Wood Badge

The Wood Badge is the recognition received by adults in Scouting who have completed the Scoutmaster training program provided by their respective National Scout Association. Those who successfully complete the training receives recognition in the form of two wooden beads on bootlace. A Wood Badge receipient is called by many names: as a Wood Badge Holder, Two Beads Holder, or Gilwellian.

In addition to the beads, the recognition includes a certificate and a neckerchief with a swatch of the Maclaren clan tartan on the apex.

Additional beads are awarded to wood badge holders who serves as part of their council's wood badge training team. One additional bead is awarded to Assistant Leader Trainers and two additional beads are awarded to Leader Trainers.

The training was first conducted by Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, on September 8, 1919 in Gilwell. At the conclusion of the training he awarded each participant a wooden bead from a necklace he acquired from Dinizulu a Zulu chieftain. The supply of original beads has long been exhausted and only replicas are awarded today.

The first Wood Badge course in the Philippines was held in Camp Gre-Zar in Quezon City in 1953. Today the Wood Badge course is done in the National Training Center of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in Mount Makiling in Los Baños, Laguna, the site of the 10th World Scout Jamboree.