LEADERSHIP FOR SCOUTING – LEADERSHIP FOR AMERICA
CAMP INVASION!
AURORA, KY: The Boy Scouts of America has reported that Camp Manchester may recently have become a refuge to exotic “critters”. It was reported that last evening Eagles were flying over Camp Manchester in an “Inverted V” formation, several Owls were spotted nesting on the rafters of the Dining Hall and even Bobwhites were seen flying paper kites at some place called Gilwell field.
In a seemingly unrelated report, there were several reports of “Yipping” in the woods; sounds like only foxes make, but the official comment from the National Wildlife Federation says this is highly unlikely. Additional reports indicated that several logs have been gnawed upon by large mammals (purported to be beavers).
Over at Land Between the Lakes last night, there were also scattered sightings of bears, buffalo, and antelopes looking westward.
Nevertheless, the county Hu-mane Society is investigating and warns residents within a 30 mile radius of the Camp to stay indoors at night, purely as a precautionary measure.
WELCOME TO DAY 2
Our fearless reporter says that Cub Scout Pack 1 members joined Troop 1 at an outdoor ceremony on Gilwell Field yesterday. Senior Patrol leader Jeff Tanner said, “It was touch and go for a minute there but we finally got all of them across the bridge safely!”
OSCAR NOMINATIONS EXPECTED!
AURORA, KY: Oscar nominations are bound to be in the mail for several of the Wood Badge Players. Such skill, such raw talent, such stage presence is rarely seen … and on the salary they’re being paid, they did their benevolent best! Regardless of talent, it was showtime at the campfire last night with songs, stunts, stories and showmanship. Pacing was on the mark … building to a crescendo and then slowly mellowing as the campfire faded to glowing embers. Well done!
DAY 2 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – PLAN A
7:00 – Breakfast and Patrol Self-assessment Parking lot
8:00 – Gilwell Field assembly
8:30 – Troop Meeting Gilwell Hall
10:15 – Break
10:30 – High Performance Teams
11:00 – Team Development Model
11:50 – Break
12:00 - Lunch Gilwell Hall
1:00 –Patrol leader’s council Gilwell Hall
Patrol chaplain aides meeting
1:30 – Communication See TG
2:20 – Break
2:30 – “Project Planning” Gilwell Hall
3:20 – Break
3:30 – Interpatrol rocket competition
4:50 - Break
5:00 – Patrol meeting
6:00 – Dinner Gilwell Hall
7:00 – Troop Game Show Gilwell Hall
7:50 - Break
8:00 – A New Troop Game Gilwell Hall
9:00 – Cracker Barrel
LEADERSHIP LESSONS
Yesterday, two important topics present- ed were “Listening to Learn” and “Living the Values.”
We learned effective listening is a skill each of us can learn and constantly improve upon. It plays an important role in relationships, develop-ing teams and finding solutions. The best listening is both active and empathetic and listening well is an important part of both receiving and giving feedback.
In the “Living the Values” session, values, vision and mission were discussed. Values are core beliefs or desires that guide or motivate our attitudes and actions. A vision is a picture of future success. A mission consists of the steps leading to the realization of a vision. Considering what you know about yourself, what are your values, vision and mission? Your answers will influence preparation of your ticket.
TICKETS
Tickets are personal commit-ments for personal improvement involving a series of goals. Your ticket should include five significant goals based on criteria that are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based.
HISTORY OF WOOD BADGE, PART 2
When foreign countries established Wood Badge training after the pattern set by Gilwell, the person in charge of originating the course was designated a Gilwell Deputy Camp Chief, representing Gilwell Park in his own country. According to a tradition supposedly established by Baden-Powell, that person could wear 5 beads. Most of these 5th beads were presented in the 1920s and 1930s, but what happened to them and who wore them is not known.
Baden-Powell himself wore six beads. However, B-P did also award a set of six beads to Sir Percy Everett. Sir Percy had been a friend of B-P since the original camp on Brownsea Island on 1907 and he became the Commissioner for Training and eventually the Deputy Chief Scout.
