Wood Badge Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Who should attend Wood Badge?

A: Wood Badge is for any registered Scout leader who had attended training for his or her primary registered position that qualify him or her to wear the "trained" emblem on their uniform. For a Committee Chair, this may mean attending New Leader Essentials and Troop Committee Challenge. For a Scoutmaster, it means attending New Leader Essentials, Scoutmaster Position Specific Training and Outdoor Leader Skills. If you have questions about the training requirements for your position, contact your District Training Chairman.

ALL Scout leaders-- from Den Leaders to District Committee members-- can benefit from Wood Badge!

Q: I don't have strong outdoor/camping skills and they are not required for my position. Will this be a problem?

A: While outdoor skills are always helpful, there will be others who can share their knowledge with you. You may learn some outdoor skills while at Wood Badge, but it is not the primary purpose of the course. The purpose of Wood Badge is to teach leadership and team building.

Q: Where can I learn more about outdoor skills?

A: You can attend Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (even if it is not required for your primary position), or you can attend Outdoor Skills Institute or PowderHorn. While these are excellent training opportunities, they are not a prerequisite for attending Wood Badge.

Q. How does Wood Badge training relate to the Council Junior Leader Training programs, Polaris and Sogus?

A. They are very related. All teach the same leadership skills. Wood Badge is designed to teach adult leaders Team Development. Polaris and Sogus teach the leadership skills at a youth. Both teach through a combination of presentations and practice, using the patrol as the team to be developed. With this in mind, for a Boy Scout and Varsity leader might find it advantageous to encourage their youth to attend Polaris or Sogus.

Q. What if I cannot afford the Course fee?

A. We want Wood Badge to be available to all Scouters. Often, participants are partially sponsored by their units or their chartered organizations. Fundraising opportunities may also be available through units. Camperships [ are also ] may be available from the Council for a portion of the fee if required. Opportunity Fund applications are at the Council Service Desk. The best way to manage the course fee is to register early, and make small monthly payments until the fee is paid in full.

Q. How does Wood Badge training relate to the Council Junior Leader Training programs, Polaris and Sogus?

A. They are very related. All teach the same leadership skills. Wood Badge is directed to adults, emphasizing how to develop youth leaders. Polaris and Sogus are directed at the youth themselves. Both teach through a combination of presentations and practice, with strong reliance on the patrol method. An ideal situation is for the adults who work with Boy Scout or Varsity Scout aged youth to attend Wood Badge and the youth leadership to attend Polaris or Sogus, and then together they apply their new knowledge and enthusiasm.

Q. How can I find out what patrol I will be in? Can I choose? Should I prepare anything before the course?

A. [ Much of Wood Badge is about Patrol Method. ] The patrol method is a very important part of Wood Badge. It is the forum for practicing the Leadership and Scout skills on course. You will likely develop a special fondness for your patrol and members. Patrols will be assigned by the Course Director, based on many criteria including balancing the experience and background of the participants, and distributing people from the same district or units to different patrols. The [ Scoutmaster ] Course Director will rarely , if ever , honor specific requests. It is best to not get too concerned about which patrol you will join. Some enthusiastic Wood Badge participants like to make or collect specific items reflecting their patrol. If so, this can occur during or after the course -- you do not need to prepare anything in advance.

Q: You said that Wood Badge is for all Scout leaders, including Cub Scout leaders. Why is the patrol method used?

A: Wood Badge doesn't teach "Boy Scouting". Wood Badge teaches leadership. In order to teach leadership skills, the patrol method is used as a vehicle for teaching leadership during most of the course. Cub Scout leaders and Venturing leaders have much to offer others who may be more familiar with the patrol method. The key to learning to work together with a team is to leverage the diversity of the members of the team. Everyone has something to offer, and some of the strongest Wood Badge patrols are those who have Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Venturing, and District leaders all in the patrol. Utilizing the strengths of each member contributes to the strength of the whole. Remember-- the patrol method is simply the vehicle used to teach leadership and team development.

Q. How much should I prepare my ticket before the Course?

A. That varies depending on whether the course is a week long course or two weekends. In either case. These are critical so that as you learn the leadership skills you can identify ways to put them to use in your current role. Please do not develop your ticket prior to the Course --on Course you will learn more about [ an ideal troop program and about ] the leadership skills you personally want to practice. Only after that will you be able to write your ticket. Prior to the course, you will receive a set of 20 questions. You will have a more meaningful experience if you answer these questions before arriving for the course. These are personal questions, and you will not be asked to share them with anyone. The intent is for you to take the time to think about your answers. These questions form the basis for preparing your "ticket".

Past Wood Badge courses may have suggested talking to someone about ticket possibilities before attending the course. While this may have been appropriate for people who attended Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge or Boy Scout Wood Badge, the ticket process for Wood Badge for the 21st Century is very different. You may have a friend who attended a course in the past who offers suggestions. While their advice may be valuable to you, please remember that the ticket process has evolved and that your ticket will not look the same as those prior to 2001. (If your friend attended Wood Badge prior to 2001, invite them to come along with you to the "new" Wood Badge!)

Q. Are there any internet Wood Badge resources?

A. Try starting at www.woodbadge.org or www.cpcbsa.org

Q. When is the next Wood Badge and Where is the course held?

Q. What does it cost to attend? Financial assistance?