Today’s Wood Badgers can get by without a handkerchief, canvas wash basin or second spoon. But those were considered essential pieces of gear 70 years ago at the very first Wood Badge course in the U.S. It’s been seven decades since July 31, 1948, when 29 men descended on Schiff Scout Reservation in New Jersey to […]

On July 31, 1948, William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt served as Scoutmaster at the first official Wood Badge course in the United States. Seventy years later, Wood Badge has grown into an essential training experience for adult volunteers. You’ll find proud Wood Badge alumni — myself included — in every council in the country. Celebrate