By JENNY WILSON
Special to the Sun
Leading a group of young men and women can be a tough challenge.
Luckily, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have a badge for that.
It’s called Wood Badge, and it’s awarded to leaders on the local, state and national levels who complete leadership training with the Boy Scouts of America.
As anyone who has been around teen and pre-teen youth can tell you, skills learned in the training can definitely come in handy.
Among topics, the training covers such things as managing conflict, team development, coaching and mentoring, project planning and servant leadership – the last being a cornerstone of Scouting itself.
Wood Badge is the highest level of leadership training for adults, according to Steve Zachow, who has both trained in and led the program in the Andrew Jackson Council. But more than anything, the course gives a chance for the adults to be Scouts again.
Although the course is provided in the format of a Scouting unit, the curriculum is applicable to any area of the adult’s life or work. “It’s considered the top level of training,” he said.
The course was begun 100 years ago and has been updated and modified through the years.
“In order for Scouting in general to be successful, we have to have trained adult leaders,” Zachow said. “That is the only way to have a successful program. The adult leader training is a series of steps you can go through to become a better Scout leader, and a better leader in general.”
Zachow, who has been involved the scouting program since he was six years old, has served as Scoutmaster and in other adult leader roles, as well as Andrew Jackson Council board member and council president. He currently serves as VP for the Southern Region and as Trustee for the National BSA Foundation. He recently led the Wood badge Course in Spring of 2019 with the next course taking place in Spring of 2021.
About 50 leaders participated in the two-weekend, five-day course in April. The participants are broken into smaller groups called patrols, so they function like they are a Scout troop, said Zachow.
The adults become Scouts during this course. They learn to make Scouting fun and how to teach the program by actually becoming Scouts, according to Zachow.
The core method that makes Scouting work is the “Patrol” Method. A troop is broken into groups of about 12 Scouts each. The number can vary.
“Each patrol has a patrol leader just as in a troop. The course leader is the ‘Scoutmaster.’ They have patrol names and make patrol flags as their emblem to bond the patrol together. All things that happen in a real Scout troop.
“We use that format to help them understand how a Scout troop is supposed to be run, but then introduce leadership skills they can both use during Scouting and in their own life,” he added.
During the course, the leaders also take Youth Protection Training which a set of standards, guidelines and training developed by the BSA to eliminate opportunities for the abuse of youth members. Every adult scout volunteer must be trained and certified in the Youth Protection program.
In 1948, the first American Wood Badge course was introduced in the United States as advanced training for trainers of Boy Scout leaders. Later, the program was extended to include troop committee members, commissioners, and Explorer leaders.
Experiments began in the late 1960s with a leadership development Wood Badge course emphasizing 11 leadership skills or “competencies” This program was launched in 1972 in support of a major revision of the Boy Scout phase of the program. In 1978, an evaluation of the Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge course revealed a need for greater emphasis on the practical aspects of good troop operation. The result was the development of a course that would provide a blend of Scoutcraft skills and practical troop operation, mixed with a variety of leadership exercises.
In 2001, the new Wood Badge for the 21st Century was introduced. It was developed for all Scouters: Cub Scout leaders, Boy Scout leaders, Venturing leaders, and council and district leaders. The focus is on leadership skills, not outdoor skills. The first part of the new Wood Badge course reflects unit meetings, while the second uses a troop camping activity as its delivery model.
The Wood Badge “ticket” represents the participant’s commitment to complete a set of personal goals relating to that individual’s Scouting position. These goals will significantly strengthen the program in which the participant is involved. In addition, the ticket gives participants an opportunity to practice and demonstrate a working knowledge of the leadership skills presented during the course. Participants must complete their Wood Badge ticket no later than 18 months after the course.
Upon successful completion of the ticket, the participant is entitled to receive the Wood Badge recognition. This consists of a parchment certificate, the Wood Badge beads (two wooden beads on a leather thong), a tan neckerchief with a swatch of MacLaren tartan, and a leather woggle or neckerchief slide.
Those leaders who attend the course are usually parents wanting to improve their leadership skills but it is open to anyone who wants to be a better leader. Participation was mixed with women and men of all ages at the last course in April.
Steve’s son, Zach Zachow, went through as a participant at age 22. The Eagle Scout wanted to get involved and give back to his community to become a leader in his community.
He enjoyed it so much, the young engineer decided to continue with the course and volunteer as staff for the next session.
He currently leads his own troop and feels giving back to the community is very rewarding.
The leader chooses five tasks to complete within the 18 months from when the course is taught.
Some may teach the Ameribadge or plan a special camp-
See Boy Scouts, Page 14C
ping trip for their troop. “They must utilize the skills they’ve learned to carry these tasks out and to implement what they’ve been taught.”
Abbey McCoy, a Mississippi College student, got involved with scouting when she was 18. Most of her experience involved working at the council’s summer camp, the Warren A. Hood Scout Reservation.
Three years later, she realized she wanted to become more involved with other areas of Scouting and she heard about the upcoming Wood Badge training.
