rhol 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I am a ASM and have done all my basic training. While at OLST I became very interested in doing the WB this Fall. In the last 2 months I have done 4 camping trips couple of hikes, and all the leader training. This Summer I will be at camp for a week with my son. I was a scout as a kid and was involved in high adventure activities. I did not make eagle as this was not my focus. My focus still today is high adventure and hope to do my ticket around high adventure activities which the troop is presenly lacking of. I asked the SM about doing WB this Fall and he said I should wait until next year. Doing WB next year will put me back a year with getting into additional high adventure training that I would do for my ticket. What are others opinions on WB? Should I wait a year? Link to post Share on other sites
eaglescout1996 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 If you really like HA and want to be able to provide some skills in that area to you Troop, why not try and see if there is a Powder Horn course coming up near by? Take that knowledge, apply it to the Troop, and when you want to take WB you can take that focus and marry the two together. If you really want to concentrate on HA, I'd say Powder Horn maybe more up your alley. Link to post Share on other sites
rhol 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 I have looked into powder horn and the closest one is many hours away. I was going to use powder horn as a ticket along with other high adventure classes. Link to post Share on other sites
Twocubdad 665 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Have you asked the SM why he thinks that way? You don't specifically say, but it sounds like you're a fairly new ASM? All things being equal, I also would suggest a year or so time in position before taking WB. I think a bit of practical experience and a better understanding of the program and your role in it makes WB more valuable. Otherwise it tends to all be theoretical. Others, of course, will disagree. But their opinion, like mine and that of your SM, is worth what you pay for it. It's your decision. If your rational for taking WB now is that you have HA stuff on the books which will make good ticket fodder, I think you're looking at the ticket incorrectly. Don't let your preconceptions about the ticket drive your decision at all. Link to post Share on other sites
moosetracker 132 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Woodbadge is a great course.. But it is a course that you get educated by firehose method.. If you are not ready for it, you will miss 70% of what the course throws at you that others with some back history will pick up.. So I doubt your SM is being mean spirited by asking you to wait.. Take it similar to some fatherly advise who has a kid eager to jump out and grab life with both arms and all the gusto he can muster.. But, woodbadge (at least in my counsil) does not need your SM approval, just as an 18 yo does not have to listen to his fathers advise.. If you really want to go for it, then that is your decision. Now I don't know about anyone else who is an Instructor for a WoodBadge course.. But this year the description of the ticket has changed.. When I took it I had 5 ticket items all unrelated projects.. When my husband was a troop guide and the year after when my son took it, it was still 5 seprate projects but you had to wrap them under an umbrella.. (so most people selected 5 items and put it under a wide umbrella of something like "organization" or "training" or in rhol's case maybe "improved outdoor program".. This year I am an instructor and the description of your ticket is like so radically different I went.. Wow!!! Why wasn't it that way when I went through.. It is one large project with 5 incrimental step to make it happen.. So if that is the way they have changed the ticket item for you rhol, you maybe could pick up a few of the high adventure activities.. But save one type of high adventure type activity for when you do your woodbadge in a year.. (But don't choose rock climbing, unless you plan to become a certified instructor, or know someone who is.. That certification thing is killing one of the troops in our districts well laid out plans.. Because your ticket items do not have to be 1) White Water rafting 2) Philmont 3) parasailing etc... But your ticket can be.. Philmont.. then 1) organize fund raisers 2) learn backpacking skills 3) do mini hikes etc.. Anyway which ever way you choose.. Welcome and love your enthusiasm.. I hope you stay around on the forum so that we can get to know you. Link to post Share on other sites
rhol 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 The SM thinks as you do, that with more experience I will get more out of WB. The SM is an Eagle Scout and has done WB. He is a great leader but to participate in HA activities may be a bit a of challenge for him. I personaly am not looking into being SM but just the ASM for the scouts capable of HA. I am also looking into Venturing for my older son which I may be of some help? My other reason for WB is that I am presently doing my MBA (2/15 in) and I think this training will help me in many of the managment classes. Link to post Share on other sites
neil_b 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Is there some reason you need his recommendation? I looked at application forms for several Councils on-line and none of them required approval from the unit leader. More people these days are going to WB as cub scout leaders. So, there's certainly no reason you have to wait, which makes me wonder why he would suggest you wait. Did he give any reason? Is it possible that you have seemed too gung-ho in the eyes of your SM? Maybe the real issue is your SM doesn't want to do high adventure? Maybe he prefers "car camping"? Link to post Share on other sites
