Wood Badge Update 5/31/09

I'm nearly done working my ticket, and now I've been thrown a curve ball.

My tickets were mostly built around my role as Scoutmaster (though one of them had to do with my OA involvement). In January, I took over as the OA Chapter Advisor for the Lakota Chapter. Fortunately that didn't require any changes to the OA related ticket.

Last month, I was asked to take on a new role in scouting, Unit Commissioner. I handed over my scoutmaster reins to my Assistant Scoutmaster and started trying to meet the six units I'm now working with.

This means I'll have to change my ticket about doing team/unit building activities on camp-outs with my troop. I was two camp-outs away from fulfilling that requirement. I can see two options for how to move forward from here:

1. I can broaden the ticket to doing team building activities with the units I work with. This might be imposing myself too heavily though, and it is certainly beyond my control.


2. I could also change the focus and apply it to the OA chapter. I'm really leaning toward this one, especially since our chapter is getting close to the critical mass that it needs to really start to roll.

Even though I'm almost done with the work I signed up for, I see so many ways to stay involved with the themes that I started laying out at my Wood Badge course. I'm really glad that I made the investment to go. Now I just need to help the other leaders that I'll be working with to catch the vision and go.

If you're a scout leader and haven't been through the full BSA training program, do it. You'll be glad you did, and your scouts will be too.

First Post of 2009: a look back and a look ahead

Okay, time for some catch-up. First off, I've changed responsibilities in my scout district. Gone is my angsting over how to present the best ever Boy Scout Roundtable each month. Now I get to work with the great young men in our OA chapter as the new Chapter Advisor. One of the things we've been working on is a blog to detail all of our activities and encourage our arrowmen to get out and get more active.

I'm still serving as the Scoutmaster for Troop 37. My friend and former Assistant Scoutmaster, Kevin Cole, has moved out of the area so I'm working with a new ASM and trying to build the kind of relationship there that Kevin and I enjoyed — so far, so good. Our Ward's Varsity Team isn't doing as well, but they're supposed to get a new Coach this week and I'm hoping that will help them turn the corner.

Wood Badge tickets are going well, though I need to check in on the rest of the Bob Whites from my course. Here's a quick update on each ticket:

• Recruit Arrowmen for our chapter at BYU — I've been able to get small signs up in various areas, and have found a couple of students so far.


• Support and Encourage Timberline (NYLT) attendance from my troop — I think I have two of my scouts (and their families) interested in going next year. I've also got three arrowmen from my chapter who are interested in serving on staff.


• Become LNT certified — having completed my LNT Trainer course, I'm now focusing on sharing the principles of Leave No Trace whenever and wherever I can.


• Run unity building activities at 75% of my unit's camping trips from 9/08 to 8/09. So far I'm 3 of 4, and I've got activities planned for both January's and February's trips.


• Complete the requirements for the Physical Fitness MB — I'm midway through this, but I need to get back on track.

Klondike is coming, with a snowshoeing trek along the Great Wester Trail and more fun after that. At the Chapter level, I'm trying to get ready for lots of unit elections, a call out ceremony, and a Fellowship. It's going to be a busy time.

November Campout -- Another Activity

We had a great camping trip this weekend. The Varsity Team that that has been integrated with us for the last several months cut the cord this time and we went to two separate locations. I think this was a good step for both groups. While we're both a bit smaller, we each had to take some steps to stand on our own. I can't speak for the Varsity Scouts, but the Boy Scouts certainly rose to the challenge.

In addition to enjoying the beautiful scenery at Maple Lake (and some good food -- mmmm, scotch egs make a great breakfast), we also worked on a pair of unity building activities as part of my woodbadge ticket.

The first one was a group sharing thing, as we sat around the campfire I asked each person to share a favorite scout memory. While I was interested in the answers, my bigger desire was to get everyone talking and opening up a bit about scouting and things they each enjoyed.

A bit later, we went around the fire again. This time, each scout was asked to talk about a point of the Scout Law and what it meant to him. We went around the fire a couple of times to complete all twelve points. It was interesting to hear them talk about some pretty deep topics. Neal, my Assistant Scoutmaster, and I asked leading questions when the discussion seemed to flounder. I think it was a good experience for all of us.

We also did a physical exercise. We had each boy sit in a circle, facing outwards. Then they linked elbows and stood up. It took a bit of work for them to get organised and standing, but they did it.

As we drove down and out of Payson canyon, we held a short self assessment on our recent activities, and set some goal for improvement in December. This is a great way to close out a camping trip.

