My thoughts on Wood Badge weekend 1

[Tokala]

"Something we did to accommodate an added patrol member was hold a patrol leader oath ceremony at closing flag of weekend 1. This allowed for a PL for the mid-course patrol meetings and for a large leadership role. I was pleased with the result of doing that."

 

We use the patrol leader installed at the opening assembly on Day 3 as the patrol leader during the break between weekends. We attempt to still use the PLC as the primary method of communciation even when we aren't in camp. Our Council has decided to bring back the permanent patrol leader (from Boy Scout Wood badge) as a way to keep the SR-1022 PLC functional over the next 18 months.

 

I wish more councils took into consideration that the 30% staffing request is just that -- a request. If it means short-changing your course to have a perfect ratio of old:new staff, it's only penalizing the participants of the best program that could be given.

 

It's simple to draw up a list of names that meet that criteria and submit the proper paperwork to area/region. Honestly, after that procedural requirement I began to recruit. I believe after the recruiting and beginning staff development, having some staff drop out, I ended up with only about 25% being first-timers. There's really no way to adjust staff after your team starts workign together to meet an arbitrary ratio. There is not a problem with folks hanging onto Wood Badge staff in West Central Florida Council. If you get to serve, the most courses you'll serve on will be 3-4.

 

I did find that my Area Wood Badge Coordinator to be a level of mid-management that is unnecessary. He never contacted me and I only contacted him when I had to file my 30 @ 30 form. He doesn't seem to be a resource or have any concern for what happens in Wood Badge. The 3 previous Course Directors from my Council had the same impression.

[NeilLup]

"I wish more councils took into consideration that the 30% staffing request is just that -- a request. If it means short-changing your course to have a perfect ratio of old:new staff, it's only penalizing the participants of the best program that could be given. "

 

Hello Tokala,

 

This is one way of looking at it. There is another way.

 

There is more than one training course going on during your Wood Badge Course. There is the obvious course for the participants. But there is also a training course for the first time staffers. It has a lesson plan, a course objective, even a recognition for completion (the third bead). There is a training course for experienced staff. And there definitely is a training course for the Course Director.

 

I believe that first time service on a Wood Badge staff is the most powerful training course that we have in the BSA. When I look at the capability, attitude, understanding, etc. of people going into the first time staff experience and compare that with what they are when first time staff is completed, I am amazed and impressed. I believe that the more potential District and Council level trainers we have who have had Wood Badge staff service, the more capable are our training committees and training teams.

 

And, I might add, first time staffers commonly do a great job as staffers and as TGs. There are exceptions but there are exceptions to every rule and the CD has to be ready to provide support for a weak TG.

 

So the 30% guidline is indeed a guideline. But if you are having trouble meeting that guideline, it potentially speaks problems for your district and council training teams and committees. You aren't getting the new leaders that you need to stay active and healthy.

 

Don't think only of participants. Think of the learning going on by staffers too.

[Mom2Scouts06]

I just completed my first weekend of Wood Badge and I honestly think this is THE BEST thing I could have ever signed on for as a Scout Leader. I think not only will it make me a better leader but a better employee and parent. We have the "perfect" Wood Badge course with 8 patrols of 6 people. I have never been more mentally exhausted and more excited at the same time. I am in a wonderful patrol of fabulous people and I am a FOX! My patrol also won the Wood Badge version of Jeopardy and their seems to be some minor irritation of the other patrols on how well we have all meshed together....HA! Of course it is all in good fun!

 

And I can't stop singing THE SONG!!!!

[nolesrule]

"Back to Gilwell" was my shower song for at least the first week after I came back from my first weekend. Couldn't get it out of my head.

[Tokala]

NeilLup, you are correct. I took my job to be train and develop the team that trained the troop. Once the course started, I was simply monitoring the activity. Most decisions were made by the SPL and the ones that weren't were either a small group consisting of myself, the SPL and my mentor or the entire staff.

 

My Council is very small geographically. I believe it may be the smallest Council in the BSA since it's merely about 15 miles wide and about 50 miles long. We run one Wood Badge course every 18-24 months. We do not operate Wood Badge in a vacuum. At the conclusion of each course, we develop a list of participants that we think would make good trainers. This list is distributed to the Council and District training staffs.

[nolesrule]

Based on my two minutes of presentation time, I bet I didn't make the cut. There were a couple reasons that my two minutes fell a little flatter than I would have liked, some internal, some external.

[Tokala]

"Based on my two minutes of presentation time, I bet I didn't make the cut. There were a couple reasons that my two minutes fell a little flatter than I would have liked, some internal, some external."

 

You may find it odd, but we tend to put more weight towards group dynamics and how people respond to the stress/team development than your presence in front of the troop for 2-3 minutes.

[eaglescout1996]

Tokala, that must be why we had so many West Central Florida people in my course.

 

I went through SR-794 in 2006 while in the Central Florida Council, and I believe out of the 56 participants, we had about 6-8 from West Central Florida Council.

 

 

[Tokala]

eaglescout1996, you're probably correct. While recruiting for this course, I encountered people that the schedule didn't fit their unit program. I suggested that they check Gulf Ridge and Gulfstream because I knew that both were running courses around the same time. I know of at least 2 that enrolled in Gulf Ridge's course. While their attendance here would have helped fill the course, I do not regret encouraging them to get Wood Badge training elsewhere because it will help their unit which is in West Central Florida. A win for everyone!

[NeilLup]

Tokala, I think you are selling your council's size very short.

 

Check out Piedmont Council in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

The US Virgin Islands are a council and their area is about 134 square miles.

 

In fact, I believe that my own Boston Minuteman Council is probably smaller than 750 square miles.

 

I'm pretty sure that Annawon council in our area is smaller than 750 square miles.

 

There are, I believe, at least 8 Boy Scout councils in Eastern Massachusetts and I'm pretty sure that several are smaller than 750 square miles.

 

You guys are actually pretty big. Unless, of course, 90% of your council is under water.

[jhankins]

My council is 38,000 square miles-- Two of the largest and poorest counties in the country.

 

Wood Badge has been happening for many years, but due to council mergers, district mergers and general bad blood, the representation of the entire council has been absent. Until two years ago, three of the 10 districts have had no staffers and no participants. This year, we're down to trying to get one district to participate.

 

Four-Five years seems to be the trend for staffing, but if you're marked for a Course Director position, my council still holds to the addage that you must hold every office before you staff. But, on the bright side, Course Directors are being allowed to come back as staff if a Course Director would like them to.