{"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ESince September 1919 adult volunteers in the Scouts have been awarded the Wood Badge on the completion of their leader training. The basic badge is made up of two wooden beads worn at the end of a leather lace. This iconic symbol of Scouting has become shrouded in myths and its origins and development confused. Having completed extensive research using the Scouts (UK) heritage collection we have pieced together the story.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/15807/dinizulu-001-768x1209.jpg","width":768,"height":1209,"altText":"Image shows Chief Dinizulu wearing a necklace of wooden beads","caption":"Chief Dinizulu, photographed around the time Baden-Powell found the necklace","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EThe Components of the Wood Badge\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Wood Badge\u2019s design took inspiration from a necklace brought back from Africa by Scouting\u2019s Founder, Robert Baden-Powell. In 1888 Baden-Powell was serving with the British Army in Africa. During this period Baden-Powell visited an abandoned camp where Chief Dinizulu, a local chief had been based. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn 1925 Baden-Powell \u003Ca href=\u0022https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/p15999coll21/id/24134\u0022\u003Erecalled what he found\u003C/a\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u2019In the hut, which had been put up for Dinizulu to live in, I found among other things his necklace of wooden beads. I had in my possession a photograph of him taken a few months beforehand in which he was shown wearing this necklace round his neck and one shoulder.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAssuming the necklace was the same one as in the photo Baden-Powell took the necklace as a souvenir of the campaign and always referred to it as Dinizulu\u2019s necklace. Baden-Powell admired Dinizulu describing him as\u00A0\u003Cem\u003E\u201Cfull of resources, energy and pluck,\u201D\u003C/em\u003E\u00A0characteristics which he would later call upon Scouts to develop.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe necklace was not the only souvenir of his military career which would come to be important to Scouting. In 1900 Baden-Powell was the British Army Commander during the Siege of Mafeking (2\u003Csup\u003End\u003C/sup\u003E Boer War, South Africa). During the siege he had a conversation with an elderly African gentleman. He presented Baden-Powell with a leather lace which he wore around his neck saying his mother had given it to him for luck and now he would pass that gift on to Baden-Powell.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/15810/rover-scouts-gilwell-april-1919-1024x721.jpg","width":1024,"height":721,"altText":"Image shows Gilwell House in Gilwell Park","caption":"When purchased Gilwell Park was very neglected. Rover Scouts undertook work to make the site fit for purpose","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Need for Scout Leader Training\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the First World War there was a great need to establish a leader training programme for UK Scouting. At least 5,000 older Scouts and adult volunteers had been killed during the conflict but youth section membership had grown by over 46,000. This created a need to train and develop new leaders, ensuring the future of the Movement.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ideal opportunity arose when in November 1918 benefactor, William de Bois Maclaren, generously offered to buy a camping area for inner city London Scouts who lacked access to suitable grounds. Gilwell Park, on the edge of Epping Forest, was found and purchased. The site was big enough to offer camping facilities for Scouts as well as hosting a training centre for leaders.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Wood Badge course wasn\u2019t the first ever training course for leaders. Events had been held prior to the First World War and local areas had set up their own arrangements. In early 1919 East London Commissioner Percy Bantock Nevill arranged a correspondence course for leaders covering theoretical and administrative topics. He was in the process of organising a camp to cover more practical skills when he found out about the purchase of Gilwell Park. He rearranged the camp to take advantage of this new facility and held the practical training course on the 18-19 May 1919. This was the very first training offer at Gilwell Park.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea from Scout Headquarters was to create a training syllabus for leaders to ensure a standard, quality and consistency for training. A date was set for a pilot course to be held at Gilwell Park from the 8 \u2013 19 September 1919.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn August 1919 Baden-Powell contacted Percy Everett, who was developing the course alongside Camp Chief Francis Gidney, seeking his opinion on how to acknowledge the achievement of leaders who had completed their training.\u00A0\u0027Scoutmasters who pass through Gilwell Park should have some form of badge to wear. He suggests a Tassel with ornamented ends to be worn in the hat.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis issue had not been concluded by the time the course was running. On 15 September 1919 Eileen Nugent (Baden-Powell\u2019s secretary) wrote to Percy Everett saying: \u0027The Chief Scout has suggested to Capt. Gidney the following decoration for Scoutmasters passing the training course, in place of the cords around the hat a bead at the end of the lacing of the hat in three grades:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWood\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBronze\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhite metal\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe has asked Capt. Gidney to go ahead in getting some beads made (like those of the Chief\u2019s which you have) ready for award at the end of the course.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe can only assume the beads referred to in this note are the ones from the necklace Baden-Powell had collected in South Africa over 40 years previously.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe training course was organised to give the participants a sense of what it was like to be a member of a Scout Troop. They took on the role of Scouts, they were formed into patrols and rotated the role of Patrol Leader and Seconder. Francis Gidney took on the role of Scoutmaster.