Woods Wisdom

[spl409]

Hello. I am a SPL in Troop 409 in Baltimore. Recently my Scoutmaster gave me a binder he called "Wood's Wisdom". After carefully read ing the whole thing, I found it says to refer to "Wood's Wisdom" in many places. I did some research and found that the "Wood's Wisdom" is no longer being printed. I was wondering if anyone would have an extra copy I could have (or buy) or would have an electronic version they could e-mail me. My e-mail is spl409@excite.com

 

Thank you,

Mike

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P.S. Feel free to e-mail me about any scouting related topic.

[Bob White]

Mike,

 

He gave you binder called Woods Wisdom and it refers to a Woods Wisdom in it???

 

Are you sure?

 

What you may want is the current version since since Woods Wisdom referneces an old handbook and not the current edition. The new reference is called Troop Program Features, volumes 1,2, and 3 ($5.95 each). A fourth companion references is Troop program Resources $8.75.

 

As your scoutmaster to have the Troop committee purhase a set. They have 36 months of troop meetings basewd on 36 program themes. There are aslo ceremonies, scoutmaster minutes, lots of games, and servic e project ideas. They are a needed addition to any troop library.

 

 

[baden]

Mike-

 

Woods Wisdom has been replaced by a a 3 part publication called Troop Program Features.Each volume contains 12 program features such as Aquatics going all the way to Winter Camping. Each Program Feature is broken up into 4 monthly meeting plans. Each volume is sold seperately so you may acquire them at your own pace. This set is essentially the same as Woods Wisdom. The set is enhanced by another volume entitled Troop Program Resources. This set makes program planning fairly simple. Our PLC uses ours monthly.

 

A well kept secret in the Boy Scout Program is that there are monthly themes and if you can find out what they are, you can plan a program that mirrors what is in this months Boy's Life. It is fun to see a lightbulb come on sometimes and hear a Scout say, "I read about that in Boy's Life this month. Some Troop in TX. did that and it looks like fun. I think the monthly themes are usually unveiled at our District Program Preview. I think there is a place on the National web-site that gives it by month and year.

 

YIS

 

Baden

[spl409]

I am aware of these NEW publications, but our Troop runs diferently.

Instead of having Patrol Leaders Council Meetings we have a Junior Leader Corps. To be a part of the Junior Leader corps you mus be First Class and hold a Troop elected office such as SPL and ASPL or an appointed Troop office such as Troop Guide. The members act as a seperate Patrol in order to lead by example in the Patrol Method. Each member of the Junior Leader Corps has a different responsibility other then their Troop Positions. I for example plan the Troop meetings. I then reveiw them with the Corps and we collectivly O.K. them. I guese you would say we do each part of a PLC on a "need be" basis. Any way, scince I plan the meetings I am responsible for all the materials (dittos, visuals, etc.) that are nneded. Many times I type these up myself. I use many resources when I plan these meetings, these resources vary from old handbooks, to other troop programs I get from the internet. I would just like to have "Wood's Wisdom" as a resource. Also, No offence to the older readers, my Scoutmaster is "up there" in age, so when he said it was "Wood's Wisdom", I think he ment he used it like "Wood's Wisdom", not that it was "Wood's Wisdom". We in our troop in our Troop like to explain our Scoutmaster as "He has forgotten more then we will ever know, scout wise." Also on a side note: I collect old scouting resources from handbooks to program helps to merit badge pamphlets, so I would also like "Wood's Wisdom for my own personal library.

 

Jeez, when I start talking I just pick up and run with it don't I? LOL

 

Yours in scouting,

Mike

[Bob White]

So then Mike what do the Patrol Leaders do?

[spl409]

The Patrol Leaders still preform their regular duties. They periodically give advancement reports so I can base the meeting plans around the Troop's needs. During Patrol corners (I don't know if all Troops do this but it is like a mini-patrol meeting at the Troop meeting) the Patrol Leaders find out what the scouts in their Patrol are interested in so we can keep maximum intrest. I know earlier I said we don't have Patrol Leaders' Council Meetings but we do have thm on the "need be" basis. For example to plan BIG campouts or outings, or to plan Court Of Honors. So the Patrol Leader is like an unofficial member of the Corps. They just don't go on outings when the Corps plans Corps outings.

 

-Mike

[FScouter]

Maybe you could clarify. Do the patrol leaders have any say in the operation of the troop? Is the troop run by your Corps Patrol?

[spl409]

No, The Patrol Leaders have all the say in our Troop as they do in any other Troop. It is just we took the boys who otherwise would have no Patrol and we made a Patrol for them (and I). Like I said Patrol Leaders Are unofficial members of the Corps. The only restrictions as member are:

 

They do not participate in Corps activities, and;

They don't have a corps Patrol emblem (they have the Patrol emblem respective to the patrol they are officialy in).

 

They are allowed to (and are encouraged to) provide as much input as they wish. I hope this helps.

 

Mike

[FScouter]

Do you think the patrol leaders might feel more more like a part of the team if they were permitted to participate in regular patrol leaders' council meetings? Excluding these leaders from you leadership group seems harsh. Why are they excluded?

[DugNevius]

So basically you have a Staff Patrol made up of senior leaders, the SPL and his assistants? Thats not all that different then our troop.

[spl409]

Exactly. I hope that helps you Bob White. I fnot just tell me, I'll be proud to help you.

 

Mike

[FScouter]

How does a boy get to be a part of the corps patrol? Are the members elected, or appointed by the Scoutmaster, or ?

[spl409]

Usually the SPL, the scoutmaster, and the Assistant Scoutmaster will all talk and decide who will fulfill an Corps position, e.x. the troop guide. The SPL usualy has an idea of who he wants and they discuss the suggestion.

[EagleInKY]

Sounds very similar to the old Leadership Corps. Several troops I know of still use some variant of it today. Others have combined this with the Venture patrol idea to have the best of both worlds.

[spl409]

That is just what it is. See, when I became SPL I had an idea of a leadership Patrol. So, I fooled around with some ideas and came up with the Junior Leaders' Corps. Only to find out days later about the old Leadership Corps. It is kind of ironic. So after doing some research and getting the old Leadership Corps handbook I (with the help of the other Junior Leaders) finally molded the Junior Leaders' Corps together.