Gilwell Gazette Pre-course edition (Vol 1.1)

If you care to help me proofread, please see a draft of the Gilwell Gazette Vol. 1.1 (Pre-course edition)

Day-by-day Schedule

See the most recent day-by-day schedule below. Or download a PDF of the same.

Notes from April 22nd staff development

Blue and Gold Banquet theme is: 
"Justice League"
Any superhero is fine, actually, whether DC, Marvel, Star Wars, etc.

image credit: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7a/de/fa/7adefa7c93da504e173f04c9d5163896.jpg

At the next staff development (Saturday, May 22nd):

• We'll practice the Game Show
• Each Troop Guide will do one of the five (5) patrol presentations
• Review assignments for Days 3 through 6
• Bring medical forms (give them to Clark, please)
• Reports on other preparations

I have bios from Phil, David W, Kristie, Jeannie, Rich, Mike, Dick, Anette, I'll bring more blank forms on Saturday for those who haven't give me a bio yet. Or, better yet, download a copy and bring it with you. 

Saturday, April 22 Staff Development

MEETING LOCATION: Progressive Dairy/Publishing in Jerome. Please see map below and/or:  238 West Nez Perce Jerome, ID  83338

Hello everyone,

I'm really looking forward to Saturday. Our staff is coming together and we are going to have a marvelous course. Keep preparing and keep recruiting.

8:30 am to around 3:00 pm. 

Several reminders:

• Did you notice the location? NOT the scout office. NOT the scout office. ;-)
• If you are new to staff for this course (and therefore have not had your staff picture taken), please wear your BSA uniform including fawn neckerchief, leather woggle, and beads to the April 22nd staff development. I'll get the remaining staff photos then. 
• Please bring your totem, either a print copy or digital. 
• Our illustrious course director asks that staff be at Camp Bradley no later than Friday night, June 2nd. 
• What can you bring to dress up our Blue and Gold Banquet? Decorations and/or costumes. The theme, you recall, is: Cubanapolis. 
• Did you order your coat? Your stave? Did you pay your staff fee? 
• Did I mention that our staff development is NOT at the scout office this time? 

If you have questions, concerns, or problems, please don't hesitate to ask for help. 

Cordially,

Clark

Staff staffs (or staves, if you prefer) ;-)

From Jay:

"If you are in need of a walking stick / stave, please email me so that I can get them ordered.  Your walking stick will have your Critter and our Wood Badge Course number on it, Mike Sorenson out out Idaho Falls will make them for us at a cost of $10.00 each.  Trust me, this is a deal. PLEASE make sure I know you Critter name."

Not your actual walking stick.

Staff Jackets - some details to consider

Please review the following message from Jay, our ASM for Logistics. 

Clark, would you send this information out regarding the Staff Jacket.

Most of the staff ordered the 9100 Colorado last year. I own both jackets and they are great. 

There is a great difference on the cost. 8800 Mountaineer at $55.00 vs. 9100 Colorado at $130.00.  

Please contact Jay as soon as you can to order your jacket. A reminder, too, that you may borrow one for course if you don't wish to purchase one. 

Jay Gardner | ASM- Logistics

208-308-7313

gardner1408@yahoo.com

Why Wood Badge?

I suspect some of you feel like I did about Wood Badge going in. That is, I was skeptical at best and hostile at worst. I did not want to give over two full weekends (+) to the endeavor, and I was worried that I wouldn't fit in with the dyed-in-the-wool Scouters.

Happily, experiences changes perspective and, like this Scouter, I came to see the value of what I was doing.

After her first day of Wood Badge, Renee Estrella-Wells was tired and more than a little overwhelmed.

“It felt like not just one fire hose of information drowning you, but three,” she said. “I questioned who told me this was fun and if I should show them the definition of fun.”

Read her story.

Directory (as of March 24, 2017)

You may also download a PDF of the above. (Please see the "Download PDF" logo on the lower right of the next screen.)

Don't hesitate to send me corrections, updates, etc.

Troop Guide Presentation Files

The following are extracted from the 2017 syllabus.

• Listening to Learn
• Communication
• Aims and Methods of Scouting
• Roles and Responsibilities (Patrol Meeting)
• Managing Conflict

A bunch of reminders and dates

Hello fellow staffers,

Saturday's staff development was very productive for me. A big thank you to McKay, Phillip, and all the rest of you. Well done.

Several things to keep abreast of in the coming days and weeks:

• You will need a physical, including parts A, B, and C. 
• Please pay the $75 staff fee to the service center as soon as you can.
• Please purchase or borrow a staff coat. If purchasing, please give Jay Gardner your size and the appropriate payment. As I recall, I think Dave said the short coats are about $80 and the long coats are about $140. 
• We will not use campaign hats for this course. We'll use the baseball-style cap.
• Do you have a walking stick with your critter on it? 

The remaining staff development days are:

• April 8th for those needing EDGE training.
• April 22nd 
• We will meet at Progressive Dairy in Jerome for this staff development.
• 238 W Nez Perce, Jerome, ID 83338
• May 20th

We'll head to Camp Bradley around June 1st. 

For Troop Guides, I have attached the text from the syllabus of the 5 presentations you'll do for your patrols. I have also made them available online. 

If you are new to staff for this course (and therefore have not had your staff picture taken), please wear your BSA uniform including fawn neckerchief, leather woggle, and beads to the April 22nd staff development. I'll get the remaining staff photos then. 

Finally (I know this is a lot to digest), please prepare your staff bio in the next couple of weeks. Focus on your Scouting biography... that is, what have you done in Scouting and why? Make your biography useful for course participants. 

So... your biography for the first-day Gilwell Gazette might follow this patter:

Name | Current Scouting position | Past Scouting positions 

I participate in BSA because ____________

Scouting has done _____________ for me and my family. 

I accepted the invitation to help staff this course because _____________.

Something along those lines, but feel free to be much more creative and resourceful than my simple example. Please plan to send your staff bio to me no later than April 17th. 

I'm very happy to be working with you all. It's going to be a great course!

Keep recruiting.

Warmest regards,

Clark