Meeting with Woodbadge Ticket Counselor

[CSCC 10]

I am meeting with my Woodbadge Ticket Counselor tonight. It's the first meeting, since he's been pretty busy with the 2010 stuff, but I'm a little nervous. Can you give me any ideas about what I should bring with me as far as documentation about what I've done on my ticket?

Any ideas suggestions? I have been working my ticket diligently and am pretty satisfied with what I have accomplished so far, in fact I feel like I am mostly done with it.

Thanks,

Nervous CC/Bear

[Lisabob 13]

Hi there,

 

I can't say for sure whether this is the norm, but my meetings with my WB Counselor were very low key. They were a chance for me to do a little bragging about all that I'd done as I worked my ticket thus far, and to discuss any course corrections that might come up too. Think of it as a bit of show & tell and a friendly chat. Nothing to be nervous about!

 

 

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

I agree with Lisabob. This should be no more intimidating than a Tenderfoot SMC. This should be a very relaxing and simple process, just one scouter talking to another about things they both really like doing.

[infoscouter 11]

When I worked my CS Trainer WB ticket, I documented some of my items with photos and others with notes from others who could verify that I had completed the item (for instance served on RT staff). Part of this was because my coach/counselor was in Wisconsin & I'm in MN.

 

In my roles as Cub RT commissioner and Cub Training Coordinator, I have written notes for my staff members to their ticket counselors.

 

As others said, it was very low key.

 

[artjrk 11]

I need to meet w/ my guy as well. On the phone he told me it would be very low key and that I didn't actually need any documentation. I have been playing tag w/ him for the last few weeks and I need to get it done this month. Yikes. Now if I can just find my copy of the tickets...

[SR540Beaver 116]

How many councils out there make use of Ticket Counselors? If our council, the Troop Guide handles this function for the 18 months following the course. Just curious?

[Lisabob 13]

My counselor was also my troop guide. Didn't work out that way for everyone though.

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

In my course, it was done slightly differently than you say. My understanding was that no one's Ticket Counselor was their TG. In fact, apparantly an effort was made to make everyone's TC someone they did not know (but lived relatively near). The idea (like MBCs) was to reach outside one's comfort zone to seek approval of one's completion.

 

My TC was someone I did not know at all. Ironically we had a very close connection (he left my pack just before I had joined), and he was working with a troop with which I had many (but no formal) ties. He and I have since become friends, as a result of the experience. This method of networking is one more aspect of WB which I appreciated.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[SR540Beaver 116]

I'm a little unclear on the TC position. I know it is a legitimate position, but we don't typically use it. The times I have heard of us using them was when we had out of council folks come to our courses and someone was found in their home council to serve as a TC because of distance issues. Another possibility would be if a TG left scouting or moved away. A ticket is an agreement between the TG and the participant. The TG has to apporve it. For me personally, it makes sense for the TG to follow thru to the end. But then we are a little different than other councils. Some of our smaller surrounding councils go multiple years without recruiting a viable course. We've been running two courses per year since at least 2000 if not longer. Following thru on the ticket for 18 months following the course is just an accepted expectation of the TG position.

 

I'm not saying that it is the right way or only way to do it. I just don't see how having a person "outside your comfort zone" is beneficial since the ticket is developed by the participant and approved by the TG. To me it makes sense to follow thru unless circumstances dictate the need for a TC.

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

SR540Beaver, by "outside your comfort zone" is exactly what it implies. There is little opportunity for learning if your Ticket Counselor (or TG for that matter) is a close friend or someone you know already. By making this someone you do not know, you must practice communication skills. Woodbadge should mimic a troop (in the same way that Kudu's Green Bar patrol training mirrors an actual patrol). It is my understanding that a merit badge counselor with a troop is someone outside of the scout's regular experience, teaching him to reach "outside your comfort zone" and seek to meet and communicate with someone he would not otherwise know. I do not like parents who are MBCs for their own sons or son's circle of frineds. It see that as defeating part of the purpose of the MB. To me, once it was explained (or should I say hinted at), I saw the Ticket Counselor as filling the same "counselor" role.

 

Whether right or wrong, accurate or not, that is my perspective. I am quickly learning, that despite a standard, written in stone curriculum, WB is very differerent from course to course, and from council to council.

[CMPA 10]

What documentation you need is up to your TC. Should not be much though. My TC asked for a couple of letters from people in my pack on some things. Nothing to be nervous about, he is a fellow scouter remember.

[SR540Beaver 116]

Buffalo,

 

I understand what you are saying, but the communication skills are learned thru presentation first and then by practice during 6 days with a patrol, troop and staff of pretty much strangers. The ticket itself is putting all of those skills including communication learned at WB into practice back in the real scouting world. It seems somewhat redundant to throw a TC in the mix as a single person outside your comfort zone to have to communicate with.

 

While I am sure there is local flavor and tradition from course to course and council to council, I think the course are more alike than you probably do. Last fall I attended our regions Course Directors Development Conference and everyone seems to be on the same page as far as pledging to present the material as written. The environment and presentation is certainly different form course to course, but the content should be identical.

[CSCC 10]

Thank you all for your responses. It was pretty low key as some of you stated. I brought copies of the things that I have done toward my WB ticket and he was quite satisfied. He asked me how I felt about what I have done so far, and asked if I am satisfied with the outcomes.

I did meet him during my course . In fact, I really liked him, his demeanor and how easy he was to talk with.

Our Troop Guides did not have to approve our tickets, those were approved by the CD, and then mailed back to us after the course was over. Our Troop Guides were our helpers during the course, and they were invaluable, and the Ticket Counselors are not any of the Troop Guides.

I would love to go back to WB and teach some of the material someday. Maybe start as a TG? I am not sure how that works, if you have to be invited or not, but maybe someday I will get asked.

Anyway, thank you all for your help. I appreciate it. I was worried for no reason. Why, I am not sure....guess it must happen with a large number of us taking this course...

CSCC

[Crew21_Adv 25]

CSCC Nervous CC Bear,

 

Greetings!

 

Are you a Cub Scout Committee Chair?

 

You only posted today, and met with your ticket counselor also today. Most everyone stated it should be expected to be a casual discussion about your ticket.

 

For future meetings, I would be ready to discuss the goals and SMART accomplishments. Be ready to explain how the accomplishments were Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

 

i.e. "I did this event, with these many scouts, at this time, that help a specific number of advancement on this date"

 

Those explanations should satisfy any ticket counselor.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[SSScout 1615]

Measurable and verifiable.

 

In our Mega Council, the WBers came from all corners of the realm. I had one Patrol mate (hoot hoot) lived about 12 miles away from me, everyone else, some more than 40, across the river.

Our TG was almost 50(!) miles away from me, the WB SM about 15. The TG was, as you say, our Ticket Counselor. We communicated mostly by email. He worked selling (among other things... duct tape!) And traveled more than alittle. When I thought I had all my ducks in a row for any Ticket item, I made copies, wrote a letter about it all and mailed them to the TG. He would email back with "congrats" or "I think you need thus and so...". Or he might phone me and we'd talk. Only time we'd meet in person would be for one of my Patrolmates beading, we'd talk then, too.

 

You'll know when you're done. When you tell your TG, he'll know too.