Wood Badge Resolution

[theysawyoucomin']

There is a ton of speculation about Wood Badge on this site.

 

There are some that will never go.

 

There are some that went that hated it, I'm truly sorry for you. Somebody let you down.

 

There are some that speak until they are blue in the face,they've spent the equal amount of hours for the Practical part of the course typing away wondering what will be.

 

The course is for all Scouters. I took it between the bear and Weeb 1 year.

 

The course is not "Survivorman". Most woodcraft can be learned by reading and then practical application in a safe environment, sometimes best done on your own close to home. Close to a vehicle to take you to the emergency room if needed.

 

The 3 gifts I got from Wood Badge were:

 

1. The idea that nothing is impossible if you can get a working team of Zealous, Cooperative folks to get it done.

 

2. I learned to play nice with others. (Well, at least nicer than when I started)

 

3. A network of great folks that also learned how to play nice and accomplish things for the boys we serve.

 

 

I wear my beads every where I wear a khaki BSA shirt. I hope somebody asks', "What are those?" because I'll encourage them to go.

 

I think in the New Year if you haven't gone, you could make Scouting better if you did go.

 

I think in the New Year if you have gone, and encouraged one person to go we'd have full courses in our respective "necks of the woods"

 

Could it be better? Sure if it was 6 months long and one mastered alpine skiing in Norway, snorkeling in the Keys, walking a thousand miles at Philmont, woodcarving like Rick Butz. It coud be better if BP were still teaching it. I think the folks that wrote the course tried their best, that's all we can ask.

 

Personally I think it's darn good for what it is and I'm thankful to the volunteers that took the time to teach me.

 

If you wonder what it's like, my New Years wish is that you go and profit as much as I did.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

Ditto! Well said.

 

I get to staff my second course this next fall and I can't wait.

[Gold Winger]

I look at other courses that I've taken and see a common thread:

 

I took quantum mechanics because I wanted to learn about color, strangeness and charm.

 

I took film appreciation because I wanted a greater understanding of how movies are made.

 

I took Roman history because I wanted to learn about ancient Rome.

 

However, when I ask what will I learn at Wood Badge, I either get handwaving explanations or I'm told that it will cover stuff that I had in SMF and maybe touch on the crud that was pushed down our throats in TQM.

 

However, I'm always told that it will "make me a better Scouter" How? It doesn't look like I'm learning anything new. I'd rather go to the University of Scouting and take a class that I've never had before like "BSA paperwork" or "How to Deal With a Flatulent Scout."

[eolesen]

I'm told that by going to church every Sunday, I'll become a better Christian. How? It doesn't look like I'm learning anything new. I'd rather go to the University of Christiandom and take a class that I've never had before like "Fundamentals of Arameic" or "How to Deal With a Flatulent Zealot."

 

With all due respect, anyone who thinks they have nothing left to learn in a particular topic is the very type of leader who scares me the most...

 

Personally, I learn something new every time I teach a NLE or SMF class, even though I'm the instructor. I also learn something new everytime I teach a group of new scouts how to tie knots, or when I counsel someone on a merit badge, even though I'm the adult.

 

So, if you don't think you'll learn anything new from WB, then don't expect anyone here to convince you otherwise.

 

If you can't go into the course with an open mind, do everyone a favor, and don't waste the staff's or other participants' time.

[Gold Winger]

Going to church every Sunday only serves to fill the church's coffers and rather than listen to some inane sermon, I'd rather be out putting Christ's teachings into practice.

 

I don't claim that I have nothing to learn, I'd rather spend my little free time learning things that I don't know instead of rehashing things that I've already covered. I have a pretty good handle on Newtonian mechanics so I won't bother taking a class that discusses Newton and gravity. I would take a class about string theory because it confuses the heck out of me.

 

As for wasting everyone's time, I'll just avoid wasting my money by giving even more of it to BSA.

 

 

[Eagledad]

>> Going to church every Sunday only serves to fill the church's coffers and rather than listen to some inane sermon, I'd rather be out putting Christ's teachings into practice.

[Gold Winger]

"And, I guess you are your judge."

