gifts for staffers

[BDPT00 41]

David,

Councils and courses have different traditions. I get the feeling that your course's staff has started something that would be frowned upon by many, and here's why: When patrol members present gifts to staff members (often the SPL, for example) that particular moment becomes all about the SPL. That happens to be totally contrary to where the focus belongs. The more it's done, the worse it is. The focus belongs on YOU ... NOT on a staff member. If there are presentations of gifts from one staff member to another (in front of you), then they're way off base.

Whatever your course does is whatever your course does. It reflects the personality of your staff. The idea of the shovel to the ASM? There's no way I would do that. What's the point?

My opinion isn't the same as everyone else's, and that's fine. I'm in agreement with Eamonn. Don't give away your flag. That belongs to you, and you can take it with you to next year's breakfast. If you give it to your TG, you'll never see it again, and it will quickly become yesterday's news. It will end up in a forgotten box somewhere, and eventually thrown out.

Don't get all wrapped up in the gift exchange game. If there's a tradition going on, start your own: don't play the game. If you're sincere about giving something to your TG, and your motives are in the right place (as mentioned by other writers), then have an after-course patrol meeting. Invite your TG, and present something then. The best suggestion mentioned: get your entire patrol to prepare their tickets, and then make sure they all get done.

BDPT00

 

 

 

[CalicoPenn 729]

Ask yourself this: "Is it traditional in your Troop for new scout patrols to give a gift to their Troop Guide, for patrols to give a gift to the SPL, for anyone to give gifts to the QM, Scribe, etc. at the end of their terms?"

 

Dollars to donuts, not one person reading this forum has ever seen that tradition is a Boy Scout Troop.

 

Why, then, would it be a tradition in a program set up to emulate a Scout Troop?

[SR540Beaver 116]

Right wrong or indifferent, the course syllabus allows 2 minutes per patrol at the closing luncheon to make presentations. Note, I didn't say gift, I said presentation. It is up to the individual patrol to do whatever they want with their alloted time. They can do nothing, they can speak on what the course has meant to them, they can simply say thanks to an individual, the whole staff or the other patrols or they can give a gift(s). Nothing is required, time is just set aside. I'd cut and paste the portion of the syllabus that includes the two minute presentation passage, but the PDF I have is images of pages instead of text I can copy.

[Basementdweller 608]

I think calico nailed it.

 

 

I have never seen a boy rewarded or awarded for being a SPL or TG.

 

 

So what makes woodbadge different?????

 

 

I think it starts with the SPL and CD making sure the participants are all very aware of their sacrifices. Then they start thanking every single member of staff at every single troop gathering......

[ScoutBox 11]

This years course Book.

 

There is some time allowed during the Closing Luncheon for Patrol Presentations. But I don't have the time allowed yet. But I'm sure it's enough time for Patrols to make whatever presentations they would like. I know that many Patrols make presentations whenever they have to time to Staff. My patrol made ours after the course to our TG.

 

day six: Closing Luncheon time allowed

75 minutes

recommended facility Layout

Presentation Procedure

Troop dining area; the tables decorated in a festive manner with tablecloths, Scouting emblems, Wood Badge totems, etc.

The closing luncheon on Day Six should be a celebration of the approaching completion of a Wood Badge course and the enjoyment of participants being together one last time in a relaxed setting.

It is appropriate to invite council Scout executives and other key Scouters to attend the closing luncheon and share in the success of the nearly concluded course.

Closing Luncheon Program agenda

■ GraceChaplain Aides ■ Recognition of Wood Badge Staff and VisitorsSenior Patrol Leader ■ Patrol Recognitions

Note: Each patrol will be allowed two minutes to make any introductions, tributes, acknowledgments, or other presentations that they wish. Patrol lead- ers learned of this opportunity at the Day Six patrol leaders council meeting and should have discussed the opportunity with patrol members before the luncheon to determine whether they wished to use their two minutes and, if so, in what manner.

Note:The closing luncheon serves as a time for participants to enjoy the com- pany of one another and to celebrate in their own way the near-completion of the Wood Badge course.The presentation of the luncheon should not include any elements that will be offered during other Day Six events.

[ScoutBox 11]

OK. Just read better what's above and see it 2mins..

