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This is what I got out of Woodbadge, 

 

cost =200.00 (ish, prices vary)

50.00 for food and supplies, 150.00 donation to the council

 

What is the factual basis for this WAG?

 

 

 

3 days of diversity training

 

Try reading the syllabus.  I never heard this form anyone but you.

 

 

 

Basic Patrol methods (same as IOLS, I actually got more out of IOLS than Woodbadge)

 

IOLS is about imparting outdoor skills to adults; hence the name.  The Patrol Method is not a topic in the IOLS syllabus.

 

 

 

Then you get to work your tickets, what are tickets?  Tickets are usually benefits to the council or other organizations.

 

Never was a ticket counselor or Troop Guide, were you.  The vast majority of ticket items are designed to directly benefit the unit of the participant.  The Troop Guides are trained to guide the participant towards ticket items that relate to his or her primary job in Scouting.  Does the Council benefit from stronger units?  Yes.

 

And since you supposedly took the course, you know it's Wood Badge.

 

 

Edited by TAHAWK
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Naw, focus on the boys, that's where the real reward in scouting is.  District and council politics is not my game.  I was in scouting for over 20 years before I got District Award of Merit and I've b

My overall premise is that someone who has already had corporate-style leadership training in the private sector or the military (really, many other governmental setting could apply) will gain very li

This game is nothing new. My college did something similar back in the day, and I was required by one of my teachers to attend the 3 hour time-wasting exercise as a part of one of my classes. He would

My theory is that Woodbadge is the key to BSA's corporate payroll structure.

 

By convincing volunteers that they should feel privileged to work for no pay, the big-wigs can afford to pay themselves ridiculous salaries.  As such, the WAYCW game is critical for conditioning volunteers to expect nothing in return for their efforts.

 

 

Full disclosure: I've never fallen for Wouldbadger, and have always been known as a trouble maker.

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I have the beads, I have the leadership skills, I have the management skills, and the only only thing I can credit BSA for with their training was the beads and a cursory understanding of the theoretical structure of how things work..  Operational Management and Leadership I picked up from other sources.

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I finished the first 3 days of Wood Badge last weekend.  I went into this experience with an open mind.  I left a distrusting skeptic.   I didn't know leadership skills would be taught thru manipulation and deception.  The Game of Life and debriefing were less than satisfactory.  The facilitator brazenly said "the best part about Wood Badge is being able to come back as staff and do this to other people".  I haven't started to write my vision or ticket.  I am not sure I'm going back.

 

I might be a bear.

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It has been repeatedly noted that the quality of the Wood Badge experience is largely dependent on the quality of the staff.  In many councils, staff selection is solely based on the ability of the staff candidate. In others, it is, sadly, based on other factors - cliques, politics, size of financial contributions.  Sorry you have not had a good experience.  The GOL debriefer is a really key staffer.  Did yours bring up the subject of temptation?

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Sorry, but after 30+ years in the business world taking courses from Drucker, Covey, Japanese Zero Defect Principle, an MBA from a top uni, working for a Fortune 100 company and oodles of training on management, leadership and such, I have zero use for wood badge. I've seen the curriculum, the hand outs, the games, the role playing, etc., and it's all bollocks. It might be good for a young person with no experience or those with no exposure to Scouting. But anyone who spend their youth in Scouts -- particularly in the 50s-80s, went to JLT, White Stag, staffed council or national camp, did high adventure, or even made Eagle -- wood badge does nothing but waste a weekend and give silver [insert animal] something to do.

 

Spend the weekend with your unit. Both you, and they, will be better off for it.

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And the course is no longer aimed at experienced Scouters.  The goal is for all Scouters to take it.

 

Personally, I consider it a badge of honor NOT to be one of the Trantuete who consider those who have taken the course to be the epitome of Scouting leadership. My experience has show me that to be anything but true.

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I took the course in 1993 and it was a good SM Fundamentals course.  Didn't really do anything for me in terms of "leadership". 

 

Now it just keeps the 21-Cent WB's busy trying to get me to "upgrade" to the "real" WB program.  Sorry, not going to happen.  Neither is a 3rd bead which seems to be the biggy topic right now. 

 

Those that want to take it, fine.  But I don't see it as any major jump in leadership training I was led to believe back in the '90's.

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"I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER".

                                      As told by Groucho Marx,

 

Groucho would probably have been proud not to be a member.  :p 

 

Has anyone considered wearing three (or four) walnuts on a thong?

 

Many learners from the original WB were horrified by the "leadership" version that started circa 1972.  The original version was to train learners in teaching all Scoutcraft through the then-extant First Class requirements.  The second version took time away from Scoutcraft.

 

If it is planned to effectively be an optional part of basic training, how does it translate into an epitome ?

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I finished the first 3 days of Wood Badge last weekend.  I went into this experience with an open mind.  I left a distrusting skeptic.   I didn't know leadership skills would be taught thru manipulation and deception.  The Game of Life and debriefing were less than satisfactory.  The facilitator brazenly said "the best part about Wood Badge is being able to come back as staff and do this to other people".  I haven't started to write my vision or ticket.  I am not sure I'm going back.

 

I might be a bear.

Hi @@just a scout mom. Welcome to the forum.

 

Since you've already paid for the course, you did the first part and you're not sure you want to go back, and you think the win all you can game was really obnoxious, we share a lot in common. That was my feeling as well after having gone to the first half. BTW, that game was supposed to make you upset. Either you watched in disgust or you got caught red handed acting in a rather unscout like manner.

 

Despite what everyone else has said (and I do agree with quite a bit of it) there were some benefits for me. The syllabus was disappointing but the enthusiasm from the staff and the people in my patrol was very encouraging. We're still in touch. We still encourage each other. It's just knowing there are people out there that want to improve things and not just do the bare minimum that gave me a lot of confidence that what I wanted to do was worth reaching for.

 

I'd say stick with it. Try making lemonade from lemons.

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Psych games are difficult at best to be pulled off by professionals, but in the hands of the novice they are prone to produce contradictory results at best.  I have no intention of spending that kind of money to find out what this is all about, but what I have noticed is a lot of people on the forum have had negative experiences with the activity which indicates to me what is being "taught" doesn't seem to be very helpful.

 

As a one who studied psychology in college towards a degree, I participated in plenty of these "games" and yet none of them were run such that people were changing their majors and/or getting out of the program.  Maybe we as adults ought to take a bit of the lesson we harp with the boys concerning playing in the fire.

 

Doesn't sound like the program is run such that those running the game are all that well versed in its dynamics and purpose.

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