 

Yep. I don't recall Christ ever advocating that we sit a in a crowded room and listen to someone preach. I think that he was an advocate of getting out and doing.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

At the Last Supper, Jesus did say, " Do this in remembrance of me" which is what the Catholic mass is, a re-enactment of the Last Supper

 

But, back to the thread, I enjoyes Wood Badge and would encourage all who are interested in scouting to attend. it is fun to be in a group who take scoutng just as serious as you do

[theysawyoucomin']

Gold Winger,

 

Im glad you feel so strongly about Wood Badge, reading your 500 some posts since November I don't think you'd be an asset to any of the patrols that participated in the course I took. Your local council and you are truly better off without out you wasting your money on a course fee. As the old SM minute says..."Sir I think you would find more of the same horrible conditions where ever you may roam"

[Gold Winger]

"At the Last Supper, Jesus did say, " Do this in remembrance of me" which is what the Catholic mass is, a re-enactment of the Last Supper"

 

That refers to communion, not the rest of the felgecarb.

 

" . . . I don't think you'd be an asset . . ."

 

Oh No! I've been dissed and soundly by one of the elite wood badgers. Can I ever recover? Will I ever be able to hear "I used to be a hamster . . " without running in fear? Yep.

 

Evidently he who used to be a nocturnal raptor thinks that only those who agree with him are worthy of being inovlved in Scouting. Maybe HWUTBANR needs to re-examine his own usefulness to district and council.

 

 

[eolesen]

Y,know, GW, it's one thing to talk trash about something you've been thru and found to be a disappointment.

 

It's yet another to talk trash (repeatedly) about a course you haven't even been thru.

 

If you don't want to go to WB, then don't. That's your personal choice.

 

But quite frankly, you haven't earned the right to badmouth WB. The Scoutlike thing to do would be to quit grinding your axe until you've actually been thru the course.

[Gold Winger]

"Y,know, GW, it's one thing to talk trash about something you've been thru and found to be a disappointment."

 

I also haven't had sex with another man.

 

All I hear from Wood Badgers is that it is such a wonderful course and if you don't take it, you're unworthy to be a Scouter. As I said before, all I get today is handwaving when I ask what it will give me. In the time before, I used to get concrete examples.

 

Now, in the interest of fairness, I expect you to take HWUTBANR to task for his un-Scoutlike comments. Nah, that probably won't happen anymore than a Sigma Chi would say anything bad about another Sigma Chi.

 

 

[Lisabob]

Gimme a break GW. I have yet to see anybody on this board in any discussion YOU have been part of suggest that somehow one is less of a scouter, or unworthy, for not taking WB. On the contrary, many people have gone out of their way to say that although they think WB is a great course (or at least, a good one), there are all kinds of reasons why one might not take it and there are lots of excellent, dedicated scouters out there who aren't Wood Badgers. I think you're seeing what you wish to see on this one.

 

While I do not think WB is really all that similar to being an Eagle Scout - (I'd say earning Eagle is tougher) - not being an Eagle Scout yourself, would you also trash that? Would you point to the relative ease with which some boys in some units "get" the rank rather than earn it, and conclude that they're all just a bunch of stinky birds with brains the size of walnuts? Would you take something that is clearly meaningful to a lot of folks and repeatedly make fun of it, and them? And if you did, would you then be surprised that people associated with scouting disagreed with you? Sheesh.

 

As for the original post, I completely agree with uz2bnowl on this, and well said too! (Wave of a bobwhite feather to the owl, over there ) Here he's offering some kind thoughts on how he hopes others will have as good an experience as he did, and you can find nothing better than to disregard his sentiment and instead be snide about a topic where your personal knowledge is quite limited. Sorry GW but that's pretty juvenile.

 

 

[local1400]

"HOW TO DEAL WITH A FLATULENT SCOUT". Personally, I prefer to fight fire with fire. (I thought everyone needed a chuckle this morning.)

[OldGreyEagle]

careful how you use the word fire with flatulence, thats all we need in this global warming world, more ignited flatulence, the polar bers are doomed!