CLINTON — BSA Troop 1142 Assistant Scoutmaster Ed Cicenas completed an intensive training regimen, which is considered the equivalent of an Eagle rank for adults, called Woodbadge. The training emphasizes learning how to be a leader and, more importantly, how to help train leaders — the youth of his BSA Troop in Clinton.

It is one of only a few leadership training courses recognized by the corporate world and is delivered worldwide by Scouting organizations. It is one of many classes that offered adult leaders better experience of the boys and girls in Scouting.

Cicenas has been active in Scouting in Clinton for many years, starting when his son joined Cub Scouts.

He served as the PR Chair and Assistant Cubmaster for Pack 4142 and now serves as the Committee Secretary and Assistant Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout Troop 1142. He is also helping train the trainers, taking on a role with Woodbadge staff for the upcoming course.

Part of the course will have leaders from all over Central Illinois at Clinton’s Little Galilee Christian Camp & Retreat Center this spring.

He completed the course last year, and the ceremony held at Lane Christian Church marks the end of his “ticket” — a series of tasks a Woodbadge trainee takes on to help Scouting in some fashion. The ticket usually takes months to do and his was no exception, the award was supposed to be actually done in March but the restrictions of Covid-19 at that time prevented any gathering to present the final award.

Cicenas’s ticket involved documenting and preparing a user’s manual for the annual Exelon Merit Badge fair, which was canceled this year due to Covid-19 but is expected to return next year. 

The term “ticket” comes from the early days of Scouting and also military service in England. Lord Baden-Powell took the name from his days in the Army when a soldier completed his last tour of duty. He would have to find his way back to England from whatever country he had been stationed at his own cost, meaning he would work out a plan or ticket to return home.