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Wood Badge

What is Wood Badge?

Simply stated, Wood Badge is advanced leadership training for adult scout leaders.

Baden-Powell took the first steps in training Scouting’s adult leaders by organizing a series of lectures. The first Wood Badge training was held in 1919 at Gilwell Park, near London. Since then, Wood Badge has continued to evolve to meet Scouting’s needs. Wood Badge focuses on preparing adult leaders to deliver the mission of Scouting.

  • Learn contemporary leadership concepts and discover how these apply to our value-based program
  • Understand Scouting as a family of interrelated programs providing age appropriate activities for youth
  • Revitalize your commitment to Scouting, sharing in an inspirational experience

By attending Wood Badge, the participants will internalize the five themes of Wood Badge:  Living the Values, Growing, Connecting, Guiding, Empowering.

Wood Badge is presented in two phases. The first part of the program is the practical phase. This consists of five days over two weekends at camp (all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday of the first weekend, and all day Saturday and Sunday of the second weekend) . The second part of the program, the application phase, occurs after the completion of the two weekends and consists of applying the skills you learn at Wood Badge to your position in Scouting. This phase is also referred to as “working your ticket.”

Wood Badge FAQs

What Others Are Saying

“The staff is very upbeat and is united in purpose. Not very often in the real world do you have so many individuals in one place who really want to help others without secondary gain. This was refreshing.”
“Compelling, creative program and excellent delivery”
“I had no idea how much of the stuff I needed to learn to run my troop in a fun and better way was included in this course. It was exactly what I needed as a Scoutmaster, and I wish I had this knowledge two years ago.” 

FAQ

The ultimate purpose of Wood Badge is to help adult leaders deliver the highest quality Scouting program to young people to help them to achieve their highest potential. It models the best techniques for developing teamwork among both young people and adults. In doing this, Wood Badge also supports Scouters who are active on adult committees, including District and Council committees. Nationally famous training professionals and volunteers updated the Wood Badge syllabus during 2000, and again in 2017, to provide the best methods to adult Scouters to model and teach leadership skills to others. The effectiveness of Wood Badge as a leadership development experience has been applauded by industry training professionals.

No. All adult leaders who meet the qualifications (see below) are eligible to attend Wood Badge. We wish that we could personally meet and encourage every Scouter in our Council to take Wood Badge. Since this is unlikely, we are trying to reach out in as many ways as possible to introduce Wood Badge. You will find additional information on our Council website under the heading of Program > Training.

Wood Badge is conducted over two full weekends. The first weekend begins at 7:00 AM on Friday morning; the second weekend begins at 7:00 AM on Saturday morning; both weekends finish around 5:00 PM on Sunday. Attendance at both weekends is required. Attendance for all five days is required.

In addition, your working group (Patrol) will plan one or two meetings between the two weekend sessions, scheduled at your Patrol’s convenience and choice of location. The Wood Badge curriculum has been developed in a series of building blocks with each session relating to another or building and expanding on a previous topic. Our days and nights are very full of presentations and activities, and it is extremely important that participants be available to participate for all five days. There really is no way to make this experience up separately.

Consequently, we ask that cell phone calls or other business or personal matters be strictly limited to periodic break times in the course schedule. There will not be time for a participant to leave the camp during the five days. Please contact the Course Director if you have any questions on this issue.

Aloha Council holds one Wood Badge course each year. Please review this page for the current course dates and location or the Wood Badge Registration page at https://www.scoutingevent.com/104-woodbadge2026.

The first weekend in 2026 is August 21-23; the second weekend is August 29-30. The first weekend begins 7:00 AM on Friday morning; the second weekend session begins at 7:00 AM on Saturday morning; both weekends end around 5:00 PM on Sunday. Both weekends are held at Camp Pupukea. Participation and attendance at both weekends, a total of five full days, is required for the successful completion of the Wood Badge course.

For the Staff to be prepared for the appropriate number of participants, registrations should be completed on-line: https://www.scoutingevent.com/104-woodbadge2026

  • Registration opens on March 15, 2026. From March 15 to April 15, the early bird course fee is $400.
  • From April 16 to June 15, the regular course fee is $450.
  • From June 16 to July 15, the late course fee is $475.
  • Airfare/ground transportation is not included in the course fees.
  • Financial assistance is available. Please see registration link above for more information about financial assistance.

