dancinfox

In answer to your question of where it is printed: Administrative Guide, 2005 printing, page 19.

One Designated Kudu Horn Blower

In an effort to minimize the possible transmission of respiratory invections, only one person may blow the kudu horn at a Wood Badge course.

Also, in answer to the question about Venturing Tabs for Troop Guides the Staff Guide (The Syllabus) on page 296 and 297 states that the person who will play the Venturing Advisor should be wearing Venturing tabs and after the TG's recite the Venturing Code, the advisor should present them with their Venturing tabs.

Hope this helps.

Dancin Fox

David Harrison

On our course last year, I instructed the staff to wear the uniform of their position. This is what the syllbus calls for. Even if they were a troop guide, a female could wear the blue and gold uniform with blue tabs. Same with venturing. They did change to green tabs when they crossed over to venturing.

David Harrison

I recently paid $175.00 to our council for a NYLT Scholarship for a youth in the district to go. No takers as of yet.

Dancin

Some additonal advise to all of you. Read the syllubus from cover to cover. Then read it again from cover to cover. Then read it again from cover to cover. Even though you took 21st Century WB, when you read the syllubus, the light will turn on just what they were trying to teach you. As a TG, I read the syllubus once. On course I felt I didn't understand everything. As SPL and Backup CD, I read the syllubus 3 times and got a better understanding. As a CD, I read the syllubus 4 times and had a great grasp of what the course was presenting. I had asked all my staff to read the syllubus at least once, but told them they would get more out of their presentations if they read it twice. What's really cool, is when you read the syllubus for NYLT and the new Troop Leader Training, and also the basic training syllubus's, you can see all the ties to Wood Badge.

David Harrison

Course Director

C-12-06

In looking over the information that National has produced on the Centennial Quality Award, the suggestion is to go back to one year from 10/31/2007 and use those numbers as a starting point. Thus, if your unit had 10 adult leaders, how many additional do you want to recruit, and then that number will be looked at in October to see if you accomplished it. The same works for attendance on outings, advancement, retention and so on. You could low ball the numbers, but in my council, the council commissioner staff is going to be keeping those numbers and will know if low balling has taken place.

David Harrison

Council Commissioner

Lake Huron Area Council

I went to Cub Scout Trainers WB in 1993 and Boy Scout WB in 1995. I staffed my first WB course in 2002 and was CD in 2006. I feel some envey for those who have taken 21st Century WB, as I have watched them progress through scouting the last few years. I have always held WB in very high regards and was always proud to be a WB'er. Some of the people who took WB before 2002 seemed not to carry the spirt with them and the ones who have taken WB in 2002 and 2004 still have the spirit. They just didn't put it away when they got their beads. As a CD I had to have at least 1/3 new staff. I ended up with 42% new staff and 19% female. I wanted the female ratio to be higher, but had turndowns due to other commimtments. If I had never been on staff or directed a course and now had to retake the course, I would. What is learned on course is different from what I learned before, but it fits in with today's scouting, and that's important. To clarify one thing. If you are a prior 21st WB'er and want to take the new course, you don't give up your beads, you set them aside, which means if you were a three beader, you would set aside your beads, take the course, work a new ticket and earn new beads. After the course, if you wanted to start wearing the 3 beads again, you could. If you were asked to be on staff, you would earn your third bead again, and in the case of a CD, you would have to earn your third bead again, be a TG and hold one other position, such as SPL, ASM, Scribe, or QM and then you would earn your 4th bead. Also as a CD on 21st Century WB, you can never be a 21st Century CD again, but you can serve on staff again. needless to say, if your council uses your services, then there is a problem with WB and not having enough people to staff a course. But you can work on course as an Instructor or to help cook. I feel as a prior CD, my duty to WB is not over. I need to recurit as many people to take the course as I can. We can't keep this great course a secret.

Just my rambling thoughts.

David Harrison

Course Director

C-12-06

Fox C-CS-1-93

Fox C-15L-95

I would talk to the district advancement chair and to the Boy Scout roundtable commissioer an plan a roundtable that specificlly deals with advancement in the unit and BOR. I would make sure that the unit leaders of this unit where invited and offer to give rides to get them their. This way not only this unit, but additional units whould hear it from the advancement chair's mouth and not mine. I would also offer to sit in on future BOR for the unit.

Dancin

robbyynn,

If you pm me your e-mail address, I will send you the organizational charts we use in my council's commissioner basic training. It might not be totaly specific to your council, but it would be close.

