Are The Tickets Getting In The Way?

[Eamonn 61]

OK, so we agree that tickets are a pain.

If we look at the works of Ken Blanchard, we see a lot of time spent on values, vision and mission. In our Wood Badge course we have this session where the material is all good. Maybe too good. In fact going over it again it seems that those who put it together all had a bit that they wanted to be in and no one would give up their bit. All of it can work if that session were to be broken up. To add to this we throw in the much talked about, much dreaded and much misunderstood ticket - All in sixty minutes??

Time will tell but I can't help feeling that many people will remember what they did to work their tickets and forget what their vision and mission was.

Maybe I'm just an idealist but I wonder if we were to really get this idea of vision, mission and values across we would have leaders who would see Scouting as the big picture and we would not see as many units becoming so focused on certain areas of what they deem to be the program. Some people will of course just "Get It" Others will need to work backwards from Goals back to Vision. Others will just see working the ticket as the be all and end all.

Eamonn

[Fat Old Guy 11]

I get the feeling the beads become the goal and the ticket is the road to the goal, perhaps the goal itself because, as I understand it, ticket completion means beads will soon follow. A B.S. has become a similar thing, the education has become meaningless to many, if not most, students and course with grades are simply a way to get to the BS. What is learned along the way becomes irrelevant.

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Before things get out of hand, I wish to clarify what I said. While the ticket process could be improved, the overall Wood Badge experience was as wonderful as it could have been. In our class the Vision was one of the most important elements on a ticket.

 

Actually, from the responses I have read here, I am not so sure Tickets get in the way as much as the old perceptions of Wood Badge being only for the most extreme of scouters. I know I had plenty of wrong ideas about Wood Badge that only changed because I took the course. Tickets or not, it was all worth it(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[fotoscout 15]

I dont want to see this thread become a reason for people to not go to Wood Badge, so maybe I can put a perspective to it.

 

My tickets are not consuming, nor overly complicated to complete. They are applicable to my position, and certainly my kids have benefited from them, if for no other reason than that the ticket forced me to commit to something that I had wanted to do anyway.

 

In my course, the Troop Guides took the first swipe at new ticket ideas. Ultimately, one staffer was responsible for approving all of the tickets. He seemed to provide a leveling of sorts; by taking into account the individuals ticket ideas, position and experience.

 

The only part of the ticket that gets in the way is the time consumed in writing them, not completing them. Maybe the whole ticket process should be left to the end, and then finalized with your councilor?

 

[matuawarrior 10]

Woodbadge is worth it. Some people may need a little more help than others. They're probably still on that first leadership style where the leader has to work with them closely. Others may not comprehend the whole vision and mission presentation. But that's alright, the Troop Guide just needs to work with them a lot more closely than those who "Get It".

 

I still use the tickets in Business and other areas of my life. It makes it alot easier to organize and it reminds me daily of what I need to do. And if it doesn't work, I can always adjust it as they taught in WB. It's just another technique of goal setting.

 

BW posted that a vast majority of scouters will never embrace a personal vision or mission. IMO, I believe it to be true since many people will not have access to working circles where vision or mission is ever discussed. Some know it only as a statement that's printed and posted on the Work Place Bulletin.

 

WoodBadge is no different. The diversity of the course will bring people who have more than enough knowledge than the presenter presenting the course and others who have no knowledge of the subject matter and let it go over their heads. Then you have those in the middle who just go with or against the flow.

 

Even in this thread, there are posters who admit they had problems with the tickets and those who did not. Most have said that they had a great time, made more friends, and stated the course was worth it.

 

Matua

 

[johnsned 10]

I have been on staff for 5 WB courses this fall I am going to be Course Director, I am also on staff for our councils TDC (Trainers Development Conference), where one of the sessions is How Adults Learn they do and exercise where they dived the group into three teams, each need to learn a phrase in American Sign Language. Group #1 has written instructions on how to make the gestures Group #2 has the written Instructions and cartoon drawing of each sign. Neither of these groups instructors can show them and they are discouraged from practicing. Group #3 is given both sets of instruction plus the instructor shows them how it is done and has each person try it. The point is by doing you increase your retention from 10% by reading 20% by seeing to 80% by doing.

 

Writing the ticket is an exercise in understanding and application of what you learned at Wood Badge. It is an opportunity for the Troop Guide and the Course Director to see how well they 1) understood the Course and 2) how well they are going to be able to apply what was taught. The ticket is the culmination of all of the learning, Vision Mission Values, Project Planning, Aims and methods, and others.

 

Frankly if the ticket is an enormous struggle and very cumbersome people (Staff and/or Participants) do not understand the material at Wood Badge or their position in Scouting. It would be concerning if the first symptoms that the material wasnt getting through was at the point they start writing tickets.

 

John