ScoutBox

I guess this is like any other question about the Uniform.

You want to wear it? Wear it!, You don't! Then Don't!

I know from the Admin, and Staff Guide, that there are several items required for the course.

Here is the 2012 Course Guide QM List.

Day One: Orientation, Gathering Activites.

-Name Badge for each Participant.

-Participant Notebook for each Participant, Including:

--10 sheets of paper

--Pen

--The Gilwell Gazwtte (First Issue)

-Den Chief shoulder cord for each patrol

-Staff Exhibit

-Any required materials for gathering activity or game. (Para cord bracelets)"Traditional activity"

-Course Hat and Shirt for each participant, if appropriate. (Also given at each course)

We also design and give out Council WB Course CSP's every year. We then offer to sell stock to Participants afterwards to raise extra funds for future courses.

Temp Course Patch.

And this year we are thinking of a wind breaker. We have for the past two years had a one day Summer Storm during the week.

These extras are left up to the Course Directors/SM. I was thinking that a tote bag would be great, as we have a lot of stuff to tote around. I don't like carrying a back pack myself.

I see past participants wearing loads of former WB stuff, but hang on to those good memories I would guess. I loved my course, and have loved Staffing so far. I hope this year's course is also a good one to be Staffing (ASM-TG this Course). But I think that some like this stuff, and some don't. Not required to wear the Course patches, and CSP's, but like I said we use after course participant sales to generate extra funds. This is the same as you see with OA flaps etc..

I still wear a beaded pocket dangler with "Bobwhite" on it made for me by a great WB Staff friend. She makes these every year. And the course Directors usually get a very kool OA or CD designed, pouch for a mobile phone she makes. I was already talking about gifting with my TGs fro this course, and asked them, that if they decided to gift, then make something, and not spend money buying stuff.. Although these "Critter Beads" are desired often. But this stuff goes way over the top often enough. Gifting, and gifting, and gifting.. too much..

I love to gift people, but not on the scale I have seen it. So I try to make something, and will do that this year. Leather, and a hot pointed iron. I am still using the one that the CD made last year as a key chain.

Anyway, hope those of you who do serve or attend a WB course this year have a great time, learn loads, and finish your Ticket..

YIS,

Mike B.

I have done a lot of looking into this. I was asked last year about this question.

Although Sheath knives are legal, and to my opinion, better in the woods. We have disallowed the use in the Troop. Along with any lock blade knives. The lock blade issue is Federal Law in Switzerland. So that one's a no brainer. The fixed blade knives was a committee decision.

I've now earned the International KNot, and asked my Scout Shop if I could order some. I was told they didn't carry them, and I'd have to go directly through my Council Office who would make the order for me. But they cost 10. bucks each.. WOW!

Same with a new WB Necker or Beads.. I guess my council is sticking by the rules..

I just spoke to a friend who's to go over as Staff. But as usual the National web site, along with the Scout Shop is having problems with payments made from over seas..

I'm Staffing WB and NYLT the week later. so no time.. I'd love to go though. Maybe next time they'll do it closer..

ditto.. Above^^^^

I have a new scouter in my Troop, and he just came back from California, and Oklahoma. He visited two of his old councils. and brought me back a load of OA flaps, and CSPs. He told me that one could buy any council strip in the scout shops now days. He was unhappy because that takes away from the boys who go to camporees, and Jambos and trade. His thought was Why trade when you could just buy them off the shelf. He was remembering when he was a scout and trading at events like Jambo.. Makes since, but it still doesn't change the fact of Free Enterprise. Also I have found that my Scout shop doesn't sell any patches from other COuncils. maybe it's due to where we are. outside the loop to say. Another thing I saw was that Scout Shops usually don't sell patches that are special to other councils or districts. example, and special Flap. or course CSP, but just the standard issue stuff.

It's call Free Enterprise. People can sell anything not deemed illegal. BSA Patches are legally purchased and can be sold. Get used to it. Brother I went to Ranger School. and you can find Ranger emblems all over the Net for sell. along with all sorts of Police, FBI etc.. etc..