 

 

[Basementdweller 608]

so 2 minutes for a presentation....

 

let me see most folks did one or more presentation with a course of say 30 participants. that is an hour and a half worth of presentations. on top of a 75 minute dinner..............

 

 

[ScoutBox 11]

I can still remember my course, and there were loads of presentations.. none by our Patrol. Mostly between the Staff..

[KC9DDI 11]

I'm not at all opposed to staff recognition, but most pomp and circumstance and gift giving should occur at staff-only events, in my opinion.

[BDPT00 41]

Basement,

That's two minutes per patrol.

 

ScoutBox,

Presentations between/among staffers is a really bad idea. Simple question: Who/where is the focus of the presentation?

 

Basement,

Is this what happened on your course ... the staff was really into itself?

BDPT00

[SR540Beaver 116]

Basement,

 

Each patrol gets two minutes IF they want it. With a full course of 8 patrols, that is 16 minutes out of a 75 minute session. MOST staffs are highly aware of the schedule. From the time the patrols get up in the morning until they go to bed at night is scheduled down to the minute. Much work goes into the facilities and logistics of how we are going to move these people from this venue to this venue and stay within our time frame. Let 3 or 4 sessions slip an extra 15 minutes and you are an hour behind at night with really tired and cranky people. The schedule and time management are stressed to staff from day one of staff development meetings. You just can't afford to fall behind. Are there sessions and days where it happens on even the best of courses? Sure there are and you find ways to tweak the schedule to get back on schedule.

 

My council has two courses per year and we have a WB committee that oversees the selection of course directors and course continuity. In short, we don't reinvent the wheel with each course and we use time tested best practices from course to course. For instance, staff wants to get out of Dodge just as much as the participants on the last day of the course. From experience, we know what materials and items can be put away in storage as the course progresses and the QM staff does that on an ongoing basis thru the course. By doing this, we have a minimum of clean up on the final day.....even though we will be there for a few more hours after the participants are gone. We have the patrols break camp and transport their gear to a waiting trailer which is pulled to the parking lot around noon. At the final field assembly after the staff and participants go theu the line and shake hands, the staff marches off to the dining hall leaving only the SPL with the participants who leads them to the parking lot to get in their vehicles and head home. We do this to minimize the long goodbyes of participants who want to honor, gift, gab with the staff. We want them to drive home while it is still light out and have a safe trip home and so we can do our final cleanup and debrief and leave too.

 

Believe it or not, there is plenty of sessions and networking that goes on at the regional Course Director's Conferences each year where these kinds of tips are discussed. Every council is different. Some put on a course once every couple of years and others put on 4 to 6 per year. Some have properties with outstanding facilities and others don't. So every course is going to be flavored a little differntly, but because the CD takes an oath to present the syllabus as written, everyone should have a similar experience from Alaska to Florida and Maine to California and all points in besween. Sometimes that doesn't happen, but it is few and far between.

[Basementdweller 608]

Yep, started first trip to gilwell with the SPL telling us that her and the CD have been working on the course for a year now....and that the Staff had "sacrificed multiple weekends to meet and plan the course for us, plus they had the course weekends."

 

Then the staff started awarding each other Saturday night first weekend....

 

I don't understand the joke behind the golden toilet paper. I am tired and hungry and just would like some dinner please.

 

 

[BDPT00 41]

Well, and there's another no-no: inside jokes. Staff shouldn't be saying things that are humorous to them, but not to you. Humor is great, but everybody should understand it.

BDPT00

[SR540Beaver 116]

Yes, we are still very aware that you had an extremely rare and non-typical WB experience. Acceptance is the first step.

[ScoutBox 11]

The course I staffed we had staff presentations only at our Staff dinner on Day 5 I think.. Sure there are some presentations going on all during course, but mostly funny stuff, like a picture of this. or a gag giant set of Beads that were put together one course. But mostly fun and games. I think that it depends on the SPL, and the CD. Last course I staffed, was more low key. And our new CD wants none of the presentations for gifting to go on.. Which sounds good to me.. I don't staff WB for gifts. but I've heard about it going way over board some past courses.. I'll let you know once Staff-D gets started. Our CD is different then the past ones..