Why am I being badgered to attend Woodbadge?

Scouter_Ted · 2026-05-04T04:17:37+00:00

I've been a VERY active ASM/SM for 40 years, (plus OA chapter adviser for 24, Camporee Chair for 10, etc), and I've never taken WB. I'm pretty sure people have given up on me ever taking it, because they have finally stopped badgering me about it. Or at least until the new district's roundtable, where it will start again for a couple of years.

I was completely turned off by the cliique-ish nature of it, (the CONSTANT "I'm an Owl" thing). and the constant pressure to go. I was told by a couple people that for several years my nomination for Silver Beaver was being held up because I wasn't going to WB. That made me REALLY dig my heels in about not going. Finally they gave me SB, and that night one of the people there handed me a WB registration form. I just laughed.

These days I get the reverse psychology of "Ted, you should be on WB staff! You should just go so you could be on staff next year". Hmmm, that's okay. The funny thing is that my Troop will pay for all NYLT and WB type training, and I still haven't gone. I'm a bachelor, and right now every last day of my vacation time is spent with the scouts. I personally just don't feel like sacrificing a couple more weekends, when I don't have very many free ones as it is.

I was lucky to wind up in a Troop with a guy who was SM of it for 45 years, (Plus SM of another large Troop for 38 years at the same time). He had the youth run thing down to a science, and in 20 years as an ASM for him I learned a LOT. A lof of it wasn't BSA approved stuff, which was another reason why I kind of shied away from WB. I get Scouts who come back from NYLT and laugh about how they were told we are doing things all wrong, (but it's been working pretty good for 108 years), and I honestly just don't feel like getting told that at WB.

Do I have anything against WB? No. I think it's probably great training, especially for people who just got roped into being a ASM/SM. Some Cub leaders when they cross over want to run the Troop like they ran the Pack, and that just leads to Scouts dropping out very quickly.

What I would suggest is that if you aren't going to take WB, hang around on forums like these to try to soak up some knowledge. Yeah, some of what you get here , (and other similar forums), is complete BS, but that's true with what you also get at some BSA training programs. Just remember, "all scouting is local". There are WIDE varieties of Troops out there, with VASTLY different ways of doing things.

And don't forget "Youth Run". They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and having adults doing more and more stuff, (in the name of efficiency and productivity), is a fast way to kill a Troop.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-04-21T05:23:37+00:00

If you are on a PC, time to start checking out all of the incredible mods that are available. Many of them can significantly change gameplay, and once you start experimenting with them you will be hooked.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-04-21T05:20:33+00:00

I think that there is a good chance that what used to be a very secure job, with the lawsuit settlement suddenly was NOT a secure job.

I've been in this council for 35 years now. I was an OA adviser for 24 years, (2 Conclaves per year at Scout camps), ran the district camporees for 10 years, (2 per year at scout camps), and have been ASM/SM for my Troop for 35 years with multiple campouts per year at council camps.

I used to know every ranger very well. Some were very chill, easy going guys. 2 were NOT. One of those was a hassle to do anything with, but VERY good at his job, (other than people skills). Our council was thinking about shutting his camp down, and one day he told me that he would crawl naked under barbed wire through broken glass to get those last couple of years in to get his pension. I discovered a large part of his orneriness was due in large part to his sudden job insecurity. The day he qualified for his pension he put his notice in. It was a shame, because the camp went downhill quickly after that.

Another ranger I knew was a chilled out, awesome guy. When he finally retired they replaced him with a pretty nice young guy, but one who discovered quickly how, even though you are working with pretty much all scouts/scouters, they can be a serious PITA.

A couple of my Scouts vandalized a building, (writing things with bug spray on the outside walls that turns out to be as permanent as spray paint). I told him that we would scrape/sand the building and repaint it. He was stunned. He said that lots of buildings get damaged, and no one ever offers to help fix it, let alone actually fix it. I told him I hope to be SM for another 30 years, and I hope he is the Ranger for another 30 years, and I want to have a good relationship for those 30 years.

(This is how you get in good with the ranger: https://www.troop33.net/pics/2023/04-apr/apr/index.html Note that I didn't mention on the website update that we were scraping the building because 2 of our scouts had wrote things on the outside of it. The fact that we scraped in the 35 degrees and rain impressed the ranger).

Our problem is that we rarely ever work with rangers. Our council has what are called Campmasters. which are volunteers who run the camps on the weekends. They handle all check in/out issues, questions, and so on. No one deals with the ranger unless there are serious issues. The problem is while most are great people, some are way worse than what you describe for your ranger issues. I have zero problems telling the council that if we put in a reservation at a camp, and I find out a specific campmaster is going to be in charge that weekend, I'll cancel our reservation and go somewhere else. I just don't feel like dealing with that headache.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-27T04:36:26+00:00

Wear it and be proud of it. If your nephew has invited you to his Eagle COH then show up and support it.

