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What is Wood Badge?

Wood Badge is the most advanced leadership training course in Scouting. It teaches the essential skills of leadership, management, and team building. You learn what makes leadership work and how to make it work for you and your unit. The skills taught are applicable to every leader and provide a common foundation for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing programs.

The course is a fun-filled, rapid-paced, hands-on, lecture-practice environment. Practical exercises, in both indoor and outdoor settings, are a core component. During the two weekends of the course, you are placed in a patrol of diverse leaders. This provides you with an instant support group and the opportunity to practice team leadership skills as you learn them. Not only do you learn from staff members, you also learn from each other.

The culmination of the two weekends is the creation of the Wood Badge Ticket. This ticket outlines 5 scouting goals you develop and your plan for achieving them. The goals are related to your primary Scouting position. Using this opportunity to further hone your new skills and strengthen Scouting, you successfully complete the course by fulfilling your goals during the subsequent eighteen months.

Course Organization  

The Wood Badge experience is divided into two parts – a practical phase and an application phase.

Practical Phase: This consists of two full 3-day weekends at Camp Karankawa plus one or  two midweek patrol meetings between the weekends. During this time you will become a member of a patrol, share your skills and knowledge, become an effective team and have a great experience while doing it.  

Application Phase: “Working Your Ticket” – You will have 18 months to complete your “ticket”, which will allow you to become proficient in the leadership and team building skills you have learned through a set of five Scouting-related goals.  

History

On Monday, September 8, 1919, twenty men clad in shorts and knee socks gathered around a flagpole at Gilwell Field near London. Organized into Patrols, these men launched the precursor for what eventually has become Wood Badge.

The Boys Scouts of America conducted its first official Wood Badge course in the United States in 1948. Since that time, training professionals and volunteers have updated the Wood Badge syllabus to provide the best methods to adult Scouters for teaching leadership and program delivery.

Who May Attend Wood Badge?

  • Be a registered adult member of the Boy Scouts of America.
  • Have not previously attended a Wood Badge course.
  • Have completed the basic training courses for their Scouting position.
  • Have completed the outdoor skills training appropriate for their Scouting position.
  • Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment.  

Course Fee

  • $245 - Early Bird discount until June 1, 2017
  • $265 - Regular Fee
  • $300 - If paid after August 26, 2017  

Note: NO refunds will be granted after August 26, 2017. Anyone wishing to have a refund must request it in writing from the Course Director. $50 deposit due with online application (Applicable to course fee; nonrefundable.)   Course Fee includes all food, program and training materials, t-shirt, hat, neckerchief, and (upon completion of the training program) a Wood Badge presentation kit…& a GREAT TRAINING EXPERIENCE!  

Additional Information

  • Sign up & pay early – the course is limited to 48 participants!
  • All participants must present a completed BSA Annual Health & Medical record (Parts A, B and C) upon arrival.
  • Wood Badge participants are expected to set a proper Scouting example by wearing their complete BSA Field uniform while at Wood Badge.
  • Successful completion includes attendance at all sessions.
  • Detailed instructions, personal equipment lists, times, etc. will be sent to all participants approximately 30 days prior to the start of the course.

Course Content  

Living the Values

  • Values, Mission & Vision
  • Aims and Methods of Scouting

Bringing the Vision to Life

  • Listening to Learn
  • Communicating
  • Giving & Receiving Feedback
  • Valuing People & Leveraging Diversity
  • Coaching & Mentoring

Models for Success

  • Team Development
  • Situational Leadership

Tools of the Trade

  • Project Planning & Problem Solving
  • Managing Conflict
  • Assessing Team Performance
  • Managing Change
  • Celebrating Team Success

Leading to Make a Difference

  • Leaving a Legacy
  • Servant Leadership
  • Learning the Greatest Leader Secret  

Learning Objectives

After attending Wood Badge you will:

  • View scouting as a family of value based programs with age appropriate youth activities.
  • Recognize contemporary leadership concepts used in corporate and government organizations that are relevant to our values based movement.
  • Apply the skills you learned from participation as a member of a successful working team.
  • Revitalize your commitment by sharing in an overall inspirational experience and help provide scouting with the leadership it needs to accomplish its ongoing mission.