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/15812/1st-wood-badge-course-1919-1024x670.jpg","width":1024,"height":670,"altText":"Image shows participants at the pilot Wood Badge course","caption":"The pilot Wood Badge course participants with Francis Gidney and Robert Baden-Powell","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EThe course syllabus included a range of practical skills such as pioneering, campcraft, games, fieldwork and pathfinding.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey also attended specialist lectures on topics as varied as Industrial Welfare, the Education Act and Rover Scouting. The course ended with a visit to Headquarters on Buckingham Palace Road in London and a lunch meeting with Baden-Powell.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Rev. Charles Hines attended the pilot course. He later recalled how he received his wood badge created by Baden-Powell using one of the beads from \u0027Dinizulu\u2019s necklace\u0027.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHines wrote: \u0027This historic necklace consisted of small hornbeam beads, shaped like miniature double edged axe heads, tightly threaded, criss-cross, on a leather thong which was as stiff as a backbone.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027Taking one of these beads and a replica made from Epping Hornbeam B-P threaded them on a short leather lace, tied to a brass curtain hook, pinned it on my lapel and announced that he had decided to make it the official award for efficiency in Woodcraft and camp management \u2013 and to be known as the Dinizulu Woodcraft badge.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027He then presented to each of my brother officers one of the original beads together with a small piece of Epping Hornbeam from which to shape a duplicate and assemble their badge.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/15809/rev-charles-hines-1st-wood-badge-864x1024.jpg","width":864,"height":1024,"altText":"Image shows the first Wood Badge","caption":"The first Wood Badge presented to Rev Charles Hines following the pilot training course","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EDeveloping the training offer\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pilot Wood Badge course had been a success but it was clear that not all leaders would be able to give 10 days to attend such a course. On 17 October 1919 Baden-Powell wrote to Francis Gidney to discuss what they had learnt from the pilot course. He referenced Percy Nevill\u2019s concept of delivering theoretical and administrative training through a correspondence course suggesting this could be completed over the winter months and the practical training residential carried out over the summer.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe also discussed the developing design for a Wood Badge. \u0027After passing the theoretical and practical course satisfactorily the candidate would be entitled to wear one wooden bead on the buttonhole.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter passing all three satisfactorily, on bead on the hat string and a Diploma.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf he shows special capability and ability for training others as a local Camp or Circle Chief, he could wear the double bead on a hat string.\u0027\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBaden-Powell even produced a sketch on a Headquarters postcard of how various badges could look.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/15806/b-p-illustrations-e1544524684892-1024x653.jpg","width":1024,"height":653,"altText":"Image shows sketches by Baden-Powell of Wood Badge designs on a postcard","caption":"Sketches by Baden-Powell of Wood Badge designs","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EBy November 1919 this new structure had been agreed and was announced in the Headquarters Gazette.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe design of the Wood Badge continued to evolve. In 1921 the first description of the wood badge in POR (Policy, Organisation and Rules) doesn\u2019t mention the different badges or it being worn around the hat. It describes the badge as being \u0027worn strung on a leather bootlace round the neck\u0027.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDeputy Camp Chiefs were to be allowed to wear a set of four beads.\u00A0 Around this time the only two set of six wood beads were created and were worn by Baden-Powell and Percy Everett.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/15811/sir-percy-everett-004-1024x747.jpg","width":1024,"height":747,"altText":"Image shows Baden-Powell and Percy Everett in uniform","caption":"Robert Baden-Powell and Percy Everett worked very closely together and remained lifelong friends. This photograph marked the 20th anniversary of the Brownsea Island experimental camp","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAll six beads on both necklaces come from \u0027Dinizulu\u2019s necklace\u0027. In 1949 Everett made it known that he would present his set to John Thurman, Camp Chief at Gilwell Park and that they should be passed down to his successors in that role. This continued until 2015 when it was decided to retire this set of beads due to their historical importance. Both sets of six beads are held in the Scouts (UK) heritage collection. At Gilwell Park the role of Camp Chief is now an honorary title held by the Chief Operating Officer.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe beads from the original Zulu necklace quickly ran out and Scout leaders who left the Movement were asked to return their Wood Badges so they could be recycled.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt some point in the early 1920s Haydn Dimmock, editor of The Scout magazine, sourced an alternative necklace: \u0027Mention of Portobello Road reminds me that it was there, on a stall literally crowded with junk and so-called antiques, that I discovered a genuine Zulu necklace similar to that which the Chief Scout had secured from Donizuli (sic) the Zulu Chief, the wooden beads from which historic necklace were used for the original wood badges given to Scouts passing the Wood Badge course of training.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese beads were used for a while to supplement the dwindling supply of \u0027original\u0027 beads.