Traditional Wood Badge

[Kudu 186]

Ever wonder what Wood Badge was like before 1972?

 

See the 1968 Wood Badge Training Notebook:

 

http://inquiry.net/traditional/wood_badge/index.htm

 

This was a course requirement, and it was reviewed by a Staff Member at least three times during the week. Participants were also required to complete eleven "Spare Time Activities" (knife & ax work, rope work, distance estimations, compass course, and map making), to be signed off by the Staff.

 

I can't find any mention of Thursday's program, but the Staffer wrote: "It would be helpful to you if you put a date on the pages."

 

A copy of the circa-1965 Wood Badge program used in the former British Empire can be found at:

 

http://inquiry.net/traditional/leader/index.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

(This message has been edited by kudu)

[Eagle92 110]

Thanks KUDU! Will download when I get home.

[SeattlePioneer 144]

I took Wood Badge in 1985 when I had been Assistant Scoutmaster in 1981 and Scoutmaster after a year. I came from a climbing background and my outdoor skills were generally excellent, although I added some Scout skills such as lashings in particular.

 

The Woodbadge course that I took used outdoor skills, but formally teaching them was not the major activity or purpose as I recall. But setting up and living in a patrol for a week probably meant that people learned skills if they didn't have them already.

 

For me the most valuable part of the experience was living together as a patrol, and managing the varying personalities of each person, a challenge for most if not all Boy Scout patrols.

 

A quarter century later I still vividly remember one of our first meals. Two staff members were invited to each meal, and we were twenty minutes or so late serving our meal. A very few minutes after we served the meal, the staffers got up and excused themselves, apologetically saying that they had a staff meeting they were scheduled to attend.

 

We had starved our guests! Even after 25 years that keeps me early to a lot of scheduled activities! And they never even mentioned that in any way, merely excusing themselves in the politest way possible!

 

That was a great lesson in how to build character.

 

Wood Badge was a good experience for me, and I learned more than enough to make it well worth while. Twenty five years later I am still "working my ticket" as best I can.

 

Indeed, one of my theories is that a major purpose of Wood Badge is to induce the participants to make a lifelong commitment to Scouting. I don't know how that works on a statistical basis, but it worked that way for me!

 

I suggest that formally reviewing "Trail To First Class" skills is less important than other Wood Badge goals and purposes.

 

In 1919 when Baden Powell conducted the first Gilwell Wood Badge type course, a major purpose WAS to teach Scout skills to Scoutmasters who didn't know them. As I understand it, that is not a major goal and purpose of Wood Badge, and Scoutmaster and Assistant Scotmaster are far from the only intended audience. It might well be a mistake to disatract people from more sophisticated purposes and goals.

 

 

Besides Kudu --- even Baden Powell's course was in 1919, well after the Boy Scout Congressional Charter was passed. I'm surprised you aren't opposed to Wood Badge of ANY stripe or variety!

[moosetracker 132]

SP - Here I was reading your very cordial post of Kudu's thread and thinking you were offering an olive branch (or unaware of the OP) until your last line..

 

I am beginning to think you are like like my cat "ducky", and swatting at my other cats for the fun of it... If you feel the spray from my virtual water bottle, will know it is from me..