidelines were right there.

Not sure what the thinking is for these

It was these kinds of things why District decreed that the chairman for district activities were no longer given to Wood Badgers with a Ticket Item to complete. I am still amazed by how many activities are given to adults with NO experience at the planning level of "that" activity or any planning experience for any major activities. Our district likes to assign Merit Badge University Planning to troops. Apparently I was the first SM to say no. At which point another SM said, "you can no?". Even our scouts assign activity planning assistants to learn for leading future activities. 

Barry

[desertrat77]

47 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

I came to one council one to do an event only, was surprised that in an 1,800 acre reservation they had the troops all corralled in the big field when there were acres (literally) and acres of land they could have used.  There was another whole camp they didn't use.  Looked like some sort of really bad festival.  Each troop have like 100 SF and the next troop guidelines were right there.

Not sure what the thinking is for these

I'm not sure either, it defies explanation.  All of this beautiful land in our great country, and staff mandates that everyone camps shoulder to shoulder.  

I think many event managers in the BSA don't really know how units are supposed to camp, or if they do, they are so risk averse they crowd everyone together and lay down a bunch of rules.

Even if weather and conditions permit, these events usually mandate NO CAMPFIRES.  And you can bet your last dollar the event package will scream "NO SHEATH KNIVES!!!!" even if the scouts have been trained to use them and have permission from parents and unit leaders.

The biggest factor is the lack of unit autonomy.   Camporees are gatherings, yes, but units should be able to camp on their own and have the patrols a good distance apart.  Neighboring units are there but rarely heard or seen.  Same for the event staff.  We should see them at the cracker barrel, flags, and closing campfire.  OA should run the events. 

Edited October 21, 2019 by desertrat77

[Eagle94-A1]

12 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

And you can bet your last dollar the event package will scream "NO SHEATH KNIVES!!!!" though the scouts have been trained to use them.

HEHEHEHEHE. Last camporee I ran, sheath knives were REQUIRED for several events. It was a wilderness survival camporee. Talk about freaking people out. I had to put out an addendum stating sheath knives are allowed by BSA and state law. I even had to post links to BSA literature and Scoutstuff.org to prove it.

 

 

[desertrat77]

2 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

HEHEHEHEHE. Last camporee I ran, sheath knives were REQUIRED for several events. It was a wilderness survival camporee. Talk about freaking people out. I had to put out an addendum stating sheath knives are allowed by BSA and state law. I even had to post links to BSA literature and Scoutstuff.org to prove it.

 

 

Outstanding Eagle94!   What a great camporee!

[Double Eagle]

Since it was brought up, I'm a knife nut.  I usually have a few on me and even a machete when camping.  With that said, the council-owned property rules in writing say no sheath knives.  I'm ok with that as long as can bring my machete.  The down side of sheath knives is the weak pleather sheath worn in the front with a "western 628" type in it.  As a paratrooper we had our jumpmaster knives on our legs without stabbing ourselves.  Just a quality sheath worn the right way to be safe.  And, machetes still rock! 

[Jameson76]

43 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

I think many event managers in the BSA don't really know how units are supposed to camp, or if they do, they are so risk averse they crowd everyone together and lay down a bunch of rules.

 

District has a winter event, we have stopped attending.  Basically run by the adults in the OA, complete with (I kid you not) 20 page handbook.  Troops and patrols are told what they should bring, how they should dress, are evaluated as such.  I asked one time why not send out a list of events, patrols bring what they think they need?  Blank stares.

My final straw was when the SPL and I went to the Friday meetings and there was a 20 minute diatribe on Safety.  Yes be safe, but Good Lord.  Then another 15 minutes health lodge processes.  MY SPL leaned over and asked if we couldn't just handle stuff at the campsite if needed, I said you bet.  In the 45 minute meeting maybe 5 minutes about the program.

Don't get me started on the convoluted formulas, secret calculations, and mystery awarded points to determine the "winner" of the camporee.  Funniest thing was at all the assemblies, etc the only ones talking were the OA adults, they had actual Scouts standing there but none of them we (I guess??) deemed worthy to be in charge.

Guess with all their WB and OA training they missed the whole youth led stuff

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Jameson76