“At first, I didn’t think much of it. In my head, I was too young and unexperienced to be a part of the training. However, after talking with my dad and my brother, we decided to take it together as a family,” she said.
McCoy learned so much going through with the Wood Badge training over those two weekends.
“I grew both as a leader and as a team member,” she said. “The staff did a wonderful job covering topics such as goal setting, team building, and striving for true diversity.”
One of her favorite parts of the weekend was getting to know other volunteers in surrounding areas and making connections with people in other areas of scouting.
Between the busy scheduled sessions, her group found plenty of time to get to know each other and talk about the reasons they stepped up as leaders in their units.
The most rewarding part of the training was seeing the interest and desire to serve being sparked in all of the participants, according to McCoy.
“Many of us spend so much time volunteering with the program that we get burned out on what we are doing. Over these two weekends, it was awesome to see everyone getting excited about what they were going to bring back to their units, and how they were going to better lead their scouts.”
One of the most unique parts of the Wood Badge training is the “ticket”.
While the training finishes in the two scheduled weekends, participants are not finished until they have completed their ticket. This starts with the participant choosing what will be their main goal in being a leader.
After that the participant works with the staff to write out five things they can do to help work towards that goal. Having this additional part of the training requires that the participant actually takes what they learned and uses it.
“This has helped me to maintain the original excitement of helping. Having the ticket to work on has helped me to still focus on scouting and the changes I can help make, even when life gets busy and I think I don’t have the time,” she said.
After a participant completes the course, they can potentially come back and serve on the staff and teach.
“I find these leadership courses to be invaluable,” said Steve. “I felt like it allowed me to gain confidence as well as to understand how to manage people, get along and communicate. There is a need for good leaders in this state and the country.
“Leadership can be taught and you can learn it”
The next Wood Badge course will be offered in the Spring of 2021.
Participants who attend Wood Badge will be able to
• View Scouting globally, as a family of interrelated, values-based programs that provide age-appropriate activities for youth.
• Recognize the contemporary leadership concepts utilized in corporate America and leading government organizations that are relevant to our values-based movement.
• Apply the skills they learn from their participation as a member of a successful working team.
• Revitalize their commitment by sharing in an overall inspirational experience that helps provide Scouting with the leadership it needs to accomplish its mission on an ongoing basising trip for their troop. “They must utilize the skills they’ve learned to carry these tasks out and to implement what they’ve been taught.”
Abbey McCoy, a Mississippi College student, got involved with scouting when she was 18. Most of her experience involved working at the council’s summer camp, the Warren A. Hood Scout Reservation.
Three years later, she realized she wanted to become more involved with other areas of Scouting and she heard about the upcoming Wood Badge training.
“At first, I didn’t think much of it. In my head, I was too young and unexperienced to be a part of the training. However, after talking with my dad and my brother, we decided to take it together as a family,” she said.
McCoy learned so much going through with the Wood Badge training over those two weekends. “I grew both as a leader and as a team member,” she said. “The staff did a wonderful job covering topics such as goal setting, team building, and striving for true diversity.”
One of her favorite parts of the weekend was getting to know other volunteers in surrounding areas and making connections with people in other areas of scouting. Between the busy scheduled sessions, her group found plenty of time to get to know each other and talk about the reasons they stepped up as leaders in their units.
The most rewarding part of the training was seeing the interest and desire to serve being sparked in all of the participants, according to McCoy.
“Many of us spend so much time volunteering with the program that we get burned out on what we are doing. Over these two weekends, it was awesome to see everyone getting excited about what they were going to bring back to their units, and how they were going to better lead their scouts.”
One of the unique parts of the Wood Badge training is the “ticket.”
While the training finishes in the two scheduled weekends, participants are not finished until they have completed their ticket. This starts with the participant choosing what will be their main goal in being a leader.
After that the participant works with the staff to write out five things they can do to help work towards that goal. Having this additional part of the training requires that the participant actually takes what they learned and uses it.
“This has helped me to maintain the original excitement of helping. Having the ticket to work on has helped me to still focus on scouting and the changes I can help make, even when life gets busy and I think I don’t have the time,” she said.
After a participant completes the course, they can potentially come back and serve on the staff and teach.“I find these leadership courses to be invaluable,” said Steve. “I felt like it allowed me to gain confidence as well as to understand how to manage people, get along and communicate. There is a need for good leaders in this state and the country.
“Leadership can be taught and you can learn it”
The next Wood Badge course will be offered in the Spring of 2021.
Participants who attend Wood Badge will be able to
•View Scouting globally, as a family of interrelated, values-based programs that provide age-appropriate activities for youth.
•Recognize the contemporary leadership concepts utilized in corporate America and leading government organizations that are relevant to our values-based movement.
•Apply the skills they learn from their participation as a member of a successful working team.
•Revitalize their commitment by sharing in an overall inspirational experience that helps provide Scouting with the leadership it needs to accomplish its mission on an ongoing basis.
