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2025 Wood Badge Page: Wood Badge Course History

Below is a listing of KNOWN Wood Badge Courses that relate to our Council, either by location or Course Director. This list is incomplete. Any help in filling in the blanks, or identifying other courses and Course Directors would be very welcome.

Also included is a listing of NYLT Courses where the Scoutmaster was recognized with a fourth bead.

Course Director Course # Year Location
Ed Gratrix 13 – 72 – 25 2024 Camp Sequassen
Sabrina Doolittle 11 – 72 – 24 2024 Camp Sequassen/Hoyt SR
Jacob Cedusky 13 – 72 – 24 – 2Y
 2024 Camp Workcoeman
Joseph Ushchak
 11 – 72 – 24 – 1Y
 2024 Camp Workcoeman
Roger Williams 11 – 72 – 23 2023 Camp Sequassen/Hoyt SR
Connie Hemphill 11 – 72 – 23 – 1Y 2023 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Jeff Jorgenson 11 – 72 – 22 2022 Camp Sequassen
Bob Lincavicks N2 – 72 – 21 2021 Camp Sequassen
Dave Barrett N2 – 72 – 19 2019 Camp Sequassen
Kathy Dilks N2 – 72 – 19 – 1Y 2019 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Erik Zars N2 – 72 – 18 – 1Y 2018 Camp Pomperaug
Andrea Ulery N2 – 72 – 18 2018 Deer Lake/Hoyt SR
Dave Shuford N2 – 72 – 17 2017 Camp Sequassen
Ray Pflomm N2 – 72 – 16 2016 Camp Pomperaug
Jeff Guzauckas N2 – 72 – 16 – 1Y 2016 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Ray Spagnuolo N2 – 72 – 15 2015 Camp Pomp./Deer Lake
Caroline Griffin N2 – 72 – 14 – 1Y 2014 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Doug Heim N2 – 72 – 14 2014 Camp Sequassen
Caroline Griffin N2 – 72 – 13 2013 Camp Pomperaug
Wade Anderson N2 – 72 – 13 – 1Y 2013 Deer Lake Scout Res.
John Neary N2 – 72 – 12 2012 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Dave Elkodsi N2 – 72 – 11 – 1Y 2011 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Jay Lubin N2 – 72 – 11 2011 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Roger Poggio NE – II – 191 2010 Camp Sequassen
Ray Moncevicius NE – II – 188 2009 Camp Sequassen
Mike Abrahamson NE-II-72-09-NYLT1 2009 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Bill Fromm NE – II – 184 2008 Camp Sequassen
Eric Larson NE – II – 173 2007 Camp Sequassen
Mark Clark NE – II – 163 2006 Camp Sequassen
Bruce Harvey NE – II – 143 2005 Camp Sequassen
Charlie Blanchette NE – II – 134 2003 Camp Sequassen
Mary Saracino NE – II – 127 2002 Camp Sequassen
Jay Huggins NE – II – 111 2001 Camp Sequassen
Doug Machin NE – III – 145 1999 Camp Sequassen
Gary Dingus NE – II – 90 1997 Camp Seton
John Farley NE – II – 84 1996 Camp Sequassen
Vin Nolan NE – CS – 48 1994 Camp Workcoeman
Nick Cianciola NE – I – 167 1993 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Dick Odell NE – III – 111 1991 Camp Pomperaug
Peter Newcomb NE – I – 147 1990 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Betty Hilker NE – CS – 32 1990 Heritage Scout Res.
Claire Dibble NE – CS – 22 1988 Heritage Scout Res.
Don Rowland NE – I – 129 1987 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Dick Odell NE – I – 128 1987 Camp Pomperaug
Mort Johnson NE – I – 101 1983 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Dr. Al Adler, PhD NE – I – 87 1981 Deer Lake Scout Res.
David J. Griffiths NE – I – 77 1980 Camp Pomperaug
C. Robert Small NE – I – 71 1979 Chesterfield Scout Res.
Tom Dolan NE – I – 70 1979 Deer Lake Scout Res.
Tim Daley NE – I – 62 1978 Camp Pomperaug
Dag Pfeiffer NE – I – 56 1977 Camp Sequassen
Dag Pfeiffer NE – III – 19 1976 Camp Sequassen
Leo Lemoine NE – I – 23 1975 Camp Mauwehu
Al Halliwell NE – I – 4 1973 Camp Sequassen
Carl A. J? 310 1967 Camp Sequassen
D. A. Barnett 287 1966 Camp Sequassen
??? ???? 1962 Deer Lake Scout Res.
# Note: Course Number Ending with “Y” Denotes NYLT Course

Last Updated November 27, 2023

 

A HISTORY OF WOOD BADGE IN THE UNITED STATES

Wood Badge has a long and storied history since the first course was held at Gilwell Park in July 1919. Yet, it took until 1936 for Wood Badge to first come to the United States. A Rover Scout Wood Badge course was held at Schiff Scout Reservation May 12-20, 1936, followed by a Scout Wood Badge Course between May 24-June 3, 1936. Both courses were run by the Camp Chief of Gilwell Park, John Skinner Wilson. William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt, assistant director of Boys’ Life magazine attended the Rover Scout course and served as the Senior Patrol Leader (“dog’s-body” in British terms) for the Boy Scout Wood Badge course. While these two experimental courses were a success, World War II intervened, and Wood Badge did not return to the US until 1948, after the retirement of the first Chief Scout Executive, James E. West.

Courses were originally designed to run at Schiff Scout Reservation and Philmont. Under this US version of Wood Badge, the Patrol Method was heavily stressed. The patrol names picked were birds and animals (Critters) found in every state in the Union: Eagle, Bob White, Fox, and Beaver. The first American Wood Badge course was July 31-August 8, 1948. The course assembled 29 men plus staff from 12 states (Connecticut was not one of the states represented). The Scoutmaster was “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt. The second course was held at Philmont, October 2-10, 1948. “Green Bar Bill” was once again Scoutmaster, with 35 participants.

Between 1948 and 1958, nearly 5,000 men had taken a Wood Badge course. Early courses were conducted exclusively by the National Volunteer Training Service; the first course conducted by a local council was in 1953 in Cincinnati. Week long courses were the rule until 1974, when weekend courses were authorized. Wood Badge was an exclusive male domain until 1976, when women scouters were welcomed into Wood Badge.

Explorer Wood Badge was first held in 1951; Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge was first held in 1976. Over the years, there were Walking Wood Badge courses, Rafting Wood Badge courses, and Canoe Wood Badge courses.

Through 1958, no Wood Badge courses had been held in Connecticut, according to the BSA National Council ^. Chief Bogan ^^ made no mention of Wood Badge in his comprehensive book so we assume no Wood Badge courses were held by Quinnipiac Council through 1963. However, the Chief did indicate that in 1952, Mountain Man Training began, stating that Mountain Man was “…patterned after the British Wood Badge training…” The course director appeared to be Assistant Scout Executive Hermon F. Newcomb. Apparently the Mountain Man program continued annually thereafter.

^ General Source: A History of Wood Badge in the United States (Links below); BSA Publication 3164, 1990 Printing

^^ No Larger Fields: The History of a Boy Scout Council 1910-1963; by Samuel D. Bogan, © 1966, Quinnipiac Council BSA

WOOD BADGE LINKS OF INTEREST