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Back to Gilwell....


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OK, Hardpan - congratulations!

 

Now.....I've been out of Scouting a long time - can you explain what those honors stand for?

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Thanks, 'Bama!

 

"Wood Badge." Completion of an advanced leadership training program... These days, it consists of six days (and nights!) of core training in combined indoors and outdoors settings, followed by completing five "tickets," or projects, to be done within 18 months of course end. The "tickets" can be as simple as attending other one-day classes to much more involved projects - in my case, one of them was establishing a Cub Scout pack for underpriveledged kids and running it for the past year...

 

A very rewarding pile of work, ton of fun, with a fair amount of lore going back to Baden-Powell's lecturing at the first session at Gilwell Park in the UK. And part of the "beading" ceremony involves singing a silly but fun song, "Back to Gilwell."

 

Last night's ceremony was short but fun... the funnest part was seeing the looks of astonishment and utter amusement on the faces of all the young Scouts present... ;)

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Got my beads in 1975. Was in the Eagle Patrol. One of my brothers got his beads in 2004. He was in the Eagle Patrol, too. Then, talk about coincidence, one of my sons got his beads last year. He's an Eagle, too. Fun!! You ought to hear the three of us sing "Back to Gilwell!"

 

Got my third bead in 1978 (if I remember correctly). Have had the privilege of serving on a couple Wood Badge staffs. Things have changed considerably since 1975. :FlagAm:

 

Most importantly, though, a big CONGRATULATIONS to Hardpan. I heard someplace that while many people go through Wood Badge Training, only a small percentage ever "work their ticket" and get their beads. Again...congrats, Pard.

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Hardpan,

 

Congratulations from a Good Ol Whimsical Whistlin' Bob-WHITE!

 

Betty Clay (God rest her good Soul), Daughter of The Founder and Lady Olave B-P told us at the 1996 Gilwell Reunion, "Thanks for Keeping Dad's 'thing' going."

 

Thanks to YOU for keeping this Scouting Thing going. Now perhaps more than ever, you are needed as a role model and example not just for the youth but for the newer adult Scouters who will follow you from now on.

 

If you are at all interested in how to obtain original (smaller than BSA) beads and a (larger than BSA) necker and woggle, let me know and I will point you to the UK Scout Association and the Providore at Gilwell in Chingford.

 

Again, congratulations and thanks.

 

"I used to be a Bob-White, and a good ol Bob-White, too...."

 

Yours in Scouting,

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Thankee, Pards!

 

Dawg Ears, that scarf slide's called a "Woggle." It's cool, but I think it'd be a bit tight for my wild rag. Hmmm.... reckon I could make a bigger one, though - that was about the first thing we learned...

 

Slim, that's really cool! I hope to be "invited" to be a staffer... it is an invitation thing, but I'm hoping... :blink: I'd love to see my son get beaded someday, but it'll be a while - Sassparilla's only 19 and I suspect will be a tad busy the next few years. An Eagle, he's a part-time assistant scoutmaster for his old troop - when classes at the university don't conflict.

 

Jeremiah... that's a great story! Wow... it's heart-warming to know that B-P's children lived to see the organization continue to thrive and the effect it's had on so many young lives. I sit on our local Eagle boards and every time we "hatch a new Eagle" I leave with a restored faith in our youth and hope for our society. One of the gentlemen I serve with made a sobering observation about one young man - "I firmly believe that if not for Scouts, that boy would have been in prison long before he finished high school. And now he's an Eagle." The Colonel had tears in his eyes when he said that... That youngster was a "special needs" kid with a learning disability, and had something like 36 merit badges on his sash - every one of which had been far more challenging than for other boys.

 

Mr Sullivan, I'd very much be interested - Could you PM me that information~? :lol:

 

Thanks!

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Thankee, Pards!

 

Dawg Ears, that scarf slide's called a "Woggle." It's cool, but I think it'd be a bit tight for my wild rag. Hmmm.... reckon I could make a bigger one, though - that was about the first thing we learned...

 

Slim, that's really cool! I hope to be "invited" to be a staffer... it is an invitation thing, but I'm hoping... :unsure: I'd love to see my son get beaded someday, but it'll be a while - Sassparilla's only 19 and I suspect will be a tad busy the next few years. An Eagle, he's a part-time assistant scoutmaster for his old troop - when classes at the university don't conflict.

 

Jeremiah... that's a great story! Wow... it's heart-warming to know that B-P's children lived to see the organization continue to thrive and the effect it's had on so many young lives. I sit on our local Eagle boards and every time we "hatch a new Eagle" I leave with a restored faith in our youth and hope for our society. One of the gentlemen I serve with made a sobering observation about one young man - "I firmly believe that if not for Scouts, that boy would have been in prison long before he finished high school. And now he's an Eagle." The Colonel had tears in his eyes when he said that... That youngster was a "special needs" kid with a learning disability, and had something like 36 merit badges on his sash - every one of which had been far more challenging than for other boys.

 

Mr Sullivan, I'd very much be interested - Could you PM me that information~? :blink:

 

Thanks!

 

 

Hardpan,

 

Email sent via SASS with a link that I think works. My old link seems to have expired.

 

Thank you for taking the time and expending the effort to keep Scouting alive.

 

You make a dfference, whether you know it or not.

 

Many many years ago when my son was a Tiger he made fast friends with one young boy who was a little, well, active. They went all the way through Webelos and into a Troop together and are still friends. We moved to England shortly thereafter, but have kept in touch. When he made Eagle, he and other National Capitol Area Council new Eagles were invited to participate in the Presidential Inauguration Parade in Washington in January 2001. He seemed to remember me as he sent along the Mag Light he received, complete with the presidential seal. Several years later, this young scout and I earned separate masters degrees in the same year (He sent me an invite to his convocation). Now we are looking forward to him receiving his Ph. D. in about a year or so.

 

My point is, you never know how the boys will turn out and you seldom hear whether the program had any effect on them. In this case I was blessed. So was my now grown son who counts this fellow as his best friend, across the years and the miles.

 

Maybe that's what they mean by "be Prepared!"

 

Yours in Scouting and Brotherhood (it's the Cowboy way)

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