Welcome to Woodbadge SR-976
Building Leaders — Leading Change
A Message from your Scout Master
Thank you for your interest in Wood Badge, the premier leadership training course for adult Scouters. If you choose to join us on the Occoneechee Council’s course for 2009, you will have the opportunity to develop a set of skills that will increase your ability to lead any group, whether it be a Cub Scout Pack, a Boy Scout Troop, a Venture Crew, or a group of adults working together at the unit, district, or council level to support the Scouting program. Furthermore, the concepts you’ll learn and practice are recognized as key components of leadership by many organizations and experts outside of Scouting, and are useful in working with any group, in the workplace, home or community.
Wood Badge is made up of two phases: the first is a “practical” phase that occurs over two 3-day weekends at Camp Durant, during which you and fellow Scouters from around the Council will be introduced to team building and leadership concepts in a group that models a Scout unit. During these two weekends and the time between, you and your fellow participants will work together to develop a vision of what Scouting can be for you and the Scouts and Scouters you serve. This vision will be specific for your position in Scouting and will capture your unique perspective on what Scouting can be. With guidance from experienced staffers, you’ll develop a plan of action for making your vision come to life. The plan is referred to as a “Ticket” in Wood Badge terms, and is your roadmap to making the changes accomplishing your goals.
Then, in the second phase, which occurs in the months following the two weekends in camp, you’ll put your plan into action and “work your ticket” to practice the leadership skills you’ve learned. This process will give you both the theory and the practical experience to look at any group, develop a vision, and carry out a plan that makes you and your group more effective, eventually becoming a “high performing team” that can accomplish any goal you set your mind to.
Throughout all of this, the Wood Badge Staff is there to support you and provide counseling and advice. And, just as importantly, to make the experience FUN. For just as our Scouts come to the Scouting primarily for the fun they have through the various programs, we know that learning is far more effective when there’s fun involved for adults as well. The Staff will do all it can to make your Wood Badge experience both enjoyable and productive.
Finally, much of what you’ll take from Wood Badge will come from the friendships and connections you’ll make with the other participants in your course. Often, challenges are solved, and new insights gained, through discussions with other Scouters in positions similar to yours. And friendships forged over a late night cracker barrel or during the planning of a campfire will last far into the future and provide you with resources you can call on to solve problems and provide better programs for your Scouts.
So come join us for Wood Badge SR-976 and make yourself the best possible leader you can be to provide our youth with the best Scouting program possible.
John Roberts
Scoutmaster SR-976
