Historical Haywood
Scouting America Wood Badge Leadership Training
It is generally acknowledged that participation in Scouting is beneficial to the education and development of youth. A Scout at any level benefits from the deep experience and maturity of their leaders. So, to provide consistent leadership programming and curriculum throughout the organization, Scouting America offers the Wood Badge leadership training program.
Wood Badge is Scouting America’s ultimate leadership training teaching contemporary leadership and team development skills in an outdoor setting. Designed to meet the advanced leadership needs of Scouters in all aspects of Scouting, whether unit, district, or council level – from assistant den leaders to Scoutmasters, from Cubmasters to Venturing Advisors, from Committee members to Commissioners. It is a fun, energetic, and inspiring course guaranteed to infuse your unit with fun and meaning – all designed to fulfill the mission of Scouting America, and ensure our youth are getting everything they are promised from the program.
Reflecting the best of nearly a century of Scouting experience, Wood Badge draws upon the most current leadership models used by corporate America, academic circles, and successful organizations throughout the country. Participants can expect to develop skills in many areas, including leadership theory, team building, problem solving, communication, project planning and more. These skills can be taken back to packs, troops, crews, and ships to help leaders guide youth in dynamic Scouting programs. Scouters will find these skills invaluable in their business and personal lives as well.
Wood Badge was introduced to the United States by Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts Association and the first Chief Scout. The first course was held in 1936 at the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation, the Boy Scouts of America national training center until 1979. Despite this early first course, Wood Badge was not formally adopted in the United States until 1948 under the guidance of Bill Hillcourt who became the first national Deputy Camp Chief of Gilwell in the BSA, also called the Deputy Camp Chief for the United States. Wood Badge courses are held throughout the country at local council camps, others are held at the National High Adventure Bases
Wood Badge consists of three parts:
Part 1: Pre-course Modules have been developed to orient participants to some of the key elements of a Wood Badge course ahead of time and to ease the Day One schedule. It is mandatory that participants complete this training before they arrive for their Wood
Badge course. Participants may take these modules individually online at training.scouting.org/home.
Part 2: The first five full days is the initial group training, held over two weekends – the first weekend Friday(7AM) through Sunday (5PM), and the second weekend Saturday (7AM) through Sunday (5PM).
Part 3: This part requires participants to apply the skills they have learned by completing a 5-part plan (called a “ticket”) over the following 18 months, leading towards the individual participant’s vision of a better Scouting future.
ELIGIBILITY & BENEFITS
Wood Badge is open to ALL adult leaders who have completed the basic training requirements for their position. Scouters from Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, Explorers, Committee chairs/members and district and council Scouters will benefit equally from attendance. In general, the basic training requirement is met when a leader takes the Position-Specific Training for their position. In addition, Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters require Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills For further information, please get in touch with your District Training Team.
You should attend Wood Badge as soon as possible after completing your basic training. The sooner you attend Wood Badge, the sooner you can begin applying leadership skills and techniques in your unit, district, or council. Wood Badge helps new leaders build a framework for their future growth in Scouting. Leaders who take advanced training early in their Scouting careers are better prepared to serve the youth in their units. The requirements to be eligible to attend Wood Badge are: 1. Be a registered member of Scouting America (age 18 or older) and have current Youth Protection Training, 2. Have completed the basic position-specific training courses for their Scouting role, and 3. Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment. Bring a valid, current Annual Health and Medical Record. Parts A, B, and C are required which includes a physical.
Two reasons that you will benefit from attending Wood Badge are: The first is that everyone can learn new skills and improve upon existing ones. Wood Badge offers the latest training on contemporary leadership and team development models. The second reason is that experienced leaders help enrich the Wood Badge experience for newer leaders by sharing their expertise and passion for the program. Although taught in a Scouting framework, the skills taught in Wood Badge can be applied universally. Participants have found their Wood Badge training to help them at work, at home, and other non-Scouting volunteer activities.
FEEDBACK FROM ALUMNI OF WOOD BADGE
“I learned a great deal about myself . . .” “I feel the program has given me the tools to make positive changes at my Pack.” “The leadership information presented . . . was priceless.” “I learned how important my role is and how much influence I have on the youth and their fami-lies.” • “It challenged me to give my best to the Scouting program.” “I am reminded of the im-portance of group dynamics in the attempt to work as a team. “
PROGRAM DETAILS
The practical portion of Wood Badge requires five full days of instruction consisting of three full days on one weekend and two full days on another. The weekend course also requires one or two Patrol meetings between the weekend sessions. Attendance at both weekends is required. Participants and staff spend nights in tents during each of the two weekends. The second week-end is Patrol-style camping, for which you will need to provide an individual tent. Even though Wood Badge is taught in an outdoor setting and some camping is a part of the program, the need for extensive outdoor skills has been minimized. There will be experienced campers on staff and among the participants, which creates an excellent learning environment for leaders unfamiliar with Scout camping. If possible, leaders are encouraged to attend an outdoor skills program (Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills or BALOO) before attending Wood Badge.
