It's a Great Big Beautiful World! Let's Discover it Together

Monday, August 20, 2012

Lack of Sleep

I'm running on just about 5 hours sleep in the past 3 days.  And no it's not for want of sleep, but rather for there really aren't enough hours in the day! Why is that you wonder?  I'll tell you...  Wood Badge.  I am on staff for a Wood Badge training course, and we have just been going pretty much non-stop since I first arrived here in camp on Friday.  

I went through the Wood Badge course myself as a participant back in 2010, and this year I'm back and on staff as a Troop Guide.  Wood Badge is a leadership training course for adults within the Boy Scouts.  It is the highest level of adult training there is, and has been emulated by many organizations including the U.S. military.  It was an honor and a privilege to serve on this staff with 19 other very esteemed and qualified individuals.  Some who have been on staff of other courses, and others who, like me, this is their first time on staff.  

The energy level is high, both from staff and participants.  There are 49 participants, all eager to complete this the first weekend of the course, and to return back to Gilwell in 4 more weeks when we'll gather again for weekend 2.  Back to where?!?  Back to Gilwell.  Gilwell is in reference to the location of the original Wood Badge training course in 1919 when Lord Robert Baden-Powell first set out to instruct adults on how to be better leaders.  It was held at Gilwell Park near London, England, and since then, is the "tie that binds" all courses together.  Every course held around the world symbolically takes place  at "Gilwell" in honor of BP's vision for what the course is and should be.  

Since that very first course, more than one million participants have gone through the course, but only about 10% worldwide have actually completed it.  Doesn't sound like a very good percentage I know, but given what the course requires of each individual participant, in both time and commitment, it is actually a very good percentage.  Each participant must complete both halves of the two-weekend practical the course - followed by the completion of a "ticket", which is a set of 5 S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based), that must be completed within 18 months from the end of the 2nd weekend.  Similar to a youth in the Scouting program going for the rank of Eagle, who must complete it before his 18th birthday.  Many attempt it, few achieve it.  

The weekend, for me, began Friday morning, and it's been pretty much non-stop since I arrived in camp.  The participants are excited to be here, and I've been excited to be working with the 5 men and 1 woman in the patrol that I am guiding and mentoring through the course.  I'm tired - exhausted in all honesty - but so happy to be on this staff.  When I was young I never even considered being a teacher as a profession but in the 1990's I enjoyed being a corporate trainer back when I worked for a large international company, but never really enjoyed the large classroom-setting sessions that I taught.  But this course, and each of the other classes that I have taught within Scouts, has really been a terrific experience.  I certainly have a large respect for those men and women who dedicate their lives to educating.  Even in this short weekend, I have a much better appreciation for those who teach whose working day doesn't end just because the bell rings, but rather just continues as there are papers to read or grade, lessons to plan, and on and on and on.  For us it is similar, except there aren't papers to grade... the participants are released to their free time, and we keep going well into the night.  Tiring yes, but oh so worth it.  





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