Great Western Trail Reports

Sometimes people ask my why I think the Order of the Arrow is an important adjunct to the Boy Scout program. There are a lot of reasons, but the biggest is that the OA provides additional opportunities for scouts to grow and learn.

Most of these opportunities come from participation in the chapter and lodge by arrowmen. Some of them are open to all scouts though. A great example of this is the Utah National Parks' Great Western Trail award. There are a number of ways to earn this ward, but all of them involve writing a 150 word report about your experience backpacking and doing service on the trail.

Getting out onto the trail is a good thing, working on a service project approved by the wilderness management agency is even better. Imagine the impact of going out and doing all of that, then coming home and writing about it to cement the ideas, memories, and insights in your mind.

Here are some excerpts from what my scouts wrote in their reports about our experiences on the trail:

Many things made me want to go on the trek. [Another scout] said it was going to be awesome. I also love to camp. And it would just be a good experience to look back on.


[I had] lots of fun backpacking with the scouts. [I liked] the big meadow where we spent both nights, it was fun. ... [Now I want to do] more, better service projects and more activities to help the community. I want to go on other parts of the Great Western Trail.


[I felt] like my service was appreciated. It makes me want to treat [the trail] with more respect than I have been doing before. ... [When I hike on other trails], I will feel much more grateful for those men, women, and children that gave up their time to make it look better and keep it clean.


I remember [our service] was hard work but the payoff was great, it was good to help the trail. It improved my outlook on [service] because of the satisfaction of doing it.


I remember cutting off all the branches on the trail hanging over and how fun it was to cut down a really big one. Ranger Polly taught us ... what to cut down and how to be safe with the [tools].


It made me see that just doing service does not mean it has to be boring, it can be really fun and cool. It made me feel good that someone ... noticed what we did.

I'm really glad that the OA put together a program that let my scouts get a better picture of what they can do ... not just in terms of backpacking and camping, but in terms of service and responsibility.

More Wood Badge Thoughts (including ticket ideas)

After attending a pack meeting last night to support my wife and her wold den, and looking forward to a PLC meeting and troop meeting tonight, I find myself thinking about Wood Badge. I can't tell you how worthwhile I think the training is, but I can share with you what President Dahlquist (the LDS General Young Mens' President) said about it:

[P]repare yourselves constantly for your calling with the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood by getting properly trained for your calling. ... We encourage you to become appropriately trained so you can make the best of this wonderful resource to the priesthood. If you are new (or even if you have been in your calling for some time), yet have never been appropriately trained, go to www.scouting.org and begin your training now, online. Begin with Fast Start training, then basic and leader specific training, and then Wood Badge. ...

We are gratified with the reports from the field that priesthood leaders, including stake presidents and their counselors, bishops and their counselors, and Young Men leaders on both stake and ward levels are beginning to take the importance of this training seriously. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up now for the next Wood Badge course in your council.

I think that's a pretty clear message. So, what if you're already sold on Wood Badge, and you're just looking for some ticket ideas? I can't write your tickets for you, but I'd love to share some ideas.

If you're involved with Cub Scouts:

• How well is your unit doing with Character Connections activities? Holding these frequently and doing a good job with them will help improve packs, dens, families, and individual cub scouts.
• Is your unit using the activity belt loop and pin program to encourage the boys to learn about athletic and academic topics beyond their rank advancement requirements? Maybe you could host an activity pin Pow Wow.
• It can be hard for some families to help their boys earn the Bobcat award. Developing a 'Bobcat Packet' with ideas and activities could be a good project.
  

If you work with Boy Scouts or a Varsity Team:

• Could your unit do something to support cub scouts? What about putting on a Webelos Woods, or hosting a Wolf, Bear, or Webelos advancement Pow Wow? Help your boys learn to love serving as they help the cubs advance along the scouting trail.
• Does your troop provide a solid outdoor program? Year round camping, earning the national campoing award (or stepping up to the next level if you've already earned it) or incorporating hiking into your program could all be worthwhile goals.
• Do your scouts enjoy the benefits of the Order of the Arrow? You could hold unit elections, encourage involvement in your lodge or chapter, or get involved in the OA's Scoutreach Mentoring program.
• You could promote NYLT attendance (or encourage previous attendees to help staff an NYLT session).
  

No matter what kind of scouting unit you serve in:

• You could become a merit badge counselor.
• You could encourage adult attendance at Roundtable and/or Wood Badge.
• You could learn about the Scout Parents program and encourage its implementation in your unit and district.

These three lists aren't exhaustive (and I left our venturing, because I just don't know enough about it), but I hope they're helpful to someone who's looking for ticket ideas.

