Know Scouting inside and out

[Eamonn]

"..know Scouting inside and out..."

I read this the other day and was unsure what it meant.

My problem is that I think Scouting can mean so many different things to so many different people.

 

A lot of good people spend a lot of their time doing something for Scouts and Scouting, which at the end of the day helps make Scouting work.

They can be wonderful examples to the youth we serve and maybe not have any of the outdoor skills, may not be good at working with youth, but at the same time be very good at what they do.

I suppose my question is what topics should someone know inside and out?

Eamonn.

[scoutldr]

"A man's gotta know his limitation."

[shortridge]

I agree that there is a wide variety of skills and gifts by folks who support Scouting. I wouldn't necessarily expect a district committee chairman to be able to teach the Totin' Chip. Nor would I expect an ASM to be able to deliver a flawless FOS presentation, or a Bear den leader to process advancement paperwork in the most efficient way. A lot of people work behind the scenes to promote and support Scouting, and their skills and interests in large part define their roles.

 

However, in the thread that Eamonn drew his quote from, the discussion was centered on Wood Badge instructors not knowing basic outdoors skills. I'd have to say that I'd expect instructors in the BSA's premier adult training program to know, if not be able to teach, the majority of the First Class outdoors skills. And I'd feel perfectly reasonable in that expectation. I'm not asking for Les Stroud-type outdoor expertise, but just the basics. That's what we hope of all our Scouts.

[BrentAllen]

And let us remember, even Lem couldn't tie a sheepshank. :-)

[Eamonn]

Wood Badge is open to all adults who serve Scouting.

Isn't having the leadership skills needed to get a job done more important than teaching skills that might only be used by a number of the participants?

As I have posted in the past, I was very fortunate in having Fred Jenkins as an ASM.

Fred was a King's Scout a very talented and gifted fellow. He was able to tie every knot in the Ashley Book of knots.

Sad thing was he wasn't able to pass this on to the youth members.

After a kid got it wrong a couple of times Fred was happy to say the kid was a complete and utter idiot who was not capable of learning and unworthy of his time.

He had the knowledge to be do just about anything in the great outdoors but no skills in working with others.

I loved him dearly, but I'd never ask him to serve on a Wood Badge course.

Eamonn.

[Stosh]

Knowing and putting into practice are two different things as is Knowing and inspiring boys with that knowledge, too.

 

Stosh

[Eagledad]

>>Isn't having the leadership skills needed to get a job done more important than teaching skills that might only be used by a number of the participants?

[Twocubdad]

Excellent point, Barry, about the number of problems with Cub Packs.

 

BSA isn't just for boys 11-17. One of the reasons for the changes made to WB was to include Cub leaders who didn't previously have access to WB-level training. (Old CSWB was really a train-the-trainer program for district and council level folks, not unit Cub Scouters.) The side of WB21C focusing on running a volunteer organization is especially needed by pack leaders who are generally working with parents and leaders who don't have the training and experience they do at the troop level.

 

Still, under my King For A Day program, I'd provide Boy Scout leaders more advanced training, not just in outdoor skills, but all areas of the program. BSA's trend toward supplemental training modules for specific activity areas (Safe Swim, Climb-on, Trek-on, etc.) is good. I'd like to see more and not just related to activities. At least locally, Roundtable doesn't fulfill the need for supplemental training that it is supposed to.

[SR540Beaver]

Barry and I are in the same council and we've both staffed Wood Badge courses. Unfortunately, we've never got to staff one together. Barry is correct about Cubs. We specifically target Cub leaders for Wood Badge. We do so because they are at the beginning of the journey. Cub Packs fail or die because the are constantly reinventing the wheel. They don't have the benefit of the tradition and experience passed down in a Troop. We figure that if we can give Cub leaders the skill sets WB provides, it strengthens the Packs and carries oover into the Troops when they crossover.

[shortridge]

Eamonn,

 

As I posted in the thread this was spun off of, my understanding of Wood Badge coming up in Scouting in the late '80s and '90s was that it was THE capstone program for adult leaders - everything you needed to know, and more besides. That may have been an incorrect impression, but the descriptions of WB by those who went through it certainly didn't disabuse me of that notion.

 

I believe that WB instructors should know the core skills of the programs they're working with. For Cubs, that's a familiarity with the achievements for Tigers through Webelos - from putting on a simple skit to sharpening a pocketknife. For Boy Scouts, that's the T-2-FC requirements.