David Harrison

Council Commissioner

Lake Huron Area Council

Just a little food for thought. When FOS presenters use an amount of $115 or $120, they are most likely getting it from the council finance director who calculates the total cost of running the council (ie: council camps, wages for professionals and support staff, program materials, etc.) subtracts United way giving and other income such as camping income and event income and divides the left over by the total number of youth being served in the council. In my council the presentation states it takes $130 per year to support one youth.

Dancin Fox

Food for thought!

I was a Scoutmaster for 8 years. I had 66 youth go through the troop program in those 8 years. 19 of the youth in the program earned the Eagle Rank. The percentage is 29%. You can use the same calculation for national numbers. Total number of youth in Scouting over the last five years. Total number of Eagle Scout ranks earned over the last 5 years. Divide the number of Eagle Scouts over the last 5 years by the total number of youth that have gone through the program and you have your number.

Dancin

Tonya,

In answer to your question. A 100% Boys Life Unit has a subscription of Boys Life go into every home of the registered youth in the unit. If there are two or three brothers in the unit, then only one subscription has to go into the home. Adults can subscribe to Boys Life if they would like to, but it's not manatory.

David Harrison

Council Commissioner

Lake Huron Area Council, Michigan

Let's look at what is cool. It seems to me that the media tells us what is cool. I remember when my son was young, he was into He Man. Does anyone remember He Man? I do because he had about $500.00 worth of this toy that was tossed out in the trash when the fad faded. Movies, toys, clothes, etc. are all fads. The advertising tells us what we want. Maybe Scouting should concentrate on the advertising of Scouting. Not an ad once a month, or an article in the paper, but a blitz in the media. Spend $10,000,000.00 on advertising. Show ads on every channel in every segment of the courtry. I bet if we did that, and the ads were in tune to what sells to youth, the numbers would go up everywhere. Scouting would be cool, because the media has told us so. The media tells us what breakfast foods to eat, so why not that we need to join Scouting, we need to go to summer camp. Let's all put in a $1,000.00 dollars to national and tell them it's for a high end media campaign. Let me know when you send yours in and I will do the same.

Dancin Fox

I took the "Old" Wood Badge Boy Scout Leader and the Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge. The Cub Scout Trainer course taught me to be a better trainer by helping me find better ways to present training sessions. This not only was used in Cub Scout training, but also when I became a Boy Scout Leader trainer and staffing Wood Badge courses. The Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge taught me the 11 leadership skills. Knowing and Using your resourses, communicating, understanding the characteristics and needs of the group, planning, controlling the group, effective teaching, representing the group, evaluating, sharing leadership, setting the example, and how to counsel. These eleven leadership skills were taught by instruction and using some outdoor skills instruction. As I remember, these outdoor skills were not so detailed as to make you an expert, but were used to help you understand the leadership skills being taught. As to which Wood Badge is better? Each one I took or have taught are great. As I said, Cub Scout Trainer WB taught me to be a better trainer as intended, and Boy Scout Leader WB taught me to be a better Boy Scout Leader working with youth. 21st Century WB teaches one to be a totaly better leader, not only working with youth, but also with adults. Not only in a Scouting enviroment, but also at work and in your personal life. I do believe I have become a better person and Scout Leader for having staffed the course and understanding what is truly being taught. In working New Leader Essentials, and Specific training, I see the corolation to WB. Also in the NYLT.

David Harrison

The perspective of the Course Director!

I had to come up with a list of 60 or 65 possible staff which I presented to my Council Executive. He then cut the number down to 55 and presented it to the Region for approval. I then began contacting possible staff. After a few turndowns (not having the time, etc.) I filled my staff roster and started recruiting participants. I had decided to fill the minimum of 30 before December 31, which I did and then started recruiting the other 18. After the 3 staff developments, and many months preparing for the course and letting my wife know how much I was spending on the course. (I am still alive) I and my staff were well prepared for the course. The first weekend 8-25 thru 8-27 went great. I made a few changes, such as not using our new conference center, as it was to small to hold 70 plus people and changing the schedule because of the weather, all the participants had fun. One thing I did was during the day three troop meeting, one of the troop guides came up to me and told me that the participants were having a hard time grasping the ticket concept. I took about 10 minutes and did a ticket off the cuff on my scouting position (Council Commissioner). After that they all seemed to grasp the concept, one vision, five goals.

Good luck to you,

David Harrison

Course Director

C-12-06

I just finished my first weekend as Course Director and everyone on staff was pasionate with their presentations and their interactions with participants. The participants had fun while they learned "The same old stuff" they have seen before. One difference, It was presented in a different light and from the heart. I have worked hard over the last year putting this course together. Through staff development, personal finances, and my own passion to give the participants the best course I could. Is it a "mountain top experience" for the participants. I think not only for the participants, but also for myself and my staff. When I went to Wood Badge, I became passionate about training and always working for the youth in my council, but staffing stirred up a different type of passion. One that drives me to be the best presenter I can and give the participants 150% from my heart.

