Wood Badge - It's About Leadership!

Recently I went "Back to Gilwell." Anyone who has attended the Scout leadership training called Wood Badge knows what that means.

Gilwell is the location in England where Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, held special training for his leaders. The training became known as Wood Badge (History of Wood Badge).

A fews years ago I was attending a day of training for Cub Scout leaders in the National Capital Area Council. At the end of the day everyone gathered for a closing ceremony. As part of it there was a recognition for a number of scout leaders who had completed the Wood Badge training. They received a special neckerchief, a "woggle" - which is a neckerchief slide made of leather formed into a complicated knot with no visible beginning or end, and two beads on a leather cord. This was pretty cool, but what got me hooked was the song.

To conclude the ceremony, every person in the auditorium (probably more than 300 people) who had completed (or was working to complete) the training gathered on stage for the singing of the song "Back to Gilwell." Oh man! the first time I saw all those crazy men and women singing together like they were all best friends, I knew I wanted to be part of this gang.

Then next couple times I was at similar training sessions yielded similar ceremonies. Being left in the audience was a killer for me. I knew I had to do this training. I wanted those beads, the neckerchief and woggle. But most of all I wanted to sing that song.

Of course the program is much more than the goodies. It was intense training. And well beyond just being a good Scout leader. The skills I've learned have come into all the other aspects of my life.

So when I had the opportunity to be part of the staff for a Wood Badge course, I jumped at the chance. We prepared for it for several months and I'm still working with the group entrusted to me from the course. This past summer I was asked to be on a second staff (although this time my commitment ended when the training portion was completed). Both times I've been on staff, I've grown in my own skills and abilities. And the relationships I've formed go beyond collegial. The two staffs I've been on have been outstanding. These folks are top leaders - in and out of scouting.

It's also really interesting to see the formation of the group of participants. They start of as individual leaders, looking for skills, or just hoping like I was to get the goodies at the end of the process. They begin by forming a team (called a patrol in Scouting lingo) of five or six others. This group bonds over the first weekend, comes together even tighter between the first and second weekend and (with hope) has formed into a high-performing team by the time they return for the second weekend. But from that all the patrols form into a Troop of leaders that become an ever-lasting unit - even after the weekends are over. It's awesome to witness.

Someone recently asked me, "What could Wood Badge possibly teach me?" While this leader has so many skills and is already a great leader, I believe that given the opportunity anyone who comits to focusing on their leadership skills will grow. I know I did.

And I continue to do so every time I go "Back to Gilwell."

And the next time there's a Wood Badge presentation - I'll be up on that stage singing the song with all my heart!