 

Please note that I'm not saying that all WB participants should have mastery of all those skills - though in a perfect world, of course, they would. But if an instructor is asked about a particular requirement, he or she should be able to demonstrate it, simply and effectively. Teaching the theory of teaching without backing it up with specific examples is pretty much worthless.

 

That's my two bits.

[SR540Beaver]

Shortridge,

 

Rather than depend on the word of others or the misconceptions of critics who have never participated, here is a fact sheet from BSA's website that explains what Wood Badge actually is. Wood Badge is not now and never has been training for outdoor skills. Those selected to staff Wood Badge are typically people who have been active at the unit level for some time and should have a knowledge of the skills used in their program. But that is not the primary reason they are chosen as staff. I won't bore you with all the criteria a course director uses, but one of the main reasons is their ability to be an engaging trainer. Boy Scout outdoor skills (while valuable) is not the thrust of Wood Badge. Wood Badge is leadership skills training that cuts across all BSA programs. But enough from me. Here is what the BSA says.

 

http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-539.aspx

 

History of Wood Badge

In 1911, four years after Scouting began in Great Britain, Lord Baden-Powell began training Scouters through a series of lectures. This led to the first Wood Badge training course for Scoutmasters, held eight years later at Gilwell Park near London. In 1936, an experimental Wood Badge course was conducted in the United States at the Schiff Scout Reservation. Then, in 1948, the first American Wood Badge course was introduced in the United States as advanced training for trainers of Boy Scout leaders. Later, the program was extended to include troop committee members, commissioners, and Explorer leaders.

 

Experiments began in the late 1960s with a leadership development Wood Badge course emphasizing 11 leadership skills or "competencies." This program was launched in 1972 in support of a major revision of the Boy Scout phase of the program. In 1978, an evaluation of the Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge course revealed a need for greater emphasis on the practical aspects of good troop operation. The result was the development of a course that would provide a blend of Scoutcraft skills and practical troop operation, mixed with a variety of leadership exercises..

 

In 2001, the new Wood Badge for the 21st Century was introduced. It was developed for all Scouters: Cub Scout leaders, Boy Scout leaders, Venturing leaders, and council and district leaders. The focus is on leadership skills, not outdoor skills. The first part of the new Wood Badge course reflects unit meetings, while the second part of the course uses a troop camping activity as its delivery model.

 

The new Wood Badge course is administered nationally by the Boy Scout Division.

 

Purpose

As a result of attending Wood Badge, participants will be able to

- View Scouting globally, as a family of interrelated, values-based programs that provide age-appropriate activities for youth.

- Recognize the contemporary leadership concepts utilized in corporate America and leading government organizations that are relevant to our values-based movement.

- Apply the skills they learn from their participation as a member of a successful working team.

- Revitalize their commitment by sharing in an overall inspirational experience that helps provide Scouting with the leadership it needs to accomplish its mission on an ongoing basis.

 

Curriculum

Wood Badge courses may be conducted as a weeklong experience, or over two weekends with patrol meetings between each session. Experience has shown that either format produces satisfactory results. A staff guide is provided with a conversion guide for a weekend or weeklong course. An administrative guidebook outlines the procedures for administering the program.

 

Qualifications

Each Scouter invited to participate in Wood Badge training must have completed the basic training courses for their Scout position and completed the outdoor skills training programs appropriate for their Scouting position.

 

Conducting the Training

Wood Badge courses are authorized by regional service centers. When a local council feels it can guarantee enough participants from its own ranks, it may apply to the region to conduct a local council Wood Badge course. In a local council course, all participants, staff, and support come from the local council.

 

Two or more local councils may cooperate in conducting a cluster-council Wood Badge course. With regional approval, one of the participating councils acts as the host council. The host council normally coordinates the advance preparation, invitation procedure, and staff selection, and provides a site and basic equipment. The course director will participate in the selection of staff from the participating councils.

 

A minimum of 30 course members must be registered, with full fees paid, 30 days before the opening day of the course. This will ensure good patrol operation, full participation, and financial success. For efficiency of operation, there should not be more than eight patrols.

 

Goals

The primary purpose of the Wood Badge experience is to strengthen Scouting in our units, districts, and local councils. The Wood Badge ticket represents the participant's commitment to complete a set of personal goals relating to that individual's Scouting position. These goals will significantly strengthen the program in which the participant is involved. In addition, the ticket gives participants an opportunity to practice and demonstrate a working knowledge of the leadership skills presented during the course. Participants should complete their Wood Badge ticket no later than 18 months after the course.