Wood Badge will teach you about leadership techniques in a “living”, hands-on environment, and you will be able to apply all you learn to any Scouting role that you currently have or may have in the future. It will also be very useful in your personal and business life. Since these skills can be practiced in a variety of situations, Wood Badge is beneficial for all adults involved in Scouting, including Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Exploring, Commissioner Service, as well as on District and Council committees.

You will develop a “Ticket”, which is a written agreement outlining how you will apply your newly learned skills as you continue your involvement in Scouting. Development of your Ticket is an exercise in goal setting and includes creating a personal vision and mission statement and outlining your individual steps to personal success. You will work with a member of the Wood Badge course staff who will assist you in the development of your Ticket and will be available to you as you work through and complete your Ticket goals.

After participating in all five days of both weekends, you will have completed the “practical” phase of Wood Badge training. During these two weekends, and the time between them, you will create your own set of personal goals – your Wood Badge Ticket – as mentioned above. You’ve probably seen other Scouters wearing their Wood Badge beads. When you successfully complete your Ticket (the application phase of Wood Badge), members of your Wood Badge staff will present you with your Wood Badge beads, tan neckerchief with the MacLaren tartan “patch”, a leather woggle (neckerchief slide) and a Wood Badge completion certificate. These are worldwide symbols that a Scouter has completed Wood Badge training.

Absolutely! At Wood Badge, fun and learning go hand-in hand!

Wood Badge for adult Scouters at ALL levels and programs: Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouting and Exploring, as well as District and Council members. Here are the qualifications:

  • Be a registered adult member of the Boy Scouts of America, at least 18 years of age.

  • Complete youth protection training and basic training courses for your primary Scouting position.

  • Complete the outdoor skills training program appropriate to your Scouting position.

  • Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment.

  • Have your physician authorize your BSA Annual Health and Medical Record (complete parts A, B and C).

For weekend 1, the majority of our activities will be located in the central part of the Camp, including the Dining Hall/Lodge and several of the campsites in the same area. We will have some activities that will occur farther away. For the second weekend, we will have activities in the lower part of the camp.

If you have any concerns about your ability to get around camp (bad knee, bad back, bad ankle – you get the point), please let us know. We will do everything within our power to make camp fully accessible to you. If you have any other health concerns (CPAP, special dietary concerns, etc), please let us know. Again, we will try our very best to accommodate you.

You will enjoy delicious meals prepared for you by the Wood Badge staff on the first weekend and served in the Camp Dining Hall/Lodge. The second weekend, your Patrol will prepare some meals in your campsite and return the favor by hosting Wood Badge staff members at mealtimes. If you have any dietary restrictions for religious, medical, or health reasons, please advise the Wood Badge Course Director or Staff Advisor before the first weekend and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

You are expected to wear a full Scouting uniform including shirt, trousers or shorts, socks and belt during most of the course. You should arrive in full uniform on our first Friday morning as you will have little time to change into it after you arrive. There will be some opportunities to change into an Activity uniform during the course. Please be mindful to bring only Scouting appropriate activity clothing. A complete packing list will be provided to you after you register for the course.

For both weekends at Camp Pupukea, based on historical averages, you can expect the weather to be mostly sunny, with a 50% chance of rain. High temperatures average 75-85 degrees, with overnight lows 65-75 degrees. When it comes to weather, the Scout Motto is in full force: Be Prepared.

You will need to bring a desire to learn, an ability to have fun and get along with others who share your belief in Scouting, and a commitment to taking what you learn back to apply to your Scouting role and into your everyday life. You will need whatever gear and clothing that you might normally need to spend these weekends outdoors.

Personal tents will not be needed on the first weekend, as we will be using campsites with Wall Tents. Cooking equipment will also not be needed for the first weekend, as the staff will provide all meals in the dining hall. Personal tents and camping and cooking equipment will be needed for the second weekend. A more detailed packing list will be provided after you have registered for the Wood Badge course. Additionally, during the first weekend, your patrol members will discuss the equipment needs for the second weekend and can combine resources to ensure everyone has what they need.

Absolutely not! Wood Badge is about leadership training. It is not a course in Scout skills. Wood Badge will help you understand what Scouting is about and how you can make a real difference by providing you with many important and useful leadership tools. These tools will help you to be more effective as a leader and as a team member.

No. While outdoor skills are helpful, they are not essential for taking Wood Badge. Whenever outdoor skills are needed during the course, there will be other Scouters who can and will share their knowledge with you.

