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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wood Badge?
- Wood Badge is Scouting’s
PREMIER TRAINING PROGRAM for all adult
leaders.
- Wood Badge is
LEADERSHIP TRAINING, applicable to all scouting
positions.
- Wood Badge is a
TOOL FOR IMPROVING all scouting programs,
including yours.
- Wood Badge is a six day course, conducted over two three day
weekends.
- Wood Badge was started by Baden-Powell who recognized the need
for trained leaders.
Topics include Managing Conflict, Communicating, Listening to
Learn, Valuing People and Leveraging Diversity, Stages of Team
Development, team and individual leadership, Coaching and
Mentoring, Project Planning and much, much more.
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Why Should I Take It?
Every scout deserves trained leaders.
- You will gain a better understanding of scouting’s programs.
- You will gain a better understanding and useful tools for the
challenges you face as scout leader.
- You will set achievable goals in your primary scouting position.
- You will have fun, make new friends and enjoy your scouting job
more.
Wood Badge is a
MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE.
Many previous participants describe Wood Badge as one of the
most enjoyable and meaningful scouting experiences of their
lives. Quite likely, you will grow as a human being.
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When is Wood Badge?
Course NE-I-245 is six days long and will be held August 25, 26,
27, and Sept. 15, 16,17, 2006.
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What does it cost?
The course fee will be set by April 1, 2006. It will be about
$200.00.
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Is financial aid
available?
No one will be denied participation due to money. That said,
there are limited scholarship funds available. I would ask that
participants pursue all available resources. Can you find a
sponsor? Will your employer pay? Could you ask a civic
organization or union to help? Can you make a partial payment?
Please feel free to contact the Course Director.
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Who may attend Wood
Badge?
To attend a Wood Badge course, Scouters must:
- Be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America
Have completed the basic training courses for their scouting
positions
(see What is the required training that I must complete?)
- Have completed the outdoor skills training programs appropriate
for their scouting positions
(see What is the required training that I must complete?)
- Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment.
Successful completion of the BSA class 3 physical is required
for all participants.
- NEW THIS YEAR: Individuals who have attended Wood Badge in the
past may attend “Wood Badge for the 21st Century”. Certain
conditions apply. Contact the Course Director for details.
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What is the required training that I must complete?
This may seem a little confusing, but the gist is that all
leaders need to have taken New Leaders Essentials (or its
previous equivalent). Then, the required training depends on
your primary scouting position. As to “Scouting’s Outdoors
Skills Training”, the only positions that require that are
Scoutmasters and Varsity Coaches (and their assistants).
- Scouting’s Basis Leader Training Courses
- New Leader Essentials – All adult leaders
- Leader specific training for:
- Den leaders, Cubmasters, Webelos leaders, Tiger Cub leaders,
Pack committee members,
Troop committee members, Scoutmasters, Varsity coaches,
Venturing leaders.
- Commissioner basic training for commissioners
District committee training for district committee members
- Council committee training or executive board orientation for
council volunteers
Note: “Assistants” take the same training as the primary.
i.e
Assistant Cubmaster takes Cubmaster training.
Note: Previous versions of leader training courses are
acceptable prerequisites.
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How do I apply?
Fill out an application form and send it to the address on the
form.
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Where do I find
an application form?
Application forms are available from many sources. These include
this website, the Connecticut Rivers Council website, the
Connecticut Rivers Council office. You can also request an
electronic version by emailing the Course Director.
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If I send in an application, does that guarantee me a slot on
the course?
No. The process is as follows. You send an application to the
Course Director. The Course Director will send you an invitation
that includes an “Acceptance of Invitation form”. You are then
encouraged to fill out the “Acceptance of Invitation form” and
send it with a $50.00 deposit to the council office. A condition
of acceptance is that you complete any required
position-specific training prior to the course. It is OK if you
have not completed that training, but you must complete it prior
to the course. The $50.00 deposit and commitment to complete
your training holds you a slot on the course. Final acceptance
is contingent upon full payment and completed training.
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I am
only in my second year as a scout leader and did not do
scouts as a youth so I was concerned about having a lack of
experience as compared with the other people who would be taking
the course. Is that a problem?
