Wood Badge and Gilwell Park

The Beginning of Wood Badge. Baden-Powell took the first steps in the training of Scouters by organizing a series of lectures for Scouters in 1911. He made great strides by devising and instituting Wood Badge training in 1919. Wood Badge recipients now number more than 500,000 throughout the world.

The object of the Wood Badge course is to demonstrate as practically as possible the aims and methods of Scouting. Upon successful completion of the course, the participant receives a parchment certificate and the Wood Badge – two wooden beads worn on a leather thong around the neck. These beads replicate the beads found by Baden-Powell during a campaign in Africa in 1888. They belonged to Dinizulu, an African chieftain. In searching for a suitable recognition for those who completed the first course in 1919, Baden-Powell remembered the beads and decided to present a bead to each participant. At that time, the course was called “Wood Badge.”

The Wood Badge may be worn only with an official field uniform of the Boy Scouts of America. The Scouter to whom it has been awarded may also wear the tan neckerchief with its patch of MacLaren tartan at the back. The Wood Badge neckerchief may only be worn with the accompanying leather neckerchief slide or woggle.

Wood Badge Training Gets a Permanent Home

1919, W. F. de Bois Maclaren, a district commissioner in Scotland, purchased Gilwell Park and presented it to The Scout Association of Britain. He wanted “to provide a training ground for the officers of the Scouting movement.” Consequently, Gilwell Park became the permanent home of Wood Badge training in England and annually welcomes Scouters from around the world. The ax and log symbol associated with Wood Badge is actually the totem of Gilwell Park. Recently, The Scout Association has announced that it would relocate its headquarters from London to Gilwell Park.

In 1929, at the Third World Jamboree at Birkenhead, England, Sir Baden-Powell was made a baron by his king, and became Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell.

The Vietnamese National Wood Badge course #999-13 (Tung Nguyen 7) – is the fourth time we utilized the 21st Century Wood Badge course syllabus since it was introduced in 2000.

The Boy Scouts of America 21st Century Wood Badge is designed to be advanced leadership training for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, and Venturing adult leaders at the unit, district, council, and professional levels, taught in the living experience of a Boy Scout troop employing the patrol method.

As the result of attending Wood Badge, participants will be able to:

• View Scouting globally as a family of interrelated, values-based programs that provide age-appropriate activities for youth.
• Recognize the contemporary leadership concepts utilized in corporate America and leading government organizations that are relevant to our values-based movement.
• Apply the skills they learn from their participation as a member of a successful working team.
• Revitalize their commitment by sharing in an overall inspirational experience that helps provide Scouting with the leadership it needs to accomplish its mission on an ongoing basis.

The course follows the following central themes:

• Living the Values
• Bringing the Vision to Life
• Models for Success
• Tools of the Trade
• Leading to Make a Difference

The Wood Badge program consists of two phases: the learning experience and the application phase.

The learning experience is set in an indoor and an outdoor environment where the course reflects unit meetings and a unit camping activity. The Boy Scout troop simulation provides a framework in which to practice the leadership skills introduced in the course. A natural bridge between the various Scouting programs is modeled.

The application phase involves the participant’s commitment to complete a set of personal goals relating to his or her Scouting position. This commitment is known as “the Wood Badge ticket.” In addition to strengthening the program in which the participant is involved, the ticket provides the opportunity to practice and demonstrate a working knowledge of the leadership skills presented during the course. When the participant has fulfilled the terms of his or her ticket, the Wood Badge recognition is presented.

The Scouter to whom the Wood Badge has been awarded is entitled to membership in the first Gilwell Park Scout Group. Membership of the group numbers in the tens of thousands; all are Scouters who have rededicated their service to Scouting through membership in the International Gilwell Park Scout Group.

These Scouters are to be found today in more than 100 countries and on every continent of the world. Wood Badge training is now accepted throughout the world. It is covered by an International Training Center for Scouting at Gilwell Park, and in other countries as designated by the Scout World Bureau. Teams of selected Scouters offer Wood Badge courses in most Scouting countries. Wood Badge training forms an important link in the world brotherhood of Scouting. Scouters who take part in it are expressing in a practical way their belief in the brotherhood of Scouting.

Wood Badge and Gilwell Park
Nguyen Tan De, CD of TN IV