B-P wished to acknowledge the tremendous debt he owed to Sir Percy and so presented him with a six-beaded necklace.
In 1949, Sir Percy presented his six-bead necklace back to Gilwell to be worn as the badge of office of the Camp Chief, i.e. the person on the Gilwell staff responsible for Leader Training. John Thurman, then the Camp Chief, wore the necklace until his retirement in 1969. Today, it is worn by Stephen Peck, Director of Program and Development.
AT THE STORE
Your cheerful, friendly quartermasters (Art, Cathy and Danny) are in charge of physical arrangements. If you need something, just see them! They will check in the handy quartermaster store and try to locate what you need.
For today, they remind you to drink a lot of water!
TOTEMS
You may have noticed some intricate little drawings on the staff’s presentation charts, books, and personal items. These are called “totems.” They are a form of logo for a specific Wood Badge patrol from a specific course. They represent one of the many Wood Badge traditions.
For instance, my totem is:
For my Wood Badge patrol, this totem represents the M.A.G.I.C. Eagle patrol. The phrase M.A.G.I.C. represents the idea: Make All Good Intentions Count. In addition, you’ll note some letters. SE stands for BSA’s Southeast region. (We are now in BSA’s Southern Region). The 545 stands for Wood Badge course SE 545, just like our course number is SR 579. Finally, each patrol member personalized the totem with their personal initials.
Has your patrol designed a totem for your patrol yet? If not, why have you not done this? Be original. Design something that is meaningful to your patrol. You only have to please yourselves (Well, of course, we customarily present them to the Patrol Leader’s Council for review before we share them with the troop).
When I see my totem, it brings to mind that magical fall in 1990 when Eagles flocked on Borden March, friendships were formed that will only be ended by death, and we each learned more fully that Scouting is truly a game with a purpose.
I look forward to seeing your totem!
MEET THE STAFF
Continuing the introductions we began in yesterday’s newsletter, today we intro-duce:
Jeff L. Tanner
Our senior patrol leader has been in the movement 17 years (includ-ing 7 years as an adult). An Eagle Scout, Jeff has receiv-ed the Order of the Arrow’s Vigil Honor, the OA Founder’s Award and the Council’s Silver Beaver Award.
Jeff has attended the National Order of the Arrow Conference 6 times, taken treks at Philmont twice and attended National Jamboree twice.
Jeff has serves as White Horse Lodge Advisor and participates as a member of district and council training teams. He is a past course director of the council’s Junior Leader Training Conference. This is Jeff’s second Wood Badge staff experience.
Currently, Jeff spends a lot of time with the Venturing program and was recently certified for SCUBA.
Belinda Gibson
Our Assistant Scoutmaster – Program has served in virtually every Cub Leader role from Den Leader to Cubmaster. She has been an Assis-tant Scoutmaster and Committee Member of a Boy Scout troop and a Venturing Advisor and Venturing Committee Member.
She attended Cub Scout Leader Wood Badge training and has served as a Den Leader Coach Counselor for Cub Scout Leader Wood Badge. She has been a National Camp School Director – Day Camp and served on National Camp School staff for 6 years. At the District and Council levels, she has worked with roundtables, Pow Wows and on countless training staffs and has a post doctorate in Commissioner Science.
Belinda is a Silver Beaver recipient and holds the District Award of Merit, Den Leader Award, Cubmaster Award, Scouter’s Key and numerous other awards.
Belinda is married and has a son who is an Eagle Scout.
Phil Camp
Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop Guides Phil became an Eagle Scout in 1964 and is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow.
Through the years, Phil has been an assistant scoutmaster, Council commis-sioner, Council vice president, and held numerous district and council roles.
Phil has served on multiple Wood Badge staffs, on the 1986 National Jamboree staff and has a PhD in Com-missioner’s Science.
He has received the District Award of Merit, the Scouter’s Key for Commis-sioner’s Service and the Silver Beaver Award.