David Harrison

Course Director

C-12-06

Lake Huron Area Council

You might try makeing special certificates for all the Quality Units in your district, framing them and awarding them at the dinner. Also, special certificates for all the program years Eagle Scouts and pay for the Eagle Scout's dinner and dad and mom will come along for the presentation. I chaired the district dinner last year and used some of these areas to increase attendance. People and Unit Leaders like to receive certificates and ribbons they can hang on the wall or the flag.

Dancin

Kahuna,

I've been on this forum for a while and like others don't often post alot. In my position as Council Commissioner I hear a lot of rants and ravings about uniforming, program, etc. In my view of uniforming, I tell people that I am not a uniform policeman, nor do I play one on TV. If you want to ask me the proper way to uniform, I will tell you, but don't make issue about it with me. The same goes with other policies and procedures of the BSA. Some people think that being the Council Commissioner, I have alot of power. How wrong they are. I do have the ear of the Scout Executive, but only to tell him my opinion, not make policy or enforce it. Every job in Scouting is tough, and a lot of times we just have to bite our upper lip, smile and continue on.

David Harrison

Council Commissioner

LHAC

I am currently a CD for the WB Course to be run im my council. I came on staff in 2002 as a Troop Guide and when National changed the criteria for a course director ie:will have staffed once as a TG and one other position on staff before being considered as a canidate for CD, I was the Backup CD for 2004. This year will be my third and last course. The new admin guide says a prior CD can serve on staff again, but only if there would not be enough people to serve in the other positions, in other words, if your council just ran their second course and their weren't enough available people to staff the course, the previous CD could serve on staff again. As for picking staff for my course, myself and my backup talked and tried to use at least 50% new staff. We ended up with 42%. One of the things that CD's should be doing is building a base of staff that can some day be CD's. This means that someone will not serve on staff for x number of times because they are a good ole boy or whatever, but they have the potential to inprove their leadership skills to a level so that they can serve as a CD. I picked people for staff from 2002, and 2004, and also 4 from the pre 21st Century courses to serve, because I felt they had the leadership skills to become part of the pool of future CD's. Since our council has started doing 21st Century WB we have had 33 new staffers. My backup CD took 21st Century in 2002, was a TG in 2004 and is serving as SPL/BCD in 2006. I am proud to be able to say that I won't serve again on staff. Does that mean that I won't support, contribute, and recruit for the future courses? No, I will be as ever present doing these things as I have been.

Dancin

Course Director

C-12-06

Lake Huron Area Council

The position of Adviser to Youth involvement is not a staff position but a role assumed by an assistant senior patrol leader, an assistant Scoutmaster, or a Scouting professional. This staff member is responsible for identifying and recruiting yuth to assist with appropriate portions of the program, providing course dates and clothing guidelines to youth participants, developing a plan for youth to manage theri meals during the course, and ensuring that the course adheres to the BSA's Youth Protection policies.

This is from the Administrative Guide for conducting a Wood Badge Course.

I am using Venturing youth in the course I am directing this year and I am using a Assistant Scoutmaster who is a Venture Leader for this role.

Hope this helps.

Dancin Fox

Lisa Bob,

C-12-06 is being held at Camp Rotary in Clare, Michigan. The course dates are August 25-27 and September 15-17,2006. As of this post we have 53 registered participants for the course.

Dancin Fox

David Harrison

Course Director

C-12-06

When you wrote your ticket up and decided on your five goals, one of the things for each goal was "How will this be verified?" Whatever you put on that line is how you would present it to your Troop Guide.

Dancin

Course Director

C-12-06

A few notes about the quality unit award. First, if you recharter in January, then you have until December 31 of that year to earn it. An example, Unit A goes through rechater in Feburary. The Unit leader is not trained. If the Unit leader can get training for their position (ie: Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, Crew Advisor, then if the unit did everything else for quality unit, they would then be a quality unit. If you look at the form, it states previous year and current year. This means, did the unit do the requirements in the last year and do they plan to complete the requirements in the current program year.

Dancin

You might approach it by sitting down individualy with each leader and the specific award application for their position and fill out what they've already done to earn the award. When you come to the part about training, use that as a leadin to talk to them about specific trainings coming up and have the registration forms ready.

Dancin

I found this reference in a search.

Webelos Woods BSA publication # 33838 1995 printing

From the Wood Badge Administrative Guide page 12, Staff Qualifications, Have participated in a Trainer development conference within three years of the appointment.

Thus, any staff member whould have to take TDC if they had not taken it within three years.

Dancin