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003ECub leader training\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1921, the first training course for Cub Leaders was held. Rather than receiving the Wood Badge leaders were presented with a replica wolf fang on a leather lace known as the Akela badge. An Akela leader, who delivered training courses could wear two fangs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1926, it was decided to use the Wood Badge design for both Scout and Cub leaders, although the names would continue to be Akela badge for Cubs and Wood Badge for Scouts. To differentiate between the leaders a coloured bead was added above the wood beads to show which section they belonged to. Yellow beads were used for Cub leaders, green for Scout and in 1927 a red bead was introduced for Rover Scout leaders. This idea proved to be very unpopular and ceased to be used from 1928, at this point the badge became universally known as the Wood Badge.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EThe Wood Badge Today\u00A0\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Wood Badge continues to be awarded to adults in Scouting who complete their training. It\u0027s awarded to Scouts around the world and all those who achieve their badge automatically become a member of the 1\u003Csup\u003Est\u003C/sup\u003E Gilwell Park Scout Group, the largest in the world.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 cellpadding=\u00225\u0022 width=\u0022820\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;1888\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;Baden-Powell acquires a Zulu necklace, believed to have belonged to Chief Dinizulu, which is later used to create the early Wood Badge\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;1900\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;Baden-Powell is presented with a leather lace during the Siege of Mafeking, he later uses this idea to form the Wood Badge.\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1919\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EGilwell Park is purchased\u003Cbr\u003EThe pilot Wood Badge course is held\u003Cbr\u003EFirst Wood Badges are presented\u003Cbr\u003EThree stage training course is set\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1921\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EFirst Cub leader training course is held\u003Cbr\u003EFirst Gilwell Reunion is held\u003Cbr\u003EDeputy Camp Chief (UK) badge is created with four beads\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1924\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EDeputy Camp Chief for a country badge is created with five beads\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1947\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EIntroduction of badge for Assistant Deputy Camp Chiefs and Assistant Akela Leaders, three beads.\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1950-51\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EPercy Everett presents his set of six wood beads to the Camp Chief of Gilwell\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1959\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EChange in training structure in the UK\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u201CScouters who have passed the Wood Badge Preliminary training course are entitled to wear in uniform the Gilwell woggle consisting of a leather two strand Turkshead. Scouts who have gained the Wood Badge are entitled to wear in uniform the Gilwell scarf and woggle, and the Wood Badge on a leather thong round the neck.\u201D\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1987\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EChief Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi of Kwazulu (the grandson of Chief Dinizulu) attended a Scout rally and was presented with a Wood Badge with four beads by the then Chief Scout of South Africa in a symbolic act of returning the beads to their rightful heir.\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E1989\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EChange in training structure in UK, only award is Wood Badge completion of training.\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003E2003\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003Ctd\u003EChanges to acknowledgement of training progress. Still current 2018.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ea. On completion of the Getting Started modules, uniformed adults may wear the Gilwell Turks Head woggle.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eb. For occasions when uniform is not worn, uniformed adults may wear a metal pin badge depicting the Gilwell log and axe.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ec. On completion of the Getting Started modules non-uniformed adults may wear a metal pin badge depicting the Gilwell log and axe.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ed. The Award for completion of training for Warranted adults is the Wood Badge\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ee. Leaders holding the Wood Badge may wear the Gilwell Scarf and woggle\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\n\u003C/tr\u003E\n\u003C/tbody\u003E\n\u003C/table\u003E","label":"Significant dates"}]}]}],"config":null}]},"prev":{"link":"/about-us/our-history/gilwell-park/the-history-of-gilwell-park/the-gilwell-oak-exploring-our-roots/","title":"The Gilwell Oak: Exploring our roots"},"next":null,"allParts":[{"link":"/about-us/our-history/gilwell-park/the-history-of-gilwell-park/gilwell-park-1919-to-2025/","title":"Gilwell Park: 1919 to 2025"},{"link":"/about-us/our-history/gilwell-park/the-history-of-gilwell-park/the-gilwell-oak-exploring-our-roots/","title":"The Gilwell Oak: Exploring our roots"},{"link":"/about-us/our-history/gilwell-park/the-history-of-gilwell-park/history-of-the-wood-badge/","title":"History of the Wood badge"}],"link":"/about-us/our-history/gilwell-park/the-history-of-gilwell-park/history-of-the-wood-badge/","id":48177,"nodeName":"History of the Wood badge","title":"History of the Wood badge","type":"codexPart","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"History of the Wood badge","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"searchDescription":"","subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODE3NyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/our-history/gilwell-park/the-history-of-gilwell-park/history-of-the-wood-badge/"}