Wood Badge Staff Development #1

I went to my first Staff Development on Saturday for Wood Badge 101 in my Council.  As I looked around the room after everyone arrived, I noticed I was the youngest (at 35) and also the one with the least amount of Scouting experience (about 4 years).  I was also the only Varsity guy there (no surprise).  I felt out of my league.  Everyone was older and much wiser.  Everyone seemed to know what they were doing or at least could put on the face that they knew what they were doing.  I decided to show my "deer in the headlights" look most of the day.  They handed down assignment after assignment, a huge manual to read and study (only 526 pages!!), patrol presentations to memorize and then our Troop Guide project which I am told Wood Badge has changed the way this works in the last year.  Instead of just a presentation on Cubs, Scouts, Varsity and Venturing, we are to present a current problem that spans Cubs, Scouts, Varsity and Venturing and then discuss ideas on solving this problem.  Needless to say I am overwhelmed.

One of my fellow Troop Guides is one of those guys that knows it all, has an answer for everything (I think I sat in a focus group at the Council level and he took over the conversation at times) and is always right so I am going to tell I am going to have to work on being more Scout-like with him.  On the other hand, we have a guy that hasn't even been beaded yet and seems like the nicest guy out there (he is done with tickets but needs to write up his last one).  I will say that the Zulu Ball Game sort of broke the ice for me and made me feel like I fit in for a moment.  I have not opened my can of Scout Spirit yet so once I know my stuff, that is bound to happen.

I really know how to tie a woggle now.  I have tied about 30 of them in the past 2 days so I know my stuff.  I was even able to tie one left handed for any patrol members that might be left handed. 

They taught something on Saturday that a guy in the Council sort of trademarked.  That is the phrase "Semper Gumby".  Always flexible.  I am trying.  I am trying to roll with the punches but just like going to Wood Badge as a participant was the hardest thing I had done Scout-wise in my life, being a staff member is also going to push me.  I hope I do a good job!