Question:
I was in a supermarket in Wales today where a group were bagpacking. I
noticed two things:
1. The leader had three wood beads. What do you get a third for?
According to SBUK the award of more than two has stopped.
2. They had 'welsh dragon' badges on the top of each shoulder (where
epaulets would be). Is this usual for Welsh Groups?
Unfortunately, circumstances meant that I couldn't ask the people
directly so I thought I would ask you lot. Any answers?
Answer:
-Don't know about the wood beads sorry, haven't bothered with my training.
regarding the dragons, yes that is normal, we also have a couple of special
badges that are purely welsh too.
http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/wales/cubs/main.htm Cub Scout Award for Wales
http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/wales/new/dragonaward/index.htm - Scouts,
explorers and Leaders can earn this, I'm trying to get the bottle to camp in
January.
Long, long ago in a far distant land the Assistant Leader Trainers would
have three Beads on the Wood badge. This person is either very, very
old and still wearing it as the last of a long line of Assistant Leader
Trainers or they are possibly living in the past as that practice
stopped long ago as far as I am aware. But then again perhaps it is a
local rule or was awarded for superior bag packing or something
And Leader Trainers used to get 4 beads, and still do in some foreign
countries. Wales?
But if he was entitled to wear 3 why can't he still wear 3, same for
leader trainers - they had to do more training than nowadays. 3 and 4
bead woodbadges are still available from the info centre just not for
uk scouters - if i was fortunate enough to have done the training i'd
want to wear them.
As for the dragons, (which both face the front btw) - scottish scouts
can wear st andrews saltaire so why cant english scouts wear st
georges croos??