My suggestion for you is to not buy from the guy.. enough people stop buying then he will be forced to stop buying and selling himself. Supply and Demand..

I wear a couple of flaps, and we have a couple of new ones out that I will be getting at our Scouter's Annual Conference in March. Can't wait. But I mostly wear our current flap..

My council just posted a list with dates that one would have to retake the courses.. IOLS isn't one of these course.

I've sen some written that can take months, others that seem to be impossible, but I know that the Staff tries to help the participant write a ticket that is achievable. Example, I have seen some write a goal stating thy would organize a Council Camp. Maybe this can happen, but if the Council has already chosen someone to do this, then it will be very hard to accomplish. I have a friend who's ticket took almost all of the 18 months, I for example finished mine in 6 months. It could have taken longer, and I though I was going to have to re-write a few goals, but ti worked out int eh end. Also depends on the position, and experience of the participant. Example, you might have a younger participant who writes up they are going to attend Trainer Edge. OK, But someone who's already do this before should write up that they are going to re-do this course. Or write a new cook book. When there might be so many already written. I was new to scouting when I went, so many things were open to me. But luck my CD/SM knew that I was scouting in a very difficult area, and the although minor goals I was asking to do, were giant in comparison to the task at hand. I was having to work against all sorts of people who were against my finishing. But in the end it all worked out. I just never quit. And I got people on board by explaining to them what I was doing. I would say that what ever goals you have written and gotten approved must be good. And worth the work.. Good luck..

Goods work.. keep up the good scouting work..

(You know some of these jokes are un-bearable.. )

I can't see them going away, have to agree with above that it's just a sale to entice business. I got my son one of the older Wool Jacs in Red last year in his size for $19.90. Wish mine would have cost that..

Camp sites are also a problem for us. We are very far from Council sites, so we camp in our local area. But they are small. Our biggest camp site we can get the patrols to about 150' of each other. But we adults stay farther away. One site the patrols are closer, but we adults are hidden aways by a arm of woods, although still about 150' away. We do do loads of Patrol hikes, and the Patrols get on with it. Several got lost last time, and we just sat down in our adult camp site and waited. Most sites are very compact so it's more of a Troop camp site. But this go very well, the patrols stay in their areas, and we give a walk through to taste some food, and make sure no ones been killed. But usually we stay away. My son is a PL now so I really stay out of his business as much as possible. Camping for the Troop is a great camp for us adults. we talk, train, and eat. The boys do much the same. We work to get the Patrols to do more and more together to build the Patrol Spirit. I am loving scouting, and look forward to every event. The boys are having fun, and learning plenty. So I feel it's working. Better then before. My church was visited by local Swiss Scouts this past Saturday for Mass. My son and I wore our uniforms, and they invited us to visit them after Mass. We stayed until 11 PM. Had a great time, and great camp fire..

I will have to tell you that my scouting experience isn't long. I only got back involved two and a half years ago. When I joined my troop, I found a unit that was adult lead. No trained leaders, the SM wasn't involved. no TLT. No nothing. The adults who were leading the troop weren't very pro adult training. They wanted a more non-BSA scout troop as many scouts and families were from the UK. I did the basic training, and very soon afterwards did IOLS. Then soon afterwards went to Woodbadge. All inside of 6 months. I got my hands on a SM Handbook, and though that it was a waist of time. I read it several times and found it lacked in boy training, and real information for a SM on how to do his job. Later I started finding and reading older copies of SM Handbooks where I was educated better. WB was in between this education. THere I really got to see how things were properly done in a Troop. You see, many of you are either older scouters, or have been involved with communities that have longer BSA roots. You aren't alone in scouting in your area. your districts, and council isn't so far away. We here were more like on our own. ANd things got out of hand. Scouting went the wrong direction. That's why I was and am still a problem where I scout, in my area. There are still units doing it their own way, and not the BSA way. I was asked to become a Commissioner here. I saw the need, since there were none anyway. I have found it hard going. but I work daily on the job. Getting units to re-charter on time is a task. THere are no round tables. There's bad blood between troops. People don't want to be helped. SO you see, I got here, and being a former military person, knew that I would need some training, so I got it. And now I am a Council Trainer, I am organizing adult training in my area. That's because people wont drive 6 hours for training. COunt yourselves lucky. YOu next door to whatever training is offered. I find it funny when someone says that driving two hours to train is too far. Hell, I wish that's all I would have to drive. In fact, the min. time it takes to get to a training for anyone here is a hour. And that's the lucky ones. So when I say I learned about the Patrol method in Woodbadge I wasn't joking. IOLS really didn't talk too much about it. in fact nothing I can remember. But WB Did.

