History of Wood Badge

In 1911, 4 years after Scouting began in Great Britain, General Baden-Powell began training Scouters through a series of lectures. In 1919, Mr. W. de Bois Maclaren purchased an estate in Epping Forest, near London, called Gilwell Park and presented it to the Scouting movement. On the morning of September 8, 1919, the 61 year-old retired general of the British Army stepped out into the center of a clearing at Gilwell Park. He raised to his lips the horn of a Greater Kudu, one of the largest of African antelopes. He blew a long sharp blast. Nineteen men dressed in short pants and knee socks, their shirt-sleeves rolled up, assembled by patrols for the first Scoutmasters' training camp held at Gilwell. The camp was designed and guided by Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the World Scouting Movement.

When they had finished their training together on September 19, 1919, Baden-Powell gave each man a simple wooden bead from a necklace he had found in a deserted hut of Zulu chieftain Dinizulu when on campaign in South Africa in 1888. The Scoutmasters' training course was a great success and continues to be held year-after-year. At the end of each course the wooden beads are used to recognize the completion of training. When the original beads ran out, new ones were whittled to maintain the tradition established by Lord Baden-Powell. Because of these beads, the course came to be known as the Wood Badge Course. It continues to this day in England and around the world as the advanced training course for leaders in Scouting.

In 1936, an experimental Wood Badge Course was conducted in the United States at the Schiff Scout Reservation. Then in 1948, the first American Wood Badge Course was introduced in the United States as advanced training for trainers of Boy Scout leaders. Later, the program was extended to include troop committee members, commissioners, and Explorer leaders.

Experiments began in the late 1960's with a leadership development Wood Badge course emphasizing 11 leadership skills or "competencies." This program was launched in 1972 in support of a major revision of the Boy Scout program. The first experimental Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge was field tested in 1976 and was established as the official advanced training program in Cub Scouting. In 1978, an evaluation of Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge revealed a need for greater emphasis on the practical aspects of good troop operation, mixed with a variety of leadership exercises. The course content was revised in 1994 and incorporated key elements of Ethics in Action which was introduced into Boy Scout training and literature over the last several years.

In 2000, the Boy Scouts of America once again examined the content and goals of Wood Badge. Separate Wood Badge courses for Cub Scout and Boy Scout Leaders ended and Wood Badge for the 21st Century was created with an emphasis on leadership skills and the latest in training techniques. The course benefits Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Venturing, district and council leaders with all levels attending together demonstrating that scouting is a family of interrelated, values-based programs that provide age-appropriate activities for youth. Course content for Wood Badge for the 21st Century includes Living the Values, Bringing the Vision to Life, Models for Success, Tools of the Trade, and Leading to Make a Difference.