Woodbadge
WOOD BADGE IS COMING THIS SPRING!
BE CAREFUL IT MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE!Judging by the experience of others, Wood Badge will help you become a better Scout leader. It's also likely that along the way you'll find ways to become a better person. Sign up soon for your Wood Badge experience. Do your best to serve others by improving your leadership skills. If you do, you'll help fulfill Baden-Powell's vision; in his own words: “The end is character with a purpose. And that purpose, that the next generation may be sane in an insane world, and develop the higher realization of service, active service of love, and duty to God and neighbor."
WHAT IS WOOD BADGE?
Wood Badge is leadership training for all Scout Leaders who are involved in the programs of the Boy Scouts of America – Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing, as well as council and district leaders, and professionals. This new contemporary training program focuses on leadership and “people” skills, and not Scoutcraft or outdoor skills. Participants will learn techniques to make them better leaders, and also how to lead groups to achieve objectives. The 21st Century Wood Badge incorporates the best of nearly a century of Scouting experience in addition to drawing upon the most current leadership models used by corporate America, academic circles, and successful outdoor leadership organizations throughout the country. Skills developed from Wood Badge training will help a volunteer leader do a better job in any BSA program or at any level of involvement.
ELIGIBILITY
To attend a Wood Badge Course, Scouters must: Be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America (There are no minimum tenure requirements.)
Have completed the basic training courses for their Scouting positions.
Have completed the outdoor skills training programs appropriate for their Scouting positions.
Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment. Successful completion of the BSA Class 3 Physical is required for all participants.COURSE FORMAT
The format for the Wood Badge Course is two 3-day weekends; two Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays or two Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, separated by a few weeks. In the Istrouma Area Council, the course is scheduled at Avondale Scout Reservation. All meals will be served in the Dining Hall and participants will be housed in tents in the summer camp area. For the second weekend the participants will cook their own meals and sleep in their own tents after a short backpacking experience. Participants will also be required to attend two interim patrol meetings during the time between the first and second weekends of the course (specific time and location to be determined by patrol members).
OTHERS MAY SEE YOU'VE CAUGHT THE SPIRIT OF SCOUTING!Wood Badge is fun. Through a variety of challenging activities, participants actively experience, practice, and apply different leadership skills. Wood Badge is a hands-on experience. Every learning session is sandwiched between two activities, one preceding the learning session that sets the stage for learning and another following the learning session that enables participants to practice and apply what was learned in the session. When you come home from Wood Badge, watch and see whether others notice something different about you.
The Istrouma Area Council 2009 Wood Badge course (SR-960) will be held on March 6-8 and March 27-29.APPLICATION
An application may be obtained by contacting the Istrouma Area Council office at 225-926-2697 or the IAC website, iac-bsa.org (coming soon). Additional information about the course can be obtained from the council training chairman, Ernie Coco (504-460-6759; anotherhotcoco@bellsouth.net) or the SR-960 course director, Peter Simoneaux (pwsimon@yahoo.com). Istrouma Area Council would like for all Scouters to be able to attend Wood Badge. Regardless of your circumstances, scholarship monies and grants are available; please feel free to inquire. Also, with Wood Badge being a premiere leadership course; units, chartered organizations and a number of employers may partially or completely underwrite necessary fees for a Scouter to attend.
