About Wood Badge Adult Leader Training

Scouting's Premier Adult Training Program

Wood Badge is a fun, challenging, and inspirational Scouting experience for all volunteers looking to improve their leadership skills.

What is Wood Badge?

Wood Badge is a lot of things. It is a premier training course for all registered Scout leaders. Yes, all. Cub Scout leaders, Scouts BSA leaders, Venturing leaders, and Sea Scouting leaders. It teaches Scouters the skills and methods of Scouting while being the embodiment of the Scouting spirit. Wood Badge uses the uniqueness of Scouting, the patrol method to deliver a practical course built around the operation of a troop and it’s patrols. Careful planning and strict attention to detail support this program to engage leaders to learn while having fun playing Scouting related games. This design helps to create “a mountaintop experience” for Wood Badge participants.

Wood Badge is composed of 3 parts; a theoretical part, learning about the aims and methods of Scouting; a practical part, the out-doors experience; the ticket, 5 goals that are self-created to help strengthen your role as a Scouting leader. Parts 1 and 2 are carried out simultaneously together over the two course weekends followed by the application of the ticket. Upon completion of the ticket, participants are presented a certificate, a neckerchief, leather woggle, and their Wood Badge Beads.

In addition to the new skills a Scouter receives while attending Wood Badge, there is great fellowship that takes place while also learning about the Wood Badge traditions that have been shared world-wide since 1919.

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. ~Lord Robert Baden Powell (1919)

The next Wood Badge course will be held at Stearns Scout Camp  September 8-10 & October 7-8, 2023.

Register for Fall Wood Badge

Who may attend?

All registered adult Scouters from Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts over age 18, who meet the following eligibility requirements may attend Wood Badge:

• Have completed the basic training courses for their Scouting position.
• Have completed the outdoor skills training programs appropriate for their Scouting positions.
• Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment. A BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (Parts A, B, C) is required.
• Attend all sessions. There are no make-up opportunities. If an attendee has to miss any of the sessions they will be dropped from the course and asked to return to attend the entire program.

Financial Assistance

If finances are an obstacle for a volunteer considering Wood Badge, there are a number of sources for financial support. Please review the Wood Badge Financial Aid Application for information about these resources.

Financial Assistance Form

Employer Sponsorship for Wood Badge

Employers may be willing to financially support their employee's attendance at Wood Badge, as a workplace will also benefit from the leadership skills learned. Please share the Wood Badge Employer Letter with your employer to learn whether they might financially sponsor your Wood Badge attendance.

Employer Letter

Serve on Staff

Individuals can show their interest in serving as a Wood Badge staff member by submitting the Wood Badge Staff Interest Form, which can be found in the Forms section of this page.

Staff Interest Form

Become a Course Director

Looking for the next step after serving on Wood Badge Staff? Read more about serving as the Wood Badge Course Director below.

Learn More About Being a Course Director

Help the Committee

If you attended Wood Badge and earned your beads and would like to help with Wood Badge Committee events such as the Wood Badge Breakfast, please email the Wood Badge Coordinator and let us know.