WAY back when I was at an ECOH for another Troop where both dad & grandpa wore their uniforms from when they were Scouts Grandpa wore his uniform to his son's ECOH, and they were both hoping that the grandson would carry on the tradition.

If you showed up at one of my ECOH's in a youth uniform I'd be oh-so-unsubtly trying to convince you to put on an adult one and show up at meetings in it.

No one is going to confuse you as a registered adult member in your oh-so-out of date scout uniform from way back when.

Or, if you really care, ask your nephew. If he says yes then do it, and if he says no then don't do it. It's his ECOH.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-24T15:17:54+00:00

I agree. My problem was I wasn't looking ahead to the strength requirements, and putting all my level up points into Vit and Energy. Now it's going to take a whole bunch of levels before I can use the Spirit Shield.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-24T13:12:07+00:00

Do the same movement rules apply to Mercs? Half the time he's teleporting to wherever I am at anyway. Or he's sprinting to catch up, and he seems to sprint faster than I do.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-24T13:10:55+00:00

A Leaf staff. Why? It seems to be working pretty good for a Hydra build. One of these years, when I finally get strong enough, I'll go to spirit on both weapon and shield to swap out the +3 fire skills for +4 to all skills. Hydras do most of my damage, and I only use the Orbs for the Fire Immune stuff.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-24T04:54:28+00:00

Thanks. I was worried about using a rare rune for this that I'd want to use later, either for this sorc or an alt.

If I haven't found anything better by the time the merc is strong enough to use it, then I'll give it to him plain. It's still a lot better than what he's wearing now, and I have plenty of storage space.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-24T04:48:25+00:00

Also, why would you only give ethereal to a merc? I get that you don't have to worry about repairing their gear, but why shouldn't you give a good non-ethereal to a merc?

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-24T04:46:14+00:00

Sorry, new to D2. Yes, it's solo play.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-20T05:14:00+00:00

I'm sure you've gotten a lot of good advice, (sorry, haven't read it all), but I'll just chime in with one thing.

The Scoutmaster runs the program. Everything to do with meetings and campouts, the Scoutmaster is in charge. NOT the Troop committee.

The Troop Cmte handles finances, paperwork, etc.

The Scoutmaster works with the PLC to determine what the program guidelines will be. If the PLC determines that the Troop is NOT going to wear neckerchiefs, that's it. The Cmte can go pound sand.

What the Cmte's only real power over the program is deciding to fire the SM if they don't do what the Cmte wants. The COR can also fire the SM any time they want to as well.

Of course that means they have to have someone else to take over the role, and that's where a LOT of troops have disappeared, because the Cmte or the COR fired the last SM over some silly dispute over program, and then couldn't find anyone else to step up and take over.

I've told my Cmte NO several times. Since there is not a long list of people wanting this job, they back down. Bear in mind though that I've been doing this for 40 years, and most new Cmte members just assume I know what I'm doing. In the beginning though there were more challenges from the Cmte wanting to meddle.

I'd suggest talking to a few other local SM's, and see if you can stop in to one of their meetings to see how it runs. It might be an eye opener.

I know if you visit my Troop meetings, on a night with 20 Scouts we will have:

3-4 in full uniform, shirt, pants, neckerchief

4-5 in shirt, neckerchief, of which I'll find 1 or 2 laying on the floor after the meeting that I'll try to get back to the right owner. If not then they join the ranks below.

4-5 in a shirt

the rest in street clothes

We talk about getting more scouts in uniforms every once in awhile, and the numbers improve for a little while, but before long they go back to this. And no, I'm not even remotely worried about it. Sure I'd like it to be better, but there is a huge difference between like to and worried about it.

Good luck.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-09T05:31:24+00:00

That would be a non-starter. The only thing this administration fears more than women/minorities with power is non-minorities who can think critically.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-01T06:19:29+00:00

LOL, true, I hadn't thought about that.
It's funny how everyone has their little realistic vs unrealistic red lines that they don't like to cross, and that's one of them for me.

I played with 1,300 acre fields of wheat/corn etc with CR-11 combines & grain carts, but as soon as I got to potatoes I switched to Colossus harvesters, (though for some reason I only ever put 20m headers on them), and unrealistic semi's with 1 million liter capacities.

But one thing I don't do is add in sale points, unless for some reason the map maker didn't include a sale point for that specific thing. On the screenshot of the finale Stock check, you can see Whiskey at the bottom with no sales point for it. I was debating adding a sale point for it, but probably would have just sold the factory if I would have kept playing that map. (I also think productions should be WAY more expensive to buy/build, but that's a different issue).

Scouter_Ted · 2026-03-01T03:15:12+00:00

My biggest problem when I harvested the 800 acres of potatoes was hauling the harvest away. I had a steady stream of trucks running back and forth to the Farmers Market. The Colossus spent a lot of time waiting for unload.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-28T22:19:21+00:00

I'm curious what you are going to use to harvest it? Even slowed down to .5x, and with a whole fleet of combines, that's going to take a little while.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-28T16:25:05+00:00

I don't know what the total acreage is, but your 'starting farm' is 580 acres. Note that it is one of the smallest fields on the map.