Phil is married and has a daughter.
John Olynick
The course’s professional staff ad-visor has almost 45 continuous years of Regis-tration in Scout-ing and holds the Arrow of Light. He is an Eagle Scout, a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and a professional Scouter with more than 33 years of service.
John has served as a staff advisor to 4 Wood Badge courses in three councils. John has also been on the National Jamboree staff of the last 5 Jamborees and holds a doctorate in commissioner science in three councils.
John is married and has 2 daughters and 2 sons. Both sons are Eagle Scouts.
John holds the Scouters’ Training award, Webelos Leaders’ training award, Tiger Cub Coach training award and the Professional Training award.
Terry Tanner
Our mentor is a prior course director who holds the Arrow of Light and is an Eagle Scout (Class of 1971). He is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and has received the Council’s Silver Beaver Award and both Council and Re-gion Venturing Leadership Awards. The father of three Eagle Scouts, Terry is also the husband of Wood Badge trained Kora Tanner.
Terry is a past course director for the Council’s Junior Leader Training course and has served on 6 Wood Badge staffs.
Terry has worked with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturing, and served 18 years as Scoutmaster of Troop 611. He has been active in district, council and regional training activities and serves as course director for the council’s first Powder Horn course to be held in October, 2003.
Terry serves on the council’s board, has made 4 treks at Philmont, attended the National Order of the Arrow Conference 4 times and been Scoutmaster of council National Jamboree troops twice (1993 and 1997) during his 42 years in Scouting.
Terry has received the Scoutmasters Award of Merit, the Boy Scout and the Venturing Training Awards and the District Award of Merit.
Larry Vaughn
Our course direc-tor, Larry, received the Arrow of Light award and is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. Married to a Wood Badge trained Scouter, Linda, he is also the father of two Eagle Scouts.
Through the years, Larry has served as a Cub Scout Roundtable commissioner,
District commissioner, Den Leader, Cubmaster, Scoutmaster and for many years as troop committee chair of the troop he helped found in 1980 while president of the sponsoring organization, an Optimist Club.
Larry has taken two treks at Philmont and two canoe adventures at Charles L. Sommers canoe base. He served as an Assistant Scoutmaster in 1993 and Scoutmaster in 1997 of council troops attending the National Jamboree.
Larry received the God and Country Award as a youth and has received the Den Leader award, Webelos Leader award, Cubmaster award, Boy Scout Leader Training award, District Award of Merit and the Distinguished Commissioner Service Awards.
Larry has been a member of the district and council training teams, has served on five Wood Badge staffs and is a past course director for the council’s Junior Leader Training Conference.
DAILY THOUGHTS - CHANGE
People can cry much easier than they can change. - James Baldwin
Progress is impossible without change,
and those who cannot change their minds
cannot change anything. - George Bernard Shaw
To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly. - Henri Bergson
When you are through changing, you're through. - Bruce Barton
The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one. - Brooks Atkinson
Everybody thinks of changing humanity
and nobody thinks of changing himself.
- Leo Tolstoy
American Values and Virtues …. And Crown Thy Good with Brotherhood
Patriotism is not a short and frenzied burst of emotion but the long and steady dedication of a lifetime. - Thomas Jefferson.
A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle. – Ben Franklin
The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations … You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together. The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts, of common dangers and suffering. – George Washington
Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future. – John F. Kennedy
I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions. – Lillian Hellman.
TROOP SCRIBES REPORT
The initial patrol leaders chosen to serve their patrols were:
Beavers – Cary Allen
Bobwhites – Jodi Powers
Screaming Eagles – Rick Gibson
Fox – Linda Vaughn
Owls – Sam Taylor
They each committed themselves to serve the interests of their patrol and did well yesterday in doing so.
Beaver Words of Merit
The Beavers shared their mission statement saying their vision is “To develop the vision to complete Wood Badge’s goals to foster Scouting’s knowledge and values in others.”