Wood Badge Ticket vs Eagle Projects

[John-in-KC 311]

Pete,

 

I'm going to respectfully disagree with your premise.

 

I'm going to disagree because the lessons extracted from the ELSP are about how to explicitly design, coordinate, resource and execute a project. To me, those, and their intents, are wholly different from the Woodbadge ticket, which from my observation as a student is designed to be an orientation to lifelong servant leadership.

 

Could be worse ... we could be back discussing sod surfing I still cannot get over that one

[eagle-pete 11]

John

Not to worry. I am not, by any means, supportive of the notion that a Wood Badge ticket can be compared with an Eagle Project on any level. My whole intent and hope was to explore the topic and rouse some good discussion, which I believe we have. All the responses point to a main idea, which is that a participant and a boy scout both have disparate and differing objectives for the two projects. I am also in complete agreement with you regarding a scout working on an ELSP. I did enjoy exploring the topic and I have no idea what you are referring to with the sod surfing. Probably a good thing.

 

Lisabob

Not to worry. I am in complete agreement with you. And yes! We, winged critters stick together. Thanks for the welcome. And to add, you know, birds of prey know they're cool

 

Thanks all, for the chat on this...

 

Eagle Pete

[Eamonn 61]

There are of course Eagle Projects and there are of course Tickets.

A worth while Ticket?

The Ticket belongs to the person who wrote it. If he or she decides to change it? This ought not be difficult or a big deal.

The Ticket starts with your (the owner of the Ticket) Values.

Many of us in Scouting share the same values, we just might not all have them in the same order. For example: Some friends of mine give personal fitness a lot more attention than I do. Others see Duty to God as being at the top of their list. I might put being kind above being reverent and so on.

Our personal values will play a very big part in how we serve Scouting and how we lead in Scouting and in life.

These values will shape and give meaning to our vision.

I think it's important that a Ticket is written about the position the person holds in Scouting at the time they are going to work it. When people who wear more than one hat try to write a ticket that covers multiple position there is no clear vision.

The vision should be a picture of future success.

Before you went to the course you started working on your Ticket!! Only you didn't know it!! In the pre-course assignment you were asked to think about your own vision of success especially as it related to Scouting.

On day one you were asked to think about the young people who are currently involved in Scouting and imagine them in years into the future.

Think back to the presentation about Cambridge University Chapel and the acorns.

The real vision was the survival of the chapel.

For a Ticket to be really worth while it is very important that the Ticket writer has a vision that engages the heart and the spirit. Leads toward something worthwhile. Gives meaning to the effort he or she will put in. Isn't too complicated! Is attainable.

Of course if a vision is a picture of future success it is no more than a dream. "Nothing happens unless first a dream". A true leader will be able to create a compelling Vision, but must also be able to translate that Vision into a reality. If not it just remains a dream. This Mission is formed from the steps to make the Vision a reality.

" A Vision without a mission is just a dream...

A Mission without a vision just passes the time..

A Vision with action can change the world"

Joel Barker.

The Ticket should be a set of goals that helps turns your vision into reality.

A Wood Badge Ticket is:

* A Commitment

* A vision of personal improvement.

* A vision of how you will lead.

* A set of goals.

The Ticket should be guided by:

* Your personal values

* Your Vision

* Your Mission.

It also allows the participant a way to put into practice the skills learned from Wood Badge.

While an Eagle Scout Leadership Service project is very worth while, very often it is done just to meet the requirement.

When my son did his project he did it for the YMCA. While I'm sure he thinks the YMCA is a good organization he went to them and did the project because they were there and needed something done.

Sure because it was a Leadership project he used a lot of leadership skills, many skills that are presented at Wood Badge.

In many ways he was helping the whoever is in charge of the YMCA achieve their mission and help the YMCA move a little closer to their vision.

At times I feel a lot of Wood Badge participants focus too much on the Ticket or should I say fail to see the real meaning of the Ticket.

Sure it's a big part of the course, but if it is seen as just doing or meeting five goals I feel we have missed the real point.

Eamonn.

[eagle-pete 11]

Well said, Eamonn

 

The only thing I could comment on here refers to your last statement - "At times I feel a lot of Wood Badge participants focus too much on the Ticket or should I say fail to see the real meaning of the Ticket. Sure it's a big part of the course, but if it is seen as just doing or meeting five goals I feel we have missed the real point."

 

My personal experience was interesting. I started out just like you said. I wrote my ticket and had the 5 goals to work on. It wasn't until AFTER I completed the ticket that I started to see the meaning of the ticket.

 

Eagle Pete

[tcherven 10]

I'm not an Eagle (I'm a Fox), but I know a couple of Eagle Scouts.

 

Anyway - I've completed my ticket. As I was nearing the completion, I realized that it was a good way to get things done. SO - I'm going to use the ticket process to create my next set of goals to complete.

 

I think this is probably something that they hope we continue to do.

 

Think about this in the context of an Eagle project: what's more important - the project itself, or the process that the scout has to go through to complete his project? Which is going to better serve the scout in the future?

 

It's really a two-pronged approach.

 

Now - I've also heard the comment about the Eagle project/Woodbadge ticket - but only in the context of time, and in a way to emphasize to the boys that working on a Woodbadge ticket is a time consuming endeavor, just like working on an Eagle ticket. It was mentioned so that the youth might gain a little understanding of the impact and effort of their scouter.

 

As scouters - we have more experience and resources available to us - but we also have more commitments as well.

 

No matter what is said, each is impressive as it relates to the individual doing the task.

 

I've read several great comments on here, and learned alot. (I always do from this board).

 

I hope everyone's upcoming holidays are happy. As for me, Christmas is going to be fun this year.

 

Thanks, everyone, for being involved in scouting and making a difference in youth's lives.