Wood Badge
The most advanced leadership course Scouting America offers to its adult volunteers.
What is Wood Badge?
Wood Badge is advanced leadership training for adults in Scouting. You don’t need years of experience to take it;you just need to be a registered adult volunteer who has finished the basic training for your role.
Scouting’s founder,Robert Baden-Powell,started training adult leaders with a series of lectures. The first Wood Badge course followed in 1919 near London,and the course has kept evolving ever since.
What you’ll walk away with
Up-to-date leadership skills and how they fit Scouting’s values. A clear picture of how all of Scouting’s programs connect,from Cub Scouts to Venturing. And,for most people,a renewed sense of why they volunteer.
“One of the purposes of Wood Badge training is to get Scouters to think about the practice of Scouting,to meet together,to exchange experiences,and to live together in the spirit of the Scout Oath.”Robert Baden-Powell,1919
Words you’ll hear
Scouting has its own vocabulary. Here’s what the terms on this page mean.
- Scouter
- Any adult volunteer or staff member in Scouting.
- Unit
- A local group of youth:a Cub Scout pack,Scouts BSA troop,Venturing crew,or Sea Scout ship.
- District and council
- Larger organizing levels. Narragansett Council covers Rhode Island and nearby parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
- Position-specific training
- The basic course for your particular volunteer job,such as Cubmaster or Scoutmaster. Most is online.
- IOLS
- Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills,a hands-on camping skills course required for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters.
- Health and Medical Record
- The standard Scouting health form. Wood Badge requires Parts A,B,and C,which includes a doctor’s exam.
- Working your ticket
- Your personal set of leadership goals,completed in your Scouting role after the camp weekends.
- The beads
- Two wooden beads on a leather cord,awarded when you finish your ticket. They’re the symbol of Wood Badge.
Your path to Wood Badge
The course has two phases:a practical phase at camp,then an application phase back home. Here’s the whole journey from start to finish.
Register as an adult volunteer
Be a registered adult member of Scouting America. There’s no minimum time requirement.
Finish the basic training for your role
Complete your position-specific training. Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters also need IOLS.
Get your health form completed
Turn in Parts A,B,and C of the Annual Health and Medical Record. No exceptions.
Attend the camp weekends Phase 1
Five days over two weekends. Weekend one runs Friday through Sunday;weekend two runs Saturday and Sunday. Much of it is outdoors,with overnight camping.
Work your ticket Phase 2
Back home,you put your new skills to work by completing the leadership goals you wrote during the course.
Receive your beads
Once your ticket is complete,you’re recognized as a Wood Badge graduate.
Who should take it?
Wood Badge is for adult leaders in every Scouting program:Cub Scouts,Scouts BSA,Venturing,and Sea Scouts. It’s built for unit leaders,and it’s just as valuable for district and council volunteers and professional staff.
The leadership ideas apply to any position,so everyone shares a common foundation no matter which program they serve.
Before you sign up,check that you have
- A current adult registration with Scouting America
- Completed basic training for your Scouting role (plus IOLS for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters)
- A Health and Medical Record with Parts A,B,and C
- Comfort with sleeping outdoors overnight
Have a medical or accessibility need? Let us know when you register and we’ll work with you to accommodate it.
What the course covers
The course is organized around five themes:
- Living the Values
- Growing
- Connecting
- Guiding
- Empowering
Watch the short video to get a feel for what the experience is like.
Why take Wood Badge?
Stronger units
Help your pack,troop,or crew,and your own kids’groups,run better.
The what and why
Understand what Scouting is and why it works the way it does.
Lasting skills
Learn things that stick with you in Scouting and the rest of your life.
New friends
Have fun and build a network of fellow leaders you can call on.
Beyond Scouting
Bring stronger leadership to work,your place of worship,and your family.
Common questions from new leaders
I just joined. Am I too new for Wood Badge?
No. There’s no minimum time in Scouting. You only need to be registered and have finished the basic training for your role.
Do I need to be good at camping?
You should be comfortable spending nights outdoors,since much of the course happens outside. You don’t need to be an expert,and the staff can help with accommodations.
What will I need to bring?
Download the equipment list (PDF)for everything you’ll need at camp.
How do I ask my employer for time off?
We have an information sheet for employers (PDF)that explains the course and its value.
Is financial help available?
Yes. See the Wood Badge scholarships (PDF)to learn what’s offered and how to apply.
What happens after the camp weekends?
You work on your ticket in your Scouting role. Read Wood Badge:after the Course (PDF)for details.
Next Narragansett Council course
Tap the flyer to view it full size.
Throughout Wood Badge,you’ll build leadership skills,make new friends,grow a network of resources,and challenge yourself in new ways.
Find it on the council calendar