WDL Training

[ScoutMomAng 10]

Hi all!

 

I love you guys so much. I hope you can help me out this time! Tonight, I've been asked to conduct the District's Webelos Den Leader Specific Training for SATURDAY! The district has a list of what National wants to be taught at WDL specific training, which is really not the problem, accept I don't have it here in front of me. There is a Power Point Presentation for the WDL specific training, one that my husband made for me plus another one online. Personally, I prefer my husbands, however, there is no projector to show the slide show. I have done WDL training before but that was in a different council, in a different district in a different state. I have several of my own ideas on how to conduct this training however I need to know...

 

1. What do people want in training? (handouts, ideas, how to's, or EXACTLY how to conduct a meeting)

 

2. Is there someplace I can find "National Guidelines" online for training?

 

3. Would it be better to do a Question and Answer session for WDL training, where they ask me questions about Webelos and I answer?

 

4. Or would it be better for me to just conduct a den meeting?

 

5. How do I add "pizzazz" to a WDL training??

 

Thanks for all your help...need it before Saturday but will take it afterwards too since I will be doing this on a regular basis.

 

Angela

[FScouter 24]

The answers to all those questions and more may be found in the Cub Scout Leader Specific Training syllabus #34875A. It comes with a CD Powerpoint presentation that follows the syllabus, plus a load of handouts and other reference material. The Webelos section is about 40 pages. There also is a 15 page section on various ways to present the training material. There is also a video that goes with the syllabus, #AV01V01, and a set of posters #34876.

 

All of this should have been given to you by your district training chairman weeks ago. Or you can buy it at the Scout Shop. (Save your receipt and turn it to the training chairman for reimbursement.)

[OneHour 11]

Hi ScoutMomAng,

 

1. What do people want in training? (handouts, ideas, how to's, or EXACTLY how to conduct a meeting)

When I was attending WDL looking for answers, the class that I attended was dried. The instructor took it straight out of the books. What I and some of the attendees were looking for was both ... what should be done and how it was done successfully! In other words ... examples. You will find that a lot of the WDL leaders are Den Leaders already. They have been running the Webelos dens before the training dates. They are looking ways to better themselves.

 

2. Is there someplace I can find "National Guidelines" online for training?

The scout shop should have the training video (cd) for it. Your District Trainer should have the training materials. I have not found a National Guidelines. Maybe others know where one is.

 

3. Would it be better to do a Question and Answer session for WDL training, where they ask me questions about Webelos and I answer?

Go through the required materials first and then an interactive session is always welcome. I have pointed out, this is really what people came to learn.

 

4. Or would it be better for me to just conduct a den meeting?

Yes ... a part of hands-on demonstration.

 

5. How do I add "pizzazz" to a WDL training??

Treat the adults as though they are the Webelos, lots of jokes, laughters, games, etc. Have a knots-tying relay. Have a first-aid baseball game. etc...

 

Lecturing through the whole course is not the recipe for learning and enjoyment.

 

Good luck,

 

1Hour

[ScoutNut 147]

You said that you have done WDL Specific before in another council. Unless your Training Chair is rearranging some things to reflect the facilities available, there should not be much of a difference. That is the whole point of using a National syllabus, everyone gets the same basic training.

 

You should talk to the Training Chair for the event & see how he is planning to set it up. Find out if there is anything specific he has in mind for you to do.

 

As far as adding stuff to the training, remember you have a set time frame to work in. There will not be a lot of "extra" time to do much in the way of games much less a complete den meeting. After you get a copy of the syllabus & have talked to the Training Chair, you will have a better idea of your framework.

 

As someone stated, most of these leaders have already been den leaders for Tiger, Wolf, and/or Bear. They will know how to run a den meeting. You can ask how many are brand new & if you have newbies you can go into a more detail on meeting basics. What you need to do is help them understand the difference between the Webelos program & what they have been used to.

 

There is not a lot of time between now & Saturday, but I think one of the best things you could do is to put together a listing of places & people in the area that do Webelos programs. Give them a list of ideas of where to go for help so that they know they do not have to do it all themselves. Let them know about all of the great resources in your community!

 

 

[Lisabob 13]

I'd add to what ScoutNut suggested re: providing the WDLs with contact info and ideas about where to go/what to do. Not only do you want these WDLs to understand how webelos is different from tiger/wolf/bear, you also want them to start thinking about webelos-scout transition matters. If you can, it might be helpful to provide them with a list of troop contacts in the area too. They'll welcome it since it means potential help arranging visits to troops (and maybe help getting den chiefs, help with specific webelos activity pins, etc.) and the troops will probably appreciate your help in making contact with the new webelos leaders.

 

I've done the WDL training (as participant and presenter) a couple of times. Once you get past the basics it really depends on the group. One time I did it with people who were overwhelmed by the sheer number of activity pins so we spent a lot more time talking about advancement/segue into helping the boys learn to play a bigger role in determining den activities. One time I did it with people who were mostly WII leaders and all women, who really wanted to talk about webelos-scout transition issues. Not having been boy scouts themselves, they had a million questions. So to the extent that you can, I recommend setting aside some portion of your allotted time for open discussion/Q&A so they can ask the burning questions they have.

 

But let us know how it turns out! I'm supposed to be doing the same thing myself in a couple of weeks and haven't gotten much (any) info from our training chair yet either.

 

Lisa

[ScoutMomAng 10]

Thanks for all the advice. I do not have much time to put anything together. Training is in the morning so I pretty much have to wing it and apologize to the leaders that come to training. When I did training in the other district it too was pretty much a last minute thing with no information given to me before the training session. I had two plans for that training session. What I did worked great apparently because all the leaders that came out of that training were talking, apparently for weeks, because that is all I heard from District. They were sad I was leaving for the new district in the new state. Now I'm back in the same boat, two days before the training session and I'm being asked (not even two days really) to conduct WDL training. Also not being given ANY information about training before hand, except the breakdown of how the entire training day is going to go.

 

I know there is a Powerpoint presentation, however, the district only has one projector and apparently another DL training is going to have that projector....hmmmmm...doesn't help me out. Since the timing is way off, I really don't even have a lot of time to put Pizzazz into the training tomorrow, but I will take all your ideas that I can use for tomorrows training and I'll let you know how it goes. I will also prepare myself for the NEXT training session and be TOTALLY Prepared in case they ask again.

 

Thanks for all your help.

[ScoutMomAng 10]

 

There is not a lot of time between now & Saturday, but I think one of the best things you could do is to put together a listing of places & people in the area that do Webelos programs. Give them a list of ideas of where to go for help so that they know they do not have to do it all themselves. Let them know about all of the great resources in your community!

Somebody should give ME this information since I just started in this District.  My other District was in a whole different state and I KNEW where to get all that information.

[Lisabob 13]

Hey Scoutmom, I think I remember you saying you had relocated to Southern MI? If you want I can send you a copy of a local resources book I put together for area packs in my part of SE Michigan. Send me a pm or let me know how to reach you if you're interested.

I know it won't help for the training you're doing today but maybe going forward...

 

Lisa'bob