Wood Badge

Several months ago, when Matt was working with the young men, he signed us up to participate in the Wood Badge training.  "What is Wood Badge?" some of you might be asking yourself, as did I.  It is advanced scout leadership training.  Matt is a big fan of the scouting program, so it seemed natural for him to be excited for the 6 day (3 days, 2 weekends in a row) training.  I, on the other hand, was not expecting to participate.  But Matt asked if I could come since I worked with the youth in our ward.  Permission was granted and so we looked forward to this little adventure together.  It turned out that Matt's birthday fell on the first weekend of the training.  So I planned an activity for the Monday between the two weekends (Matt's birthday post is next). 

There were 9 people from our ward that attended this Wood Badge (out of about 70 total), including my cute friend Whitney who is the primary president in our ward.  Whitney and I were the only women in attendance, and what made it more fun was that I was 7 months pregnant and Whitney was 5 months along.  

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the training as much as I did, but it was extremely well planned and our scoutmaster's focus was very applicable to my work with the young women. It was basically that there is a great spirit and power that can be felt from and shared with youth and that scouting was a means to tapping into that spirit.  

So here is the basic rundown of how things went.  We arrived early on Thursday April 26 to check in.  The tents were already set up.  Whitney and I were tent-mates.  Our husbands (her husband, Dustin, was also attending) set us both up in our tents.  Matt had borrowed two air mattresses and a cot for me to sleep on.  It ended up that I would have had to get a running start to make it on top of all that, so I ended up with the two mattresses on the ground.  Whitney and I were both most worried about how we'd sleep, especially since the nearest bathroom was in the lodge... which was across the field, up a little hill, and through a maze of tables and chairs.  That sounded like recipe for disaster for two pregnant ladies in the middle of the night.  In the end we were both blessed to not only sleep well but not have to make any mid-night runs.  A true tender mercy :)

The very first Wood Badge training was in 1919 in England at Gilwell Field.  Now, wherever a Wood Badge training is conducted in the world, there is a designated "Gilwell Field" and the group is organized into a temporary troop.  Troop 1.  Our Gilwell Field was in front of the tents.  We had a flag ceremony there each morning and evening.

The troop is split up into "critter patrols". Matt and I were put into different patrols (there are 8 total).  He was an Owl and I was a Buffalo.  

At the morning assembly there were a number of things done, like a flag raising, scoutmaster minute, and each patrol had a cheer.  Many patrols changed their cheers almost daily.  Some were so funny.  The Owls had one where they sang "Who let the dogs out?" and then did the "Hoo? Hoo?  Hoo? Hoo?" like an owl hooting.  Here they are "hoo hoo hoo hoo-ting"

We, the mighty Buffalo, had one where we sang, "Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo rooooaaaam!" (Maybe you had to be there for the cheers to be funny.)  We spent most of our time with our patrols.  I'm not sure what my patrol is doing here... but apparently we weren't embarrassed about it.

Most of our days were spent in class-type settings participating in presentations and doing activities that taught or modeled different principles. They were followed by lots of discussion.  This game set the foundation for a discussion on unity and competition.  I was super frustrated during the game, but felt like a gained a lot through the discussion afterwards.  (You can see the rest of my patrol was equally frustrated.  Er...)

During meal times you would hear people yell, "PRESENTATION!" and they would stand up and give a person or a patrol an award for something.  They were goofy but fun.  Our patrol won a candy trophy during one of the activities.  However, we really shouldn't have won, so we made a PRESENTATION to the patrol that rightfully should have won.  But they gave it away to another patrol for something else.  It ended up getting passed around several times until it was returned to back to us.  We laughed when we realized that by the time it got back to us all the candy and soda had been eaten and it was just empty boxes/cans. 

Matt and I got to eat a few meals together, but for the most part we were with our patrols.  There is a (kinda weird) rule that you're not allowed to hug others at Wood Badge.  We got called on it several times.  But there wasn't a "no kissing" rule...

I just liked this picture of Matt.  He was a few tables down from me during the presentations so I would often look over and catch his eye.  This experience will be one of those fun memories we talk about for a long time.

Each morning and evening at the assembly all the patrols stood in "Gilwell Order," which means we made a large square with the staff making one side and all the patrols in order from beavers, bobwhites, eagles, foxes, owls, bears, buffalos, and antelopes.  At the end of the assemblies the Wood Badge song was sung by each patrol in order.  I cried as we sang it on the last day (I blame it on being pregnant.)

"I used to be a Baffalo, 

A good ol' Baffalo, too.

But now I'm finished Buffalo-ing, 

I don't know what to do.

I'm growing old and feeble,

And I can Buffalo no more.

So I'm going to work my ticket if I can.

Back to Gilwell, happy land. 

I'm going to work my ticket if I can."

Truly, there was a wonderful spirit about the training.  I don't think there was a presentation given that didn't include the presenter sharing his/her testimony.  Our scoutmaster and assistant scoutmaster were brothers and clearly had a great love for the youth and for the gospel.  We had a great time with the members of our ward who attended. 

Matt & Vicki.  Wood Badge 2012.