Respectfully, you do not know what your Ticket goals will be until you attend the course. You will be guided to write a meaningful, effective Ticket which is a major element of the Wood Badge course because it will be greatly affected by what you hear, learn and experience while you are attending the two weekends. Depending on what you plan to do as a result of what you learn, you may need to coordinate your plans with other Scouters, whether they are in your units or on committees that you serve.

Until your Wood Badge Ticket is written (during the course) and agreed to with your Troop Guide, you can take no credit for work “towards your Ticket” prior to the practical phase being completed. Please note: there is plenty of inaccurate information on the internet regarding the Wood Badge Ticket. Official Ticket guidelines do change from year to year, to be more responsive to the needs of Scouting. Also, some Councils have local “traditions” regarding Tickets that may be inappropriate. So…..please wait until you attend the course to learn about the “correct” way of developing an effective Wood Badge Ticket.

No. Because there is so much information being presented in such a short period of time, and, because each session and topic builds on previous material presented, sequentially; attendance at each session during each of the five days over the two weekends is mandatory. There are no exceptions.

Yes! Wood Badge contains new and updated material and activities that can enrich your role in Scouting. It may give you new perspectives and skills that you may use. If you are interested, please register at https://www.scoutingevent.com/104-woodbadge2026.

Yes! We welcome the opportunity for you to take Wood Badge again, establish new ticket goals, and complete your ticket. If you are interested, please register at https://www.scoutingevent.com/104-woodbadge2026.

In addition to the online registration and payment, please have a BSA Annual Health and Medical Record signed by your physician (Parts A, B and C are required). You need to have a clear understanding of your role(s) in Scouting so that you can identify goals where your newly learned skills (and the ones you already have) can be best utilized. You also need to complete a few Pre-Course Questions. This should help to make the materials that you learn more meaningful to you. Please complete the Personal Resource Questionnaire as well. Both items will be sent to you prior to the start of the course.

FAQ

The primary purpose of the Wood Badge experience is to strengthen Scouting in our units, districts, and local councils.  During the course, the Wood Badge Staff will help you set some personal goals, things you would like to accomplish in your Pack, Troop, Crew, Ship, or your District. These goals are referred to as the Wood Badge “Ticket”. The Ticket represents your commitment to complete a set of five personal goals, which you establish, related to your Scouting position. These goals should be designed to significantly strengthen the Scouting program in which you are involved. In addition, the Ticket gives you an opportunity to practice and demonstrate the leadership skills presented during the Wood Badge course. Many participants set Ticket goals that can be completed in 6 to 12 months, but you must complete your Wood Badge Ticket goals no later than 18 months after the course ends. All Ticket goals are developed with this time limit in mind.

Upon completion of your Wood Badge Ticket (your five goals), you will be presented with the Wood Badge Training Award: neckerchief, woggle, beads, and Wood Badge certificate at an appropriate ceremony.

Many Scouters consider Wood Badge to be one of the highlights of their Scouting careers. Wood Badge has served as a source of training and inspiration to thousands of Scout leaders. In return, Wood Badge participants have positively influenced the lives of countless numbers of America’s youth.

Wood Badge is designed for Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts and Exploring Leaders at the unit level, as well as district and council leaders. The course content and leadership principles introduced during the course apply to Scouters in all leadership positions. These skills provide common a leadership foundation that is beneficial for all program areas. To attend a Wood Badge course, you must:

  • Be a registered adult member of Scouting America, Aloha Council. (There is no minimum tenure requirement.)
  • All adult leaders must complete Leader Specific Training for their primary registered position. Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills is required for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters.
  • Successful completion of the BSA Annual Health and Medical Record is required for all participants (parts A, B and C). No exceptions.

The first weekend in 2026 is August 21-23; the second weekend is August 29-30. The first weekend begins 7:00 AM on Friday morning; the second weekend session begins at 7:00 AM on Saturday morning; both weekends end around 5:00 PM on Sunday. Both weekends are held at Camp Pupukea. Participation and attendance at both weekends, a total of five full days, is required for the successful completion of the Wood Badge course.

For the Staff to be prepared for the appropriate number of participants, registrations should be completed on-line: https://www.scoutingevent.com/104-woodbadge2026

  • Registration opens on March 15, 2026. From March 15 to April 15, the early bird course fee is $400.
  • From April 16 to June 15, the regular course fee is $450.
  • From June 16 to July 15, the late course fee is $475.
  • Airfare/ground transportation is not included in the course fees.
  • Financial assistance is available. Please see registration link above for more information about financial assistance.
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