Wood Badge focuses on contemporary leadership skills and issues and integrates Scouting’s value-based philosophy. A variety of learning opportunities, including lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, and hands-on exercises, offer participants insight into contemporary leader-ship theory while providing them with specific skills that will enable them to put what they learn to use immediately in their Units. Many participants have found they can effectively apply what they’ve learned in their personal and professional lives. And while learning is the focus of Wood Badge, fun is an essential component! The “Ticket” is one of the great traditions of Wood Badge and is key to applying what you have learned on the course. It is a set of five goals related to your primary scouting role which will help strengthen the scouting program at the unit, district, and council level. You use the leadership skills learned in the practical (outdoor) phase of the course to complete your goals and have 18 months in which to do so.
PROGRAM DETAILS
The practical portion of Wood Badge requires five full days of instruction consisting of three full days on one weekend and two full days on another. The weekend course also requires one or two Patrol meetings between the weekend sessions. Attendance at both weekends is required. Participants and staff spend nights in tents during each of the two weekends. The second week-end is Patrol-style camping, for which you will need to provide an individual tent. Even though Wood Badge is taught in an outdoor setting and some camping is a part of the program, the need for extensive outdoor skills has been minimized. There will be experienced campers on staff and among the participants, which creates an excellent learning environment for leaders unfamiliar with Scout camping. If possible, leaders are encouraged to attend an outdoor skills program (Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills or BALOO) before attending Wood Badge.
Wood Badge focuses on contemporary leadership skills and issues and integrates Scouting’s value-based philosophy. A variety of learning opportunities, including lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, and hands-on exercises, offer participants insight into contemporary leader-ship theory while providing them with specific skills that will enable them to put what they learn to use immediately in their Units. Many participants have found they can effectively apply what they’ve learned in their personal and professional lives. And while learning is the focus of Wood Badge, fun is an essential component! The “Ticket” is one of the great traditions of Wood Badge and is key to applying what you have learned on the course. It is a set of five goals related to your primary scouting role which will help strengthen the scouting program at the unit, district, and council level. You use the leadership skills learned in the practical (outdoor) phase of the course to complete your goals and have 18 months in which to do so.
REGISTRATION, COSTS & PREPARATION
For 2026, the primary Wood Badge training area is at Camp Daniel Boone, 3647 Little East Fork Road, Canton, North Carolina 28716. The dates for course are Friday April 17- Sunday April 19, 2026 and Saturday, May 2- Sunday, May 3, 2026. The first day of each weekend begins promptly at 7:00AM and ends at 5:00PM on Sunday.
The course fee is $250.00 ($300.00 after Nov 1, 2026). For that fee, participants receive all in-structional material, food for the first and second weekend, and a course T-shirt. Photos and other course memorabilia are available for purchase on a strictly optional basis. You’ll need to make a $50.00 deposit with your acceptance of an invitation to attend the course and be paid in full no later than 30 days before the course begins. Many Scout units as well as employers and local organizations may be able to assist or fully pay for the training. You may want to let your company know what you are doing as the skills you will learn will serve you in scouting and in life. Wood Badge has had participants whose company helped pay for the course because the skills you will learn, if taken in “corporate” environment, would cost hundreds or thousands of dollars more.
Uniforms are one of the Scouting Methods. All participants will wear a complete field uniform (Class A) which consists of scout pants, shirt, socks, and belt (participant’s usual uniform worn as a volunteer). There will be times during the course when you will wear an activity uniform that consists of the course T-shirt and uniform pants or shorts.
If you have further questions or wish to clarify information, you may reach the Course Director David Kayne at dbcwoodbadge2026@gmail.com or 828-230-5552
Once you have completed this training, you may want to join the American Wood Badge Alumni association at scoutinga-lumni.org/american-wood-badge-alumni/. If you are part of the Wood Badge family or want to learn more about the experience, this group is a great place to connect and stay involved.
Submitted by Mike McLean, with content supplied from Scouting America, the Daniel Boone Council and Camp Daniel Boone