Author: Carol Pilgrim

Wood Badge for the 21st Century Heart of Virginia Council Course S7-602-11-1

The Gilwell Gazette

No News is
Good News

Forecast: .

Day 3 Sunday March 13, 2011

The Wood Badge Ticket
One of the great traditions of Wood Badge is the ticket. In Baden-Powell’s day, those in the military were expected to pay their own way back to England at the end of their service. In order to economize, soldiers nearing completion of their duties would seek assignments at posts increasing close to home — a process known as “working your ticket.”

Attention All
Wood Badgers
An offering will be taken at the
religious services on
March 13 and April 11
for the benefit of the
World Friendship Fund.
Your generous contribution
is greatly appreciated.

PROGRAM PATROL: Beaver
SERVICE PATROL: Fox

DAY 3 SCHEDULE
7:00 AM Breakfast and Patrol Self-Assessment
8:00 AM Gilwell Field Assembly
8:30 AM Inter-Faith Worship Service (Troop Activity)
9:20 AM Break
9:30 AM. Troop Meeting
10:50 AM Break
11:00 AM Leading EDGE / Teaching EDGE
12:00 PM Lunch / PLC / Chaplain’s Aid Meeting
1:30 PM Conservation Project Planning
2:20 PM Break
2:30 PM ‘October Sky’ (Troop Activity)
4:30 PM Closing Gilwell Field Assembly
5:00 PM Patrol Meeting
6:00 PM Depart

Day 2 of S7-602-11-1 Focuses on Teamwork and Projects

March 12 may have been Saturday in other parts of the world but at Gilwell it was Team Day! The primary focus of day two at S7-602-11-1 was all about teams, teambuilding, and teamwork. These areas were highlighted repeatedly throughout the day in activities, presentations, and even games.
One such game was Zulu Toss. The object: keep six brightly colored balls in the air by tossing them between team members. Sounds easy enough but the execution proved otherwise. Patrols quickly learned they would need all of their members focused and involved if they were to have any chance as reaching their goal.
Next came the Front End Alignment game (aka: Candy Toss). This appeared to be a simple game but alas it contained a hidden purpose. During this game patrols learned about the impact different styles of leadership can have on a team.
The games were soon followed but presentations on Diversity and Inclusiveness, The Stages of Team Development, and Project Planning. Though covering different concepts, the lessons from all three of these presentation work together to help participants understand how to create, grow, and utilize a team to it’s fullest potential.
Now it was time to put some of this new-found knowledge to the test by building model water rockets as a team. This effort required each patrol to come up with a vision for their rocket, determine a plan for how it would be built, identify the strengths each patrol member brought to the group and how to best utilize those talents, and the ability to make this all happen within a limited time-frame.
Each patrol approached the task in a slightly different manner but in each case, the one that was best suited to their team. The clock ticked away and soon water rockets began to emerge from what had only shortly before been soda bottles and craft supplies. Shortly afterwards completed rockets began to appear on the staging table.
Now came the time for each patrol to face the judges and launch their creation into the wild blue yonder. One after another, the patrols brought forth their rockets, added the “fuel”, placed their rocket on the launch pad and pulled the launch cord to send it skyward. Every patrol’s rocket flew though some in unexpected ways. Afterward, just as any high performing team would do, each patrol gathered together for debriefing period to determine how their “project” had turned out.
The sun began to sink towards the horizon but the 2nd day of S7-602-11-1 was just hitting it’s stride. With their team building knowledge now firmly instilled it was time to head on to other Wood Badge adventures. And in that, S7-602-11-1 will certainly not disappoint.

Photo Orders
Proofs of the individual. patrol, and troop photos will be on patrol tables first thing Sunday morning, along with order forms. Turn in orders at the table next to the Techno-Scribe table in the back of Gilwell Hall at breakfast, breaks, or lunch. Checks may be written to Bennie Goode. Photos wil be delivered the second weekend of the course. If you are not prepared to pay this weekend, Bennie is willing to take your order—just remember to bring payment the second weekend.

Ticket Key Concepts
Your ticket will include five significant goals.
The goals will be written in support of your current Scouting responsibilities and should be designed to provide maximum positive impact for youth membership.
At least one of the five goals will incorporate some aspect of diversity.
If you wish, one goal of the five goals may involve developing and applying a self-assessment tool to measure your progress and effectiveness in relation to the other goals on your ticket.
The goals written should follow the SMART principles.
For each goal, you will indicate: who, what, where, when, how measured, why, and how verified.
Your Troop Guide will help you to prepare your ticket and will approve it when it is completed.
You will have a ticket counselor assigned to you.
The five goals of the ticket must be completed within 18 months.
When you and your counselor have agreed that you have fulfilled all the items on your ticket, you will receive your Wood Badge certificate, beads, neckerchief, and woggle.

