Wood Badge is BSA’s “next level” training course that puts you in the position of your Scouts, working together as members of a Cub Scout Pack, Scouts BSA Troop, and Venturing Crew. You’ll experience activities the way your Scouts do – and in doing so, will gain a perspective you can’t get anywhere else. At the end of the course, you’re guaranteed to be ready to tackle any problem your Scouts throw your way. And, it might just be the most fun you’ll ever have as a Scouter.
What happens at Wood Badge?
At Wood Badge, participants join patrols of complete strangers, and everyone gets a turn as patrol leader. At first, the process feels forced: You will spend 24 hours a day with these people you just met, and you will like it. But by Day Three or Four, you realize the bonds formed with these Scouters won’t end when the course does.
The activities involved in Wood Badge aren’t a BSA creation. If your boss shipped you off to a team-development course in the past several decades, you’ve probably heard of them. In fact, you can find most of the leadership lessons taught at Wood Badge in the self-help section of your local bookstore. But those books lack the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law, and they don’t include Scouting-specific connections that convert abstract leadership lessons into something you can actually use.
Unlike your office’s awkward team-building outings, everyone at Wood Badge actually wants to be there. One Scout leader said, “I’ve worked with great groups and dysfunctional groups. I was never able to understand why some worked and some didn’t. Wood Badge really helps me connect the dots.” This is a course that you can use everywhere else in your life. It makes you a better leader and a better communicator. It’s something you can bring to your family and your workplace. It makes you think about the things you do, how you do them, and why.
Wood Badge takes place over a series of two weekends in the Spring or Fall or in a week during the Summer. These days include leadership classes, games, activities, and plenty of meaningful conversations. Participants then have 18 months to complete their Wood Badge ticket, a series of five projects that benefit a Scouter’s home unit and local community. These ticket items extend the reach of Wood Badge into your unit’s and our council’s future