By Diane Cleveland, Charity Gleghorn, Tyler Gleghorn, Angela Martin, Peter Kulis, and Mehria Qarizada-Smith (From Troops 258 & 358)
Rarely do you get to experience a leadership training where there is a common denominator for all of the attendees. Wood Badge is different because it has that common denominator of the moral code of Scouting. You get to see how you can make a difference in not only your own unit(s) but to Scouting on the whole, through building relationships with others and gaining tools that you will use not only in Scouting but your personal life as well. You will come away from Wood Badge with an actionable plan to make that difference.
Wood Badge provided the foundation of leadership which will continue to grow and be shared not only with the Scouts that we support, but also with others we meet in other parts of our lives, outside of scouting. Through the seminars and activities an individual will see their strengths as well as the areas where improvement can be developed. The Wood Badge experience was an eye opening adventure. The course was very well developed, organized and executed. The staff was wonderful and filled with excitement and knowledge.
Our message for anyone not having attended Wood Badge is YOU ARE INVITED, and YOU WON’T REGRET IT. Wood Badge is a walk through Scouting from a scout’s perspective, it is a time of exposure, good teaching, and encouragement to do our best for our scouts. It enables a well-connected, well trained troop, which enriches experience for the youth.
Wood Badge is where you find the heart of scouting and that is within each of the Wood Badge staff members that plan, run, teach the program and guide us. It’s where some of us have found mentors, built friendships and most importantly placed ourselves in a space where you can emerge from your cocoon, as a butterfly!
When you get the opportunity, just go! It was worth it for all six of us.