A Wood Badge Ticket Is:
A Commitment.
A vision of personal improvement.
A vision of how the Scouter will lead.
A series of goals.
S pecific
M easurable
A ttainable
R elevant
T ime-based
Your Ticket should be Guided by:
Your Personal Values.
Your Personal Vision.
Your Personal Mission.

On Forgiveness
by Al Best

The Game of Life is truly fascinating. In the game, people may behave in much the same way that people do in real life. Some are honest. Some cheat. Some start out the right way but change, or are changed by others. Some carry a grudge. Some plot and plan to get even. Tempers are aroused and feelings hurt when people are betrayed. All of us carry these potentials around with us, and all of us are sometimes guilty of acting on them. We’re not perfect.
When I was a Scout, my Scout Handbook said: “A Scout’s honor is to be trusted, If he were to violate his honor by telling a lie, or by cheating, or by not doing exactly a given task, when trusted on his honor to do so, he may be directed to hand over his scout badge.” One failure and I could loose my Scout badge! Baden-Powell said “nothing on earth is an excuse for unfaithfulness.” Trust remains an important cornerstone of relationships, and not only in Scouting.
However, we are none of us perfect. As a Scout leader I certainly make my share of mistakes. As a Scout my list of failings was even longer. How do we reconcile our high standards with our human failings?
Our spiritual traditions call us to show mercy, to act with grace, and to forgive. For me, I strive to take at face value the pledge by my fellow Scouters and Scouts to “On my honor, I’ll do my best …” In my personal life I try to act on the belief that everyone is doing their best.
My advice is, start there: everyone is doing their best. In my experience, here is what you’ll find. You won't carry the poison of anger in your heart as you hold a grudge within you. You’ll realize that this calls you to not even ask whether someone “deserves” forgiveness; we all do. You’ll purge the sickly virus of seeking power thru scheming, self-promotion, and fear; instead you’ll find the inexhaustible mutual impetus to serve.
All grievances are fundamentally an argument with divine creation. If you believe that there is a power that made things the way they are, then when you are mad at anything, you are mad at God. Carry this millstone as long as you must. Pile on all your petty, middling, and major complaints. As you rail on against the way things are, I suggest that you consider that there is an alternative to thinking that God is wrong. That choice is to believe that you have been called to be open to the opportunities in front of you, to continue to learn, to contribute. Again, this guides you to growth and to service.
The youth we serve need to see examples of forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Many of them need to be taught this path (I did!). We can accelerate this by also practicing gratefulness. When you become grateful for all things, then you’ll no longer need to take pride in your wounds as a defense. When defeats, downturns and misfortunes are forgiven then they only add to your alertness, strength, and responsibility.
And we will see setbacks. We will encounter the seriously misguided, or tragically deluded, and even painfully evil. Here is where your alertness, strength, and responsibility will be put to good use. Paul Petzolt (the founder of NOLS) said: “A leader is someone who walks toward trouble.” Forgiveness is this curious paradox of accepting everything just as it is, while working tirelessly for a complete upheaval of cynicism. I’ve found that forgiveness gives permission to change (even oneself).
A quote I like (especially the last line):
“The young need old men. They need men who are not ashamed of age, not pathetic imitation of themselves. … Parents are the bones on which children sharpen their teeth.”
Peter Ustinov

Back To Gilwell—Part II
S7-602-11-1 continues April 9, 2011
Drive safely!
Day 3.5 Gilwell Gazette
Patrols will receive an interim Gazette electronically about half-way through the break between the two weekends. Please submit an article (up to one full page) with a patrol progress update no later than March 26. Please e-mail it to the Troop Scribe at: pilgrim1410@verizon.net
Day 4 Gilwell Gazette
Patrols should submit articles or photos for the Day 4 Gilwell Gazette by e-mail to the Troop Scribe at pilgrim1410@verizon.net no later than April 1. No fooling.

Staff Spirit Award
**** was awarded the coveted Staff Spirit Award. This honor is given to the first-time staff member who best exemplifies the Wood Badge Spirit of cheerful attitude and service to others

Thanks For The Fabulous Food,
Grubmasters!
Left to Right:
Ed Beach, Charlie Fleet etc based on actual photo