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Why I went to Wood Badge.
Dan Moser (DanrMoser@AOL.COM)
Thu, 27 Aug 1998 16:51:00 -0400
In the three years that I have been a member of this list it seems t=
o me
that almost every discussion of the Boy Scout Wood Course is centered on =
what
to wear once you get there. As a participant of last year=92s course, TH=
EE
RAVEN Patrol NE-IV-92, run by the Hawk Mountain Council located in Reading=
Pa
I want to share some of my thoughts concerning Wood Badge.
This is one of the best courses on Leadership skills that is availab=
le.
My employer has sent me to various courses/seminars over the years ie. Dal=
e
Carnegie, Career Track, et al. and while enlightening I really do not feel
that these courses made many significant long term changes in me. The wood
badge method of teaching the material followed by being forced to go out a=
nd
apply what was learned (the ticket) drove home the points being taught. I
find that a year after the course I am regularly applying what was taught=
in
my Troop and at work and home. Wood Badge is also an excellent exercise i=
n
team building as a collection of really different people are thrown toget=
her
and forced to bond together as a team. I have taken a lot of ideas back t=
o
our troop to improve the Team/Patrol spirit.
Like every new experience it was important to go into Wood badge wit=
h an
open mind and the expectation that positive changes will take place. I ch=
ose
to ignore the negative things that I had heard about wood badge courses in
general. Some of the things that were irritating to me were done for a
purpose and taught valuable lessons.
The Hawk Mountain Council, has made Wood Badge Training for it=92s
volunteer leaders one of it=92s highest priorities. Every Scoutmaster, Un=
it
commissioner and Asst Scoutmaster is being encouraged/prodded :) to comple=
te
Wood Badge. To this end they have dedicated a lot of resources to wood ba=
dge
and have recruited some excellent staffs. If your council does not feel
strongly about wood badge it might be possible to take the course in an
adjoining council.
My observation of Troops in my area is that trained leadership is what
separates the marginal units from great ones. I know there are many factor=
s
involved in why some troops fail, but in my district the troops that will
probably fold in the near future are the ones without trained leadership. =
I
don=92t know if that is a symptom or a cause but there is a real relations=
hip
between adult training and the health of units.
YIS
Dan Moser
Scoutmaster Troop 377
Stony Creek Mills, PA
Hawk Mountain Council- Kittatinny Lodge #5
I used to be a RAVEN.... NE-IV-92
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
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