moosetracker 132 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Ok.. Is there a Venturing crew your son plans on joining or do you plan to start one?. If you are thinking of starting one, then when would your son be of age? Starting a Venture crew could be your big ticket item with incrimental steps to get to your vision.. Don't know if you saw my post above yours as yours & my posts may have crossed. But check with someone on the staff this year.. Your ticket may now be one large vision, with a mission of 5 incrimental steps to reach your one vision.. Not 5 different projects. Link to post Share on other sites
moosetracker 132 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Ok.. Is there a Venturing crew your son plans on joining or do you plan to start one?. If you are thinking of starting one, then when would your son be of age? Starting a Venture crew could be your big ticket item with incrimental steps to get to your vision.. Don't know if you saw my post above yours as yours & my posts may have crossed. But check with someone on the staff this year.. Your ticket may now be one large vision, with a mission of 5 incrimental steps to reach your one vision.. Not 5 different projects. Link to post Share on other sites
SeattlePioneer 144 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 If Wood Badge fits in with your plans in the fall, take it then. I think you have ample good reasons for taking it then rather than later. Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Powder horn was a complete waste of time too. We spent time doing the cope course. we spent time riding mountain bikes, we spent time talking about backpacking. We talked about shooting sports.....lots of talk. And it was expensive.....$300. I felt ripped off. I did get the chrome powderhorn for my pocket..... If you really want high adventure training sign up for a course thru NOLS or national outdoor leadership skills. They are the real deal, not some scouter who proclaims themselves a subject matter expert. Woodbadge is about as high adventure as the cub scouts. pretty boring stuff. If you are looking for high adventure training this is not for you...... Link to post Share on other sites
SR540Beaver 116 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Do not pre-build your ticket. Your ticket is an agreement between you and your Troop Guide. Your ticket needs to be written around your position in scouting. Your Troop Guide will lead you in understanding that a ticket can only contain the things you have control over. For instance, never write a ticket that says I will help 5 boys earn the XYZ merit badge. You have no control over whether the boys will earn it or not. Instead, you would write a ticket that says I will teach the XYZ merit badge to enable scouts to earn the MB. You will also be guided by your Troop Guide to discuss your ticket with the appropriate person back at your unit. If you are an ASM, it would be the SM. If you are a Committee Member, it would be the CC. You would need to make sure they are on board with your ticket items. You don't want to come to an agreement with your TG, come home and announce some great ticket item you are going to do only to have your SM say, "NO, you're not!" I'd encourage you to take WB when you feel like it. Many moons ago, I registered as the Pack CC in April and took WB in September. I never regretted it. But you need to wait until you get to WB to develop your ticket. The information you learn the first weekend will help you focus, decide and shape your ticket. Don't jump the gun. There is plenty you can do now to start moving your troop towards HA without doing big ticket items. Link to post Share on other sites
neil_b 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 A lot of times in life if you follow the advice of well-meaning people who say to play it conservative you will end up missing opportunities. I'm not sorry I did WB as a cub scout leader despite a lot of the boy scout leaders who would have said to wait. Also, I would not listen to people who want to make you doubt yourself by suggesting you are doing it for the wrong reason. The only wrong reason is so you can brag to other people, but there are plenty who do it for that reason, and I'd still rather they do the right thing for the wrong reason as presumably they still got something useful out of the training. Link to post Share on other sites
neil_b 10 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 "Do not pre-build your ticket. Your ticket is an agreement between you and your Troop Guide." When I went to WB I did not feel I had enough time to think about my ticket items or enough time to discuss with my troop guide. We went from one presentation or activity to another with very little free time in the schedule. Link to post Share on other sites
emb021 16 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 "Powder horn was a complete waste of time too. If you really want high adventure training sign up for a course thru NOLS or national outdoor leadership skills." PH is NOT high adventure training. If you went expecting to get trained in all that stuff, someone was misled or misinformed. PH is a high adventure resource course. It's to introduce you to the local resources to help you put on a high adventure program, NOT make you a high adventure expect. For that, going to NOLS or similiar would be correct. I got a lot out of it, and I've done high adventure stuff. I was exposed to stuff I really didn't know too much about, and reacquainted with some new resources. Link to post Share on other sites
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