 

Recognition

Upon successful completion of the ticket, the participant is entitled to receive the Wood Badge recognition. This consists of a parchment certificate, the Wood Badge beads (two wooden beads on a leather thong), a tan neckerchief with a swatch of MacLaren tartan, and a leather woggle or neckerchief slide.

 

The Wood Badge recognition not only identifies a Scouter who has completed advanced training, but also reminds the wearer of an ongoing commitment to continued service to Scouting.

 

Summary

Since 1948, the Wood Badge course has served as a source of training and inspiration to thousands of leaders. These Scouters have affected the lives of millions of America's youth in a quality Boy Scout program of citizenship training, character development, and fitness.

(This message has been edited by sr540beaver)

[Eamonn]

shortridge,

I really do hope you don't think I was in any way trying to pick on you! Please know that was never my intention.

 

One of the big things I was tasked with after being selected as a Wood Badge Course Director was selecting a staff.

There are a few guidelines that a CD has to follow, but they are not very burdensome.

The Council I serve belongs to a Wood Badge cluster so we try and select people who serve in the other Councils, depending on the Wood Badge Adviser or Council Training Chairs from them Councils for recommendations.

Having served as Council Training Chair for the Council I'm in, I had a fair idea of who was who and what their strengths and weaknesses were.

I knew that one District had an outstanding Cubscout R/T Commissioner who for every R/T meeting put together wonderful packets full of great ideas and activities. Having her as a Course Scribe was a no brainier.

One District Chairman in real life is a real fun guy who is also Presbyterian Minister, he has served as a Chaplin at a good many Jamborees and as a Chaplin at Philmont. He has a great speaking voice, tells wonderful stories, his son is an Eagle Scout who is serving in the Air Force. The guy just oozes charisma and is the type of fellow that you would want to follow any where. I was quick to offer him the SPL spot.

He did admit tome that he never mastered the fine art of splicing rope. I informed him that it wasn't needed. (I did try and teach him, but I think it's a lost cause.)

The Staff ended up being 24 people. Of the 24, only five had served on previous courses.

For the most part they were all good at what they did and the job I selected them for.

The QM wasn't very good. He was our Area President, who had served on a lot of the old courses and he just didn't get it. I asked one guy who had been a Troop Guide to step down, he seemed to think that the course was all about him and things he'd done. (I don't think he ever read the entire syllabus) One Troop Guide from another Council was a Venturing adviser, even with lots of help from the ASM he never really understood what tickets were about!

My job as a CD was never to teach these people Scouting, my job was to prepare and develop them to present the course as it was laid out in the syllabus.

The course covers a lot of ground, nothing but nothing is in there by accident, even the fun stuff like the camp fire has things that the participants should be taking home with them.

From the get go I knew that no matter how good I might be at something or how much I might have liked to do something (There are a few presentations that I dearly love presenting and a part of the camp fire which I really should have done!!) My role was to get them ready for the course.

There is a cooking demonstration in the course. Not all the staff were great outdoor cooks. But each team of staffers knew what they were cooking before the start of the course and had practiced cooking it before the start of the course.

So come the time for the presentation they seemed like old pros. They did admit to the participants that cooking wasn't their thing, but pointed out that being prepared was a lesson that we can all take home.

I feel blessed that my "Scout Upbringing" was very much based on the traditional outdoor skills and I'm interested in this kind of stuff.

I think I have served in just about every position that the BSA has out there (I have missed a few!)

Knowing Scouting to me is not as important as knowing the people that you work with and for.

I spent an entire Sunday afternoon trying to teach a young Sea Scout Time and Distance, I was getting no where. I just couldn't work out what I was doing wrong.

After several hours (yes hours!!) I discovered that the Lad couldn't tell time. He could look at his cell phone and tell you what time it was, but he had no comprehension what the time would be in 20 or 30 minutes from now. I found out that he had a learning disability. Once I knew that we started over. Me teaching him how to tell time. We found ways of making sure that he got the information that he needed from his Sea Scout Manual, without causing him any embarrassments.

To me working with a Lad like this is Scouting while maybe not knowing everything, knowing what you need to be able to serve the people you are serving is more important.

Eamonn.