Knight

The green one (fourth up from the bottom) seems to indicated Wood Badge (Troop 1) and also has a Commisioner Key / Arrowhead Honor Award on it.

I'm not sure what are the colorful patches on some of the right sleeves below the US flag patches.

Most of the council shoulder patches are standard South Florida Council patches.

That is important information right there...

The Game of Life is an important part of WB. Many people don't like it, but like the name suggests, it is a reflection of real life. A couple of my opinions:

- It is just a game in a training course. There are more significant and bigger conflicts and problems in Scouting waiting for every one of us in real life. Practice - even at facing conflicts and temptations - is a good thing, IMHO.

- "Storming" is a necessary part of team-building. Avoiding or ignoring conflict or papering-over differences just to say we built a good team quickly can lead to bigger problesm down the road.

Just my $0.02.

I found an Antelope leather punch a few years ago a a Scout Shop and I'm not giving it up. Theere were a dozen Beavers and Bobwhites laying there, but only one Antelope.

I bought the new - and improved - Scout shirt (long sleeve) a few weeks ago. Here are my comments:

- "Boy Scouts of America" is ont embroiderd on - GREAT.

- No pocket on sleeve - GREAT.

- Button AND buttonhole underneath each pokcet flap. - GREAT. No having to worry about losing temporary hanging patches. Also, the Powderhorn device fits also. I understand it did not work properly with the earlier centennial shirts.

- Vented back panel with mesh underneath - GREAT. The vent has a tab with Velcro on it. Above the vent is a loop. The vent can be opened up on hot days. It worked well for me.

The material is a very soft microfiber - GOOD. Based on other microfiber products I've used, I think the material will have decent durability.

- No more pocket drain thingies - GOOD.

- Quality seems much better than the previous "centennial" shirts - GOOD.

- Made in Bangladesh, not USA - BAD.

This is very helpful - thank you!!!

It looks like two dead bodies floating in a lake...

What, did they both fail the swim test and drown?

I heard the new southern region numbering system was:

S(Region)-(council #)-(course # per year)-(two digit year).

I think that is a typo - I'm guessing that it will be as shown above:

S(Region)-(council #)-(two digit year)-course # per year).

My course number (as a participant) was SR-906 - easy enlough even for a simpleton like me to remember.

The Southern Region is changing to a numbering system like the other regions - no more SR-NNNN.

Our upcoming course will be one of the first to get the new numbers.

Habor Freight Tools runs lots of ads with coupons for a 9 LED free flashlight, no purchase necessary. Sometimes they have a coupon for a free 6 piece screwdriver set, no purchase necessary. The coupons appear in inserts in our local newspapers as well as in various national magazines.

I pick up these freebies freqently for use in our local Pack and Troop.

No shoulder loops, of course, lol.

My son bought this shirt a few years ago for $2 at a local camporee. It has a 1977 Jamboreee patch sewn on above where is says "SCOUT BSA." I'm adding all of the present-day patches, so it is an odd mix of vintage and modern. He's looking forward to confusing people with it at the Jamboree this year.

Who are you calling "ma'am", sailor?!

LOL - My wife chuckled at this.

Thank you.

My son bought a 1970's shirt (olive, no collar, says "SCOUT BSA" above the right pocket) and wants it to have all of his current insignia on it. I'm trying to put the present-day patches in the proper places. Should the rank patch, the OA pocket flap, the office patch, the religious knot, the world crest and the arrow of light patch all go in the same places as they do on a present-day shirt?

twocubdad wrote:

Open-toed shoes are discouraged.

Wow, tey are even allowing open-toed shoes? I thought they were entirely prohibited.

Stop and remember your mother (and/or for the men, your wife) this weekend.

I've always liked this:

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her.

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Wow, what an experience. This was my first time staffing. I don't know if I'll ever have the privilege to be (figuratively) on top of that mountain again, but I sure hope so. I am missing the experience already.

My fellow staffers - I don't know how to properly express how much love and admiration I feel for each of them. I am indeed blessed.

As for the participants - we hit an out-of-the-park home run. The participants left with tears in their eyes and full of leadership energy, enthusiasm and knowledge for Scouting and for working their tickets.

Congrats, nolesrule.

I was hoping this would be a post from someone who was attending SR-1052 which also just had Weekend One down at Camp Tanah Keeta. I'm staffing on that one. I thought maybe this topic might have been from our course because our Eagle patrols calls themselves the Seminole Eagles.

Temperatures went down to the low 40's here also.

5 bight, 3 passes for the woggle I just made for the course that starts this week.

My leather woggle is 4 bight.

A few observations:

A. EDGE is a core element of the Wood Badge curriculum. It only makes sense that the staff should refresh themselves on the methodology that is a core part of the course.

B. In the course that I am staffing, all staff teach to one degree or another. I am a Quartermaster and I am presenting Coaching and Mentoring along with several other presentation parts.

C. I personally think everyone should take refresher courses. For me, if nothing else, it shakes me out of my old habits. In Wood Badge, we tell people to make a commitment to lifelong learning. That commitment applies equally well to me as to the persons I am training.

One of the Scouters I most admire is 78 years old - and he continues to go to training courses such as EDGE. I know that he has vast experience, that he knows the BSA and the programs inside & out, and on top of everything else, that he has the wisdom of many decades. Yet, he still is an enthusiastic participant in these courses to become a better trainer and teacher. I absolutely believe there is a direct connection between his willing desire to continue (and repeat) his self-education and his demonstrated success as a Scouter and role model.

There are so many funny responses here. Thank you!

To me, the pronounciation is irrelevant; it is the meaning that needs to be taken to heart.

A somewhat different comment on the general topic:

I think the two 3-day weekend format is ideal. The 6 day all-at-once course is a compromise. Having time to think about what one has learned is very valuable.

Have the patrols each earned the National Honor Patrol Award? If not, I'd encourage them to earn that before anything else. It is the formula for a successful patrol and troop.

I'm a Quartermaster.

One of the feautres of the way we run Wood Badge here is that Powerpoints are used very, very sparingly in our presentations.(This message has been edited by Knight)

I'm doing all of the training and working with the staff groups, but any words of wisdom would be very welcome.