Beading ceremony?

[clydesdale115]

Wood Badgers: I've been to one beading ceremony, held in conjuction with our district awards night. I'm looking for how YOUR beading was done. Hubby has completed his ticket (he used to be a Beaver) and will receive his beads soon.

 

Here's the twist: he attended WB in a neighboring Council about 120 miles away. The WB director (forgive me if that's not the correct title) will come here and award his beads, but likely no one from his WB class will attend.

 

Any suggestions on making it a more special night for him? I'd like to add a more "local" touch. All our den boys (Webelos) and their families will attend, of course - they have been very supportive and encouraging. Should we do it at a Pack meeting so "everyone" can see? He is the only Wood Badger in our Pack. I know it will be a proud moment for him in any event, but if you have other ideas, I welcome them.

clyde

[eagle-pete]

clydesdale115

 

You may want to consider personalizing the ceremony to your husband's interests. For example, my wife took many of the themes and elements from Wood Badge which I adopted and incorporated into Scouting and used those as the decor and theme of my ceremony. One of the themes of Wood Badge I really liked was "Leading To Make A Difference" so my wife made some banners with this written across it and posted it around the area where we held the ceremony.

 

Also, be generous with gifts. Get a few tokens of appreciation to present to your husband at the ceremony. There should be time set aside during the ceremony for this. Some good ideas are critters, plaques with Wood Badge sayings (especially those he remembers), or clothing such as a Wood Badge shirt, jacket, or hat. My wife gave me a Wood Badge walking stick with an eagle carved in it and my name and course number inscribed on it. I still cherish it.

 

Be somewhat creative and gear the ceremony toward his interests and those things he remembers most about his Wood Badge course and experience. You can't go wrong!

 

Eagle Pete

 

[orennoah]

My beading was a great night that I'll never forget.

 

Two of us from my Troop were going to be beaded at our semi-annual Court of Honor. Ended up that my entire Bear Patrol (less the one who was called to active duty) decided to get beaded at the same time. So, we had a six-person beading at our Court of Honor, which was attended by a whole bunch of District and Council Wood Badgers.

 

We started with a big pot luck (at which I brought a Buche de Noel decorated to look like the Wood Badge log, complete with hard meringue axe), which had the desired effect of bringing lots of people together.

 

After the boys got their rank advancements and merit badges and new leadership positions, we pulled out the Wood Badge table, blew the Kudu Horn and had a great Beading Ceremony. The highlight was when we were all signing Back to Gilwell, the Scout COH emcees were rocking behind us with raised lighters. Then, the Troop spontaneously serenaded the Wood Badgers with their own impromptu verse of "I used to be a Boy Scout." You could just FEEL the cross-generational admiration and respect and mutual glee.

 

- Oren

WE3-41-03

BEAR

WE3-41-05

QM

[sst3rd]

Oren,

 

I really do respect the "cross-generational admiration" that was achieved by combining a Troop Court of Honor with a Beading Ceremony, but I strongly feel that Troop Court of Honors need to be separate, and stand alone. The program is for the Scouts, not adults.

 

 

 

Clyde,

 

I respect your desire to have a big party for your Woodbadger, but this is a leadership training program to improve the Scout's program. Making such a huge deal for this person is off the mark. Just my opinion. Congratulations to this leader on his continued committment to Scouting.

 

 

If we put all of this incredible energy into the Scout's program and not recognizing adult leaders with big celebrations, think of the improvements in your unit's program.

 

 

sst3rd

 

SE-499-31

[EagleInKY]

sst3rd -

 

I understand where you are coming from and don't disagree entirely with your thought.

 

BUT (there's always a but, isn't there).

 

Whether you went to the old traditional outdoor skills-oriented Woodbadge, or the new-fangled leadership-skills oriented Woodbadge of the 21st Century, you have gone out of your way to grow as a Scout Leader. You gave up either a week or multiple weekends of your time for the training itself. You then set five goals for yourself that would be for the betterment of your unit, district, council, etc. This effort should not be downplayed or ignored. A small percentage of scouters actually take the time to go the course, and even fewer work their ticket. So they deserve some honor and recognition.

 

As for where to do it the recognition, I believe it should be done in the setting where it has had the biggest impact. If your ticket primarily helped the district, then do it at a district roundtable or recognition dinner. If it helped the pack committee, do it at a pack committee meeting, if it helped the troop, do it at a court of honor.

 

A few weeks ago I received my beads. We did it at the end of our troop's Court of Honor. It wasn't even an agenda item on the program, just inserted before my Scoutmaster's Minute at the end. I asked them to try and keep it simple (10 minutes or less), but it lasted 15-20. Nevertheless, I had dozens of parents and several scouts come up to me afterward and congratulate me and thank me for making the effort to improve our troop.

 

So, I agree that it should be done without a lot of fanfare. It also shouldn't get in the way of the boy's recognition or program. But I do believe it has a place in Courts of Honor and other special events.

[Gonzo1]

Our ceremony was quiet and simple. We had it at the place where we did our patrol eetings between weekends. We invited a few of the staff and some local scouters in the district. We had someone make some remarks, exchanged a few jokes, sang Gilwell.

 

We had some cake and punch and it was very nice.

 

[Gonzo1]

Our ceremony was quiet and simple. We had it at the place where we did our patrol meetings between weekends. We invited a few of the staff and some local scouters in the district. We had someone make some remarks, exchanged a few jokes, sang Gilwell, etc.

 

We had some cake and punch and it was very nice.