I'm taking a lot of this stuff on board. I am speaking to my SM/CD for WB, and asking these questions. How can we do more to get the Patrol Method point across to the Participants, and Staff.

Have to ditto shortridge here. Contact the Lodge Admin person. Usually this all gets taken care of right after Ordeal. Card, Sash, and Flap.

I've got all of the (Tan) Scout Shirt models.. anyway, I like the new lighter weight shirt. Wears well, cooler, light, and looks good. I wash it, hang it up, and it dries perfect. The Cotton shirt wrinkles bad, and is warmer.. The former Poly (Pocket on the sleeve) shirt, looks and wears well. but I have noticed that they fade bad. I also still have to iron them.. Now the pants are not my favorite. They are too delicate and thigh pockets are wrong.. wrong.. wrong.. I prefer the Switchback pants to outings..

Have to agree with eisely. My course was good. And the past two I've been a trainer on were good. I do think that IOLS is more of a course designed to give the Scouter a better idea of what the Scout needs and is going through. I would need more then a weekend to train someone properly on outdoor skills. If you think that IOLS is gong to make you into some kind of expert then you are mistaken. Even the basic training the boys get isn't expert level. In fact you can take ANY Eagle scout, and I promise you he isn't an expert.. I haven't seen one who knows all there is to know about navigation for example. And I've had the chance to take some very advance levels of navigation. Still doesn't make me an expert. But I stay found.. anyway. I am currently organizing IOLS for my area, and the time restraints are crazy. But then again, this is more of an over view. Not a make perfect.

@Kudu: EDGE is a teaching method.. I don't understand your argument with it??? In fact you can call the EDGE anything, and it is still the same methods I've been using for 30 years. It didn't really have a name when I was being taught and first teaching. Someone came up with a kool name. Easy to remember. "Leader's Lore". Anyway, I can't see anything negative with using the EDGE Method. Doesn't leave out anything to do with the Patrol method. I teach using it, and so do the Scouts. it does work. They use it in their Patrols teaching one another skills. I've seen it myself.. so what's the problem... Nothing against you here Kudu, but you do realize that BSA isn't going to bring back any of the former techniques or names anytime soon. We don't have a chose. I use the older books. And methods. But in the end I use the EDGE to get the idea across..

