Wood Badge in England

[SkyPilot06 10]

Has anyone ever gone to Wood Badge in Gilwell Park (London) and if you did how did you get invited/register?

[jhankins 10]

Couldn't hurt to email Gilwell Park and ask?

[Crew21_Adv 25]

SkyPilot06,

 

Greetings!

 

To answer your direct question. No, I haven't gone to Wood Badge in Gilwell Park. I've only toured Gilwell.

 

I've met just a couple of BSA Scouters that have attended the Gilwell course.

 

By third hand information, a work colleague of an Associate Advisor with my Venturing Crew. (her work colleague is a Scouting Association UK Cub Leader)

 

Very recently, from the Scouts Association UK Cub leader, she inquired with her Scouting Commissioner about her eligibility to attend Gilwell Wood Badge. The feeling from this Scouting Association Cub Leader, is that the Gilwell course is still an elitist club and by strict invitation only. Let me caveat, it is her opinion, and I was told this by my Associate Advisor, a work colleague of this Cub Leader. So hopefully her thoughts are not too distorted as a post this.

 

This specific Scouting Association Cub Leader is now considering attending BSA WB21C, which appears more open and welcoming to her. Her British Scouting Association Commissioner concurs, she may be easier enrolled in the WB21C before she receives an invite to Gilwell Wood Badge. Although the curriculum may different, the course agenda should be the same.

 

Good Luck with your inquiry to Gilwell Wood Badge and let us know if you attend and how it is.

 

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[SkyPilot06 10]

Thanks Jjankins & Crew21_Adv for your replies. Actually Gilwell Park is just another camping ground in England and from their reply don't have anything to do with WB other than being a place where it can be held - but that was a good suggestion for a starting place - thanks.

Crew21...I lived in England for 8 years, left in 2006, and was active with a Scouting troop in South Ruislip, you validated what I was afraid was the answer, and what was suggested to me with a wink-wink by my English Scouting friends i.e. that it is a select group via invitation and not overly keen on American participation.

I suppose that, other than bragging rights & my personal vanity, there is no substinative reason to attend WB in the UK.

I'm going to snoop around a bit and will post any findings.

Thanks to both of you for replying.

Cheers, SkyPilot06

[Eagle92 110]

Sky,

From what I've been told the WB at Gilwell and WB21C here in the States are two completely different animals. While you would be able to wear your beads, woggle, and necker, you would be unable to serve as staff on a WB21C course.

 

Again this is second hand info. I was invited to attend WB at Gilwell in 95, but went to the WSJ instead. I was told when icame back it wouldn't count and I woudl need to take the BSA version.

[SkyPilot06 10]

Eagle92 - Danke for your input. How did you get the invitation? Whom did you contact in the UK Scouting movement? Yes, it was also my understanding that BSA WB and UK WB were different. I'm currently in the WB course here in NEB but since we vacation most years in London was wondering about the UK's program. Haven't had any luck on the www finding registration materials etc. can you help?

Cheers,

SkyPilot06

[Eagle92 110]

Sky,

I was part of the European Camp Staff Program, and my camp Warden asked me if I was interested in going to WB at Gilwell. Unfortuantley it was the same time fram as the WSJ in Holland.

 

Thinking about it, I may have been asked b/c they may have had challenges getting people to sign up for the pilot course. This was 1995 and the UK was in the process of revising WB. Some folks were not happy about the proposed changes.

[Moggie 12]

Try these links.

 

http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/support/training/gilwell/

http://www.scout.org.uk/gilwelltraining

http://www.scouts.org.uk/learnersresources

 

The Scout Association training scheme is geared primarily aimed at meeting the needs of scouting in the UK.

 

Regards

 

Gareth

1st Westbury Scout Group

 

[SkyPilot06 10]

Eagle92, I was at the WSJ in Holland also! I was living in Germany at the time - I was in TAC but served with the USA Contingent - I probably saw you there were you the guy with the Scout uniform!

 

Moggie - Thanks ever so much for blogging in! I'd hope some UK Scouts would respond. Main interest in UK WB would be to see what good things the UK is doing and get a more international feel for the program to help BSA. There were several things about the UK Scouting program that I liked.

cheers,

SkyPilot06