What will you do at Wood Badge

The Wood Badge course consists of six days of intensive instruction, followed by a personal journey of the application of what you have learned.  Wood Badge is for volunteer and professional Scouters who work in all areas of Scouting: Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting and Venture Scouting.

If you come into the Wood Badge course open minded and receptive to learning new concepts and being the best leader you can be, you will probably find Wood Badge to be a life changing experience.  The five concepts behind Wood Badge are exemplified in the Wood Badge pentagon:

Living the Values - understanding the values, vision and mission of the Boy Scouts of America, and how it applies at every area of Scouting: Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing and adult volunteerism.

Tools of the Trade - skills to help you be the most effective leader you can be.  These skills include: listening to learn, leveraging diversity through inclusiveness, stages of team development, communication, project planning, effective teaching methods, leading change, generational differences, managing conflict, coaching and mentoring, self-assessment, having personal faith, and leaving a legacy.

Models for Success - examples of best practices and techniques in the above areas, to use to develop your leadership skills.

Bringing the Vision to Life - how to take the idea "what success looks like" and apply it to your personal goals for Scouting growth (your ticket items).  A meaningful vision engages the heart and spirit, leads towards a worthwhile goal, gives meaning to an effort, is simple, is attainable and can change over time.

Leading to Make a Difference - by practicing servant leadership, where you work to truly serve those you lead, engage others by providing leadership opportunities for them and giving them a voice in decisions, and empathatically understand their needs, you will become an effective leader, create sustainable organizations, and leave a legacy for the future.

Troop presentations are one way you will gain this knowledge.  Engaging presenters will focus on different leadership skills in 30 minute to hour long lectures, packed with information on key 21st century leadership skills.

Some presentations are better suited for small group instruction and interaction, and your Troop Guide will facilitate these teaching/discussion sessions.

You will be part of a team (a patrol) which will work together during the six day period.  In Scouting, as volunteers, we all are used to being leaders, and are often used to doing things our own way.  Through the course, we learn to work together and utilize the strengths of others, which helps us to go back to our life and work better with others on our own teams (family, work, Scouting).

In Wood Badge, there's an opportunity for everyone to practice their leadership skills.  Every day, a different person in the patrol is the Patrol Leader.  Here, the mantle of leadership is being handed off.

Many of the leadership games in Wood Badge are of a hands-on, physical, and fun nature.

When you arrive at Oh-Da-Ko-Ta on September 9, 2011, you will be assigned to one of our "luxurious four-star hotels."  One cabin for women, another for men.  Make sure you bring your earplugs as snore protection!  You may bring a small tent if you prefer and pitch it just outside of your cabin.

Right after check in, you will start out with fun activities, so you can begin bonding with other participants.  Af first you won't know anyone, but before long, you'll be great friends with other leaders like you.  Wood Badge is a great networking opportunity to learn best practices from other leaders, and to use them as resources.

During weekend 1, you'll be well fed, so you're full of energy, to accomplish the mental tasks of transforming your leadership skills.  Please list any dietary needs on your course application, so if you need a gluten-free diet, or are a vegan (as examples), we can make sure you are well provided for.

Every day includes a Gilwell field flag ceremony.  Baden-Powell, the founder of the world Scouting movement, started the Wood Badge course over 75 years ago, to train volunteers to be more effective leaders, as a way to strength the program in their units.  Gilwell Park in England is the Scouting property where Wood Badge began.  Every Wood Badge course has a Gilwell field, and other traditions of the worldwide Wood Badge training program.

Some high spirited Scouters are critter crazy, and we think that's fun!  Just after lunch on day 1, you'll be assigned to a Wood Badge patrol, with critter names: beaver, bobwhite, eagle, fox, owl, bear, antelope and buffalo.  It's all part of the team building process.  A lot of thought goes into assigning you to a specific patrol, including providing as much diversity as possible in your patrol, and matching you to the interpersonal skills of the Troop Guide who will work with your patrol.

One of your patrol activities is to create a "totem," a logo design for your patrol.  In between weekend 1 & 2, your patrol will create your own patrol flag, based on your totem.  This bobwhite patrol flag from course C-21-05 has some bird feathers and the course number incorporated in it.  Patrol awards earned during the course are hung on the flag.

Here's one of the staff, giving out awards from some activity for patrol flags.

On each day, one patrol is a program patrol and another is a service patrol.  The course Senior Patrol Leader assigns them duties at the daily Patrol Leaders Council meeting, right after lunch.  The program and service patrol get to embellish their symbols of office (program patrol: a golden bugle and a book, service patrol: a golden shovel) before they turn it over to the next patrol in line for these duties.

On weekend 2, you will arrive at Oh-Da-Ko-Ta on October 8, 2011, and each patrol will camp at their own site, bringing in their own equipment.  You will be provided with a picnic table and a water supply close by.  Between weekend 1 and 2, your patrol will have a meeting to plan your menu and equipment needs, and go shopping for your food.  If you have a medical reason that you cannot camp outdoors, please make a note of this on your course application, so we can accommodate your needs.  If you aren't an expert on outdoor camping, don't worry, because some other members of your patrols are, and they will take good care of you.

Even though the entire course is very fast paced, there's always time for some comradery and the exchange of ideas between everyone at Wood Badge.  Everyone who now staffs a Wood Badge for the 21st Century course has to have taken the course as a participant.  Here C-21-05 (2005 course) participants Mike Palecek and Jeanne Simmons are enjoying some conversation.  Mike is this year's course director and Jeanne is the council's executive secretary.  They both had sons in the same Cub Scout pack years ago, and although their Scouting path has gone different directions, they got a chance to catch up for a laugh at the course.

Each weekend has a non-denominational worship service.  Here, participant Norbert Paul shares his musical talents with us, leading us through some songs of praise.  Weekend 2's service is conducted by the course participants.  There is an opportunity for those who wish to attend a formal worship service of their faith to also do so.

On day 5 & 6, every patrol makes a 15 minute presentation on a Scouting topic they've worked together on during the course.  It's another team building activity, that gives everyone a chance to hone their presentation skills.  Weather permitting, we often do these presentations at some scenic spot at Oh-Da-Ko-Ta.

At the course, you'll often feel like you're juggling more balls in the air than you can handle, and you are almost always wearing your full Scout uniform.  That includes a Scout shirt with all the proper patches sewn on the proper places, a pair of Scout pants and belt, and some sensible shoes for outdoor activities.  (I have two sets of everything.)  You will be given a course hat, Wood Badge participant neckerchief and name badge.  You'll also get a course t-shirt, which is worn at times designated by the Senior Patrol Leader.  If you need help getting a full uniform, contact the course director as soon as you can, so we can help you get the proper attire for Wood Badge.

At special events, the staff might dress up a bit, to put some extra pazaaz into the program.  Baden-Powell said "Scouting is a GAME with a purpose" and you have a lot of fun during the Wood Badge course.