On the contrary, I wish every new leader would take Wood Badge
as early as possible. Wood Badge is leadership training. It is
not a scoutcraft course. Wood Badge will help you understand
what this scouting movement is all about, how the different
scouting programs tie together, how you can make a real
difference and will provide you with many important and useful
leadership tools.
The result that will come is that you will understand your job
better. You will be better at your job, which means you will
enjoy it more. Since you will be better at your job and enjoy it
more, your scouting program will be improved. The better program
we offer, the longer the scouts remain scouts. What a great
concept!
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I
thought Wood Badge was only for Scoutmasters. I’m not a
Scoutmaster. Can I attend?
I cannot emphasize it enough…Wood Badge is for ALL scout leaders
in ALL positions. The national syllabus was updated in 2001 to
reflect the latest business models for leadership training. We
call the course “Wood Badge for the 21st Century”.
There is still a lingering perception that Wood Badge is a
“Scoutmaster Course”. The “old Wood Badge” was primarily aimed
at Scoutmasters. “Wood Badge for the 21st Century” is predicated
on the position that we all participate in teams. We are members
of teams; we lead teams. Some are long term teams and some are
short-lived single purpose teams. How do teams develop? What
leadership style is best used at the various stages of a team's
development? What characteristics do the best performing teams
have? Clearly, these concepts are not limited to Scoutmasters.
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I
hear people mentioning “tickets”. What are tickets?
Participants in the course will be asked to “write a ticket”. In
this context, a ticket is a set of (5) goals related to your
primary scouting position. Each participant will create a
“Vision”, a picture of future success, and choose (5) goals that
lead towards that vision. You will be given 18 months to
complete your ticket. There will be a lot of discussion about
this during the course.
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I
know what my ticket will be. Can I start it now?
Respectfully, you do not know what your ticket will be yet. Your
ticket will be developed as part of taking the Wood Badge
course. Please trust me. Writing a meaningful, effective ticket
is a major element of the Wood Badge course. Your ticket will be
greatly affected by what you hear, learn and experience at the
course. Oh yeah, you can take no credit for any work “towards
your ticket” prior to having your ticket approved at the course.
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I took the “old Wood
Badge”. Can I take “Wood Badge for the 21st Century”?
Yes. Beginning in 2006, individuals who have attended Wood Badge
in the past may attend “Wood Badge for the 21st Century”.
Certain conditions apply. Contact the Course Director for
details.
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I’d like to help.
What can I do?
Help can come in many forms.
Recruit, recruit, recruit.
Let’s fill our courses every year. The quality and future of our
scouting movement
depends on it.
Can you sponsor someone? Big help!
Can you offer to be on a support staff? Contact the Course
Director. (Limited)
Do you have access to equipment, services or other resources?
(Keeps costs down.)
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I’d like to be on a Wood Badge staff. How do I do that?
Wood Badge is scouting’s premier training program. The staff
members are held to extremely high standards. The staff is
recommended by the Course Director and requires the approval of
both the host council and Region.
Staff Qualifications:
To serve on a Wood Badge staff, a Scouter must:
- Be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America and a strong
supporter of the local council
- Have received their Wood Badge beads.
- Have taken or been on staff of “Wood Badge for the 21st
Century”. (Certain conditions apply. See also: I took the “old
Wood Badge”. Can I take “Wood Badge for the 21st Century”?)
- Have participated in a Trainer Development Conference within
three years of the appointment.
- There are other qualifications related to being a role model,
exemplifying scouting’s ideals and demonstrating other
leadership skills.
If you see yourself as someone who meets these requirements and
exemplifies these standards, contact the Course Director and let
that person know of your desire to serve. Future Course
Directors will be informed of your interest.
There are steps you can take to better prepare yourself to be
considered for a staff position in the future. Take the Trainer
Development Conference. Volunteer for training staffs in your
district and council. Take on positions of increasing
responsibility in your unit, district or council. Be a positive
role model. If you took “old Wood Badge”, take “Wood Badge for
the 21st Century”.
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