Parents' Night: Sep 2008

Last night, Troop 37 stretched themselves a little bit more. For the first time in several years, we held a parents night. 80% of our scouts were there, and all of their parents made it too. We even had a member of our chartering organization make it out.

Without having any real experience in running (or even attending) something like this, it was a big step for the boys to plan and conduct the meeting. I think they did awfully well though. Some things ran a bit long and others fell off the agenda, but we ended on time, provided some value to everyone who came, and enjoyed peach cobbler when it was over. I don't think you can ask for too much more than that.

I'm certain our next parents' night (in Mar 2009) will be better planned, better run, and better attended. I don't think I'll be any more proud of my scouts for the way they handle it or the things they talk about though.

The agenda our Senior Patrol Leader and I came up with looked like this:

• Opening — prayer, pledge of allegiance, scout oath and law
• Welcome the attendees
• Review last 6 months activities — The boys ran this presentation, they focused more on the outdoor activities and less on weeknight stuff, next time I'd like to balance this better. We also ran too long, a rehearsal will probably help that next time.
• Preview of the upcoming 6 months — I think better rehearsal, and more reliance on our program plan will help make this more useful next time. The boys did a good job though.
• Scoutmaster's corner — I sprinted through six topics in six minutes. Hopefully it was as motivational as I wanted it to be, we'll see how many of our parents step up and get more involved.
• Closing and refreshments — Our chartering organization representative gave us a closing prayer, and the boys served up the cobbler they made. I think we ended on a high note.

Next time, instead of a lecture format, I think it might be fun to run different stations presenting what we've done, what we're planning on doing, and how the parents can be more involved. Promoting Timberline is going to be another important goal in March.

Almost an Eagle

A friend from Wood Badge sent my wife and I an email today asking for our prayers on behalf of her son, who's rapidly running out of time to earn his Eagle Scout award. This is a topic that hits close to home since I was 'almost an Eagle'. Here's my response (I've left out our friend's name and her son's, since that's not really the point).

At the time, it didn't seem like not earning my Eagle was going to cost me very much. My car, my job, and girls seemed so much more important at the time. Now, over 20 years later, I have to laugh at the thought of the Dodge Omni I drove. I don't even list my job from the time on a resume. I can't think of the last time I thought of one of the girls I went to school with. On the other hand, there are several times a month that I wish I'd put in the effort needed to earn my Eagle Scout award.

Scouting taught me many things: how to hike and camp in good weather or bad, how to work with others and how to lead them, how to cook in a dutch oven, the list goes on and on. I have lots of great memories: backpacking through Philmont, canoeing in the Boundary Waters, camping with Scouts from all over Europe, singing camp songs with 20,000 scouts at a national jamboree — but the memory that comes to mind most often is that I didn't earn my Eagle.

I feel like I owe a huge debt to the Scout leaders how helped me along — and I feel like I let them all down by quitting when the end was in sight. I could have been an Eagle Scout, but I'm not and I only have myself to blame. I wish I could help scouts today learn from my mistake. I try to encourage my son, and the scouts in my troop to keep on going, to earn their merit badges, to plan and carry out an eagle project, and to earn their Eagle.

The eagle isn't just another rank or award — it's a symbol of what you can be, it's a starting point for a life of service, it's a mark of brotherhood with the many others who have 'stuck to it' and become better for it.

Praying for [your son] is the least I can do. If you think it will help, please let him know how important I think earning his eagle will be.

Tri-Council Varsity Challenge

Over this last weekend, my son and I went to the Tri-Council Varsity Challenge. He was the only member of his team that wanted to go, so I worked out a deal with another team. Mike would go with them and I'd come along as a second leader, only the backed out a couple of days before the trip. I wish both groups had gone, it was a great activity.

I got to meet an internet friend, Dave Muncey, face to face. We sat at the feet or Pres Burgess (1st Counselor in the LDS Young Men's Presidency) and were taught about the importance of Scouting and the Varsity Program. We had fun at the opening concert (Jon Schmidt and his son's band "Painting the Finish Line". And all that happened on the first night.

Things got more involved the second day. Saturday kicked off with a ~4,500 scout glag ceremony. After that, we moved on to a series of activities that highlighted the five areas of emphasis in the Varisty Program:

• Advancement
• High Adventure/Sports
• Service
• Special Programs and Events
• Personal Development
  

Most of the activities were things that could be brought back into a unit and expanded on over the course of one or more meetings. It was really neat to see examples of things that could be mixed into a Varsity Team's schedule to add a bit more excitement.

If you weren't there, you missed out. I sure hope they do something similar next year, I'd love to go again -- only this time I'm going to do a better job selling it to the Varsity Teams I interact with.