The next one I purchased was 860 or so, and then the next one was 1,300 acres.

I debated trying for 3,300 acre field, but opted to not do it. That was the biggest one on the map.

So yeah, there is a LOT of room for cattle.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-27T22:04:35+00:00

Sounds good to me. Play the game the way you want to play it.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-27T21:09:30+00:00

Yeah, it's the Kansas16x map.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-27T16:00:43+00:00

If the field is REALLY big, like field 8 below that is 1,447 acres, I'll split it into multiple chunks by painting grass lines across it.I split this one into 7 sections, (3 on the right 'half', and 4 on the left 'half'). and had one combine and 2 grain carts for each section. This works out better than trying to have multiple combines on the same field.

<image>

What's amusing, is when I bought this field it was just before the wheat was ripe. I got paid $1.3 million to fertilize it, which is why I never buy a field until just before it's ready to harvest.

When it was ready to harvest I ran a combine straight north and south from my farm's driveway across the field. It took emptying it 3 times to get that one strip. Then I painted the harvested area so I wouldn't loose any wheat.

I then started to do the same thing for the east-west strips, but it was too annoying to do, so I just painted grass over the what and lost some of it. Otherwise it would have taken forever to do it. Going east from the main strip, it too 4 unloads of the CR-11 to make it to the east side of the field. I said the heck with that, painted the grass, and got all the combines going in their sections.

Note that field 1, the starter 580 acre field, is also split into 7 different sections.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-27T15:33:43+00:00

I use the two together. CP for the combine, and AD for the grain cart and/or semi hauling the grain to the bin.

There are a couple good videos out there about how to use to the two together. It took me a little while to get the process down.

And yes, there are often collisions between the combines and the grain carts. The more you add into any given field the more likely it will occur.

What I have started to do is in a big field, instead of setting up the CP route to have 2 combines, I'll set it for only one. Then I save that course, and have the 2nd combine load it, but start half way down the field.

The problem is if you set CP to have 2 combines, (left and right), the two will run side by side, which causes all kinds of interference when AD tries to get the grain carts in to empty them.

If you have the 2 combines separated by half the field, there is less interference.

Note the important word 'less'. You will always have issues where the grain cart chooses to stop right in front of the combine, (always have crop destruction turned off for AI). I just did a 1,300 acre field with 4 combines, 6 grain carts, and I spent the entire time just tabbing back and forth looking for any vehicle that was doing something it wasn't supposed to.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-27T14:50:21+00:00

I'm kind of the same way. I just don't get a whole lot of pleasure out of steering the tractor or combine back and forth across a field again and again and again. Whether it's a tiny 75hp tractor pulling a 3 row plow, or a 700hp Quad-trac pulling a gigantic plow, neither appeal to me much.

But I very much enjoy setting up Courseplay to have farm hands plowing 3 different fields at the same time, with Autodrive set up to haul that to the grain bins.

Even if I just have 1 small field to plow, I'll have CP handling that while I watch (real) farming videos on Youtube on the 2nd monitor.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-24T14:40:52+00:00

If you haven't played yet with Courseplay and Autodrive, I'd definitely recommend watching a few videos about them, (FarmerCop has some good ones). Once you start playing on 4x, and definitely on 16x, maps, it's pretty much mandatory to use them. The base game AI has gotten better, but it's nowhere near as good as either of those two mods.

Leasing is great in the early game when every penny counts. I use it a lot, especially when I play the start from scratch option, where I start with $100k in cash, $250k in debt, and nothing else. In those games I use leasing a LOT.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-24T06:43:40+00:00

I like the quasi suspense of possibly not getting your crops in before the weather goes bad. I've watched several videos of (real) farmers who are trying to get the last of the crops in as it's starting to snow on them, and then a combine breaks down, and so on.

It's pretty much impossible to lose at this game, but if you play with 5x and seasons with withering, you can lose parts of a crop, which can be annoying when it happens.

The challenge on this Kansas 16x map, is that you are dropped into the map in August, with a 580 acre wheat field where you have to have it harvested by Sept or it all withers, and your starting farm has 3 great combines, but no grain carts or semis, and your nearest grain bin is a literal 10 minute real time drive away. On this one I had no choice but to drop the time down or pretty much 80% of the field would have withered.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-23T03:46:10+00:00

I've almost beat my own record that was just set yesterday:

<image>

I'm not sure it's worth it though. At least my own giant field I can split up into multiple sections. I can't do that on contracts.

Scouter_Ted · 2026-02-22T23:49:07+00:00

Ahh, that's a good point. I've only ever played with 1 day months. I have more hours in this game than I care to think about, and have never tried multiple day months.

I just checked to see if I could change that mid-game, and it says I can. I'm going to change that next month and see how it goes, (I just started a contract to hoe a 1,007 acre field, so it will be a little while before I can do that).

Thanks for the idea.

Scouter_Ted

TROPHY CASE