The Wood Badge Patrol Name Encyclopedia

USA

The Wood Badge patrol names as currently used in Boy Scout Wood Badge in the USA are (in this order!) Beaver, Bobwhite (replacing Quail), Eagle, Fox, Owl, Bear, Buffalo, Antelope. Earlier additional names where Raven, Crow, Wolf and Hawk.
At the course in the Hawk Mountain council there was a Raven patrol.
From Maryland a patrol called Tiger is known. From Florida Panther has been used at least once during the 1980's. A few Alligators are known, some of them calling themselves "Foxigators" since the patrol was merged with the Fox patrol at the second weekend in the course.
The Utah National Parks Councel had a Varsity wood badge training in Beaver Utah in 1977 from which "the Panthers" are known.
Longs Peak Council had a course in 1991 which was set up for nine patrols, with the 9th being the Wolf Patrol.
From the Washington Area, the "Evergreen Area Council" (as it was named then) held a course in 1988 with ten patrols, that 10th Patrol was named "Hawk". The 9th patrol was Raven which made 5 "mammal" Patrols and 5 "bird" Patrols.
The Great Salt Lake Council in Utah used Road Runner, Hawk, Racoon and Flaming Arrow.
In the western states, the following are also used: Bobcat, Bull, Cougar, Raven, Moose, Badger, Flaming Arrow (Order of the Arrow Course) and Racoon.
The Explorer Wood Badge Courses (1950-1960?) used the names of early explorers for patrol names: Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, William Clark and Daniel Boone.
In the late 1960's Bill Hillcourt was Course Director of at least one course in Pennsylvania. One of the patrols here was called Stag.

Throughout the world a variety of patrol names have been used. Some of those names are:

ARGENTINA

Nowadays there are no patrols in the Wood Badge Course. But earlier they used to be Toros (Bulls), Chorlitos (Curlews), Lobos (Wolves), Cuervos (Crows).

AUSTRIA

Pecker, Cuckoo, Pigeon, Owl, Raven, Bull, Curlew and Wolf.

AUSTRALIA

A course may use the original patrol names eg Owls, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, Pigeons, Curlews and Ravens OR they may use the Australian Scout patrol names for courses other than Cub Scouts.
The Australian names are Albatross, Dingo, Eagle, Emu, Falcon, Frilled Lizard, Hawk, Kangaroo, Kingfisher, Koala, Kookaburra, Lyrebird, Magpie, Owl, Panther, Parrot,Penguin Platypus, Possum, Quokka, Rosella, Red Back Spider, Scorpion, Seagull, Seal, Tasmanian Tiger, Wallaby and Wombat.

BELIZE

The patrols in order are: Jaguars, Jabirus (stork), Tapirs, Parrots, Manatees, Toucans, Howlers (monkey) and Gibnuts (rodent).

BRAZIL

Each state has its traditions. The following information is from Rio de Janeiro State. Scout Patrols has the names of Rio de Janeiro's animals as: touros (bulls), corujas (owls), raposas (foxes), cobras (snakes), guaxinim (racoons), morcegos (bats) and gavião (hawks). There also was an Eagle (águia) patrol in 1991. In Senior Scout courses the name of mountains in Serra dos Órgãos are used: Pedra do Sino (Bell's Rock), Dedo de Deus (Finger of God), Nariz do Frade ( Priest's Nose) and Itacolomi.

CANADA

Bear, Octopus, Crow, Deer, Owl, and Fox. From a particularely Wood Badge Course for the scout section, the patrols where encouraged to find unusual names: Flying Frogs, Eagles and Red Hot Jalapenos.
In 1987 at Blue Springs Scout Reserve a course had the "Wood Badgers" and "the Red Measles patrol."
Another course used a theme "country" and the patrols decided on Sunkissed Kids, Harper Mountains Hillbillies, Tumbleweeds and The Rustlers. From Quebec a Blackfoot patrol is known. A case of a patrol with chinese members is known as the Dragons.
In a recently finished course the patrols chose the names themselves: The Holy Grails, The Mighty Ducks, The Originals, and The Roadrunners.
In a previous course the patrols also choosed their own name, the three patrols where Screaming Bats, Snowy Owls and Roadkill. From another modern course the patrols called themselves Jailbirds and Ewoks