@Lisabob, Well said and I totally agree with you here. I also went. We had one other adult in the troop who had also gone, but was never beaded. He tried to talk me out of going. I went anyway, and have been a thorn in his side ever since. I got a Scouting education. I started to push more of the boy lead, patrol method, and boys voting for their leadership. Not an adult choosing the SPL, and then the SPL choosing the PLs. That's the way it was. Now we have full boy lead, patrol method, boys only voting for their leadership. And it is working. I first wouldn't have known all about this if I hadn't gone to WB. I also met a lot of great and fantastic people in Council who've supported my quest. And now that I am not only beaded, but have Staffed, and am involved in a lot of Council, District and my area's activities, I am the person they all go to to ask those questions. So I have come a long way, and have a long way to go, but I am still educating myself, I still have loads to learn. I am now working on my BCS. I am working to bring my community scouting leaders together. Get them working together. I have also been there to tell the former leaders, that it's the scouting way or the hwy for them. Several have left. They have found it hard to work in an environment where they are no longer in charge, but the boys are.. The troop is better, and the scouts are doing great.. My Ticket was a hard worked one, that I still work hard to accomplish everyday. OA for example. Last year one of the goals was to get OA started up in the Troop. We had elections, 12 scouts were called out. None went to Ordeal. I went as an adult. But the parents weren't interested in helping. Now there is this big rush to make sure OA gets started and working int eh troop. Every boy wants to be involved. SO I am hopeful that this year I'll be traveling to Fellowship with full seats in my truck. Things are working. And it took IOLS and Woodbadge to get me there. I say IOLS, because I got my first taste of District activities at IOLS, I first met the Scouters that care. And that got me wanted to go to WB. And there I got a better taste of what's out there.. And now Staffing WB and NYLT mean more and more of that taste. I am organizing the first IOLS/BALOO, OWLS course ever in my area. Good people out there. Doing great things. Trying to make a difference within their scouting communities..

Bobwhite Mike

EDGE will only work if the person using it knows int eh first place..

I make sure we have a Field book in every Patrol box. I have never seen a scout reading one though. SO getting them to using them more and more would be a useful step. I was again reading the new Scout Handbook last week. Was helping a boy with some of his advancements. Anywho, I though that most of the Compass and map reading was pretty good. The fire building has always been week in the newer HBs. SO I usually teach that myself without the book. Lashings I use the MB book to help there. In fact most of the skills we use the MB books to help out with. We have a lot of the older ones around that work great for that. Even the new ones aren't bad..

Have to agree with what's above. I use the older Field Books. They have loads of more outdoor skills in them. I also have several other books that are so great. Horace Kephart's book for example..

The course I staffed we had staff presentations only at our Staff dinner on Day 5 I think.. Sure there are some presentations going on all during course, but mostly funny stuff, like a picture of this. or a gag giant set of Beads that were put together one course. But mostly fun and games. I think that it depends on the SPL, and the CD. Last course I staffed, was more low key. And our new CD wants none of the presentations for gifting to go on.. Which sounds good to me.. I don't staff WB for gifts. but I've heard about it going way over board some past courses.. I'll let you know once Staff-D gets started. Our CD is different then the past ones..

I can still remember my course, and there were loads of presentations.. none by our Patrol. Mostly between the Staff..

OK. Just read better what's above and see it 2mins..

This years course Book.

There is some time allowed during the Closing Luncheon for Patrol Presentations. But I don't have the time allowed yet. But I'm sure it's enough time for Patrols to make whatever presentations they would like. I know that many Patrols make presentations whenever they have to time to Staff. My patrol made ours after the course to our TG.

day six: Closing Luncheon time allowed

75 minutes

recommended facility Layout

Presentation Procedure

Troop dining area; the tables decorated in a festive manner with tablecloths, Scouting emblems, Wood Badge totems, etc.

The closing luncheon on Day Six should be a celebration of the approaching completion of a Wood Badge course and the enjoyment of participants being together one last time in a relaxed setting.

It is appropriate to invite council Scout executives and other key Scouters to attend the closing luncheon and share in the success of the nearly concluded course.

Closing Luncheon Program agenda

■ GraceChaplain Aides ■ Recognition of Wood Badge Staff and VisitorsSenior Patrol Leader ■ Patrol Recognitions

Note: Each patrol will be allowed two minutes to make any introductions, tributes, acknowledgments, or other presentations that they wish. Patrol lead- ers learned of this opportunity at the Day Six patrol leaders council meeting and should have discussed the opportunity with patrol members before the luncheon to determine whether they wished to use their two minutes and, if so, in what manner.

Note:The closing luncheon serves as a time for participants to enjoy the com- pany of one another and to celebrate in their own way the near-completion of the Wood Badge course.The presentation of the luncheon should not include any elements that will be offered during other Day Six events.