 

[clydesdale115]

Thank you one and all - I can take away something from everyone's comments. What I'm hearing is that it should be special without being a circus. Would it be appropriate to plan a surprise from our Webelos den (same bunch of boys since Tigers)- like maybe a "beaver" skit, or have them present him with a critter they made? I really liked Eagle Pete's idea of personalizing it to his interests or his focus at WB.

And there's always time for cake and punch!

clyde

 

 

[kb6jra]

I too attended Woodbadge out of council. I did not expect anyone from my patrol to attend and indeed they didn't. I had one other ASM in my troop that attended with me, so we had our beading together at our troops quarterly Court of Honor. We decided to hold the beading at the CoH because part of the focus was to promote Woodbadge to other adults.

 

My WB beading was attended by my Course Director, Troop guide, and two other troop guides to help with the ceremony. Also attending was the most recent Course director from my council's WB course along with a couple other 4 beaders. I couldn't attend my council's course because of a conflict of dates (troop summer camp activity and week long WB course). The CD from our council said a few words that helped tie the two councils program together, and it made quite an impression on the audience.

 

Having your boys make a critter is awsome. I love the idea about the skit too, that's fantastic, I would have loved that at my beading.

[aloha_you_all@yahoo.com]

Back to Gilwell!

 

I just completed my ticket, Im looking for ideas for my beading ceremony. I'd like to keep it low key yet share my humor and sense of accomplishments with surrounding Wood Badgers however I have a qunique situation.

 

I have been in a registered scouting position less than a year as Pack Committee Chairman and followed my son on his scouting trail wolf-first class as a parent and member and thats it for experience. I have been to total of 4 rountables since my joining. I do not have much direct contact with the boys in my pack because of the position - I have gone to all day camps/fieldtrips for two deep leadership. Out Pack is brand new chartered in June/2006.

 

My infamous OWL patrol is made up of two commissioners one of which is from District and a District Executive and myself as a Pack Committee Chairman. I was also the lone female in my entire class.

 

Any ideas as to where I can hold a beading ceremony knowing a little of my scouting history which isnt very much?

[kb6jra]

Aloha!

 

It sounds like you're just starting your Scouting career. Congratulations on completing your ticket, it's a great feeling isn't it?

 

Why not have your beading at your Roundtable, you're really going to be supprised to see how many other adults that attend Roundtable are WB'ers. So what that you've only attended a few Roundtables...nobody's counting by the way, the only time you're going to count RT attendance is part of a few leadership awards. Your RT Commish will welcome you every time you attend, or at least they should. RT is a great place...or your Pack Meeting. Think of the admiration and wonder from the boys at the Pack Meeting. "Why is Mrs. Aloha getting such a great ceremony." Part of getting your beads is, In my opinion, promoting Wood Badge to new scouters and new adults. This really is a training that everyone could use, so why not flaunt it a bit.

 

So, I typed that to say this, it's about time the boys in your pack know who you are. They may not exactly know what you do for them, but they'll figure out you're someone special all the same when you get your neckerchief, woggle and beads. Same goes for the RT attendees. I'd venture to say that there are few who attend every meeting, and a beading will really get the place jazzed up. Spread that WB Spirit to those around you. It's bound to catch on...

 

 

 

 

[BrentAllen]

I worked my ticket as Cubmaster, and had my beading ceremony at the end of a Pack meeting. My dad and my Scoutmaster from my youth, both Antelopes from a 1975 WB course, attended and helped with the beading.

 

One of our Pack dads told me afterwards that his son, a Wolf, told him after the ceremony that he is going to get his WB beads when he grows up. You never know who might be inspired by a nice ceremony!

[John-in-KC]

Hoot Hoot, fellow Owl...

 

Roundtable is always a good place for a Beading. My WB was also out of Council, but not 120 miles downrange! SM, SPL, and TG made it. Eagle son was invited to take off my learners necker and help put on my taupe necker.

 

Just remember, it's that NEXT ticket that's the spirit of WB

 

YIS John

[Huntr]

I used to be an Eagle...

 

I attended the fall '06 Wood Badge in the National Capital Area Council (82-89). I finished my Ticket March 10th. I expected it to take me MUCH longer to meet my recruiting goals, but apparently I can sell the program better than I thought. I'll hopefully get beeded on August 18th.

I focused on my position of Pack Committee Chairman when doing my Ticket. Because of that, I want the Pack to be at my ceremony. However, the driving force behind my being in Scouting as a leader and going thru Wood Badge is my father. He was my Asst. Scoutmaster and Senior Advisor for my Explorer Post. He used to be a Beaver, 82-50. Without him at my beeding, it just wouldn't be the same. I am scheduling it around his schedule since my parents live in Georgia and I am in Maryland.

As for my beeding ceremony, I am planning to have a cookout in my backyard, with the entire Pack (hopefully) there, along with as many people from the district leadership, my Wood Badge Troop and the guys I went thru Scouting with as a youth as I can get to be there. I see it not so much as a ceremony for ME, as a chance for me to say THANK YOU to those that have helped me throughout my scouting life.

 

Steve McDanal

Committee Chair

Webelos DL to be

Pack 1786

Day Camp Director

Unit Commisioner

Western Shore District

 

I used to be an Eagle...

 

Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle

 

[aloha_you_all@yahoo.com]

Wood Badgers?

 

Thank you for all your wonderful suggesstions, I think I've reached a decision of where to hold a beading ceremony.

 

I will be doing it at our First Annual District Recognition Dinner. We recently changed our Districtname and so thats why its our "First". I was actually approached by our DE if I would mind doing it this way in hopes maybe we could set the tone + I was asked to staff this coming fall's course and maybe I can recruit with pizazz... partcipants in my district.

 

Whooo? Whooo? Whooo's Next?

I used to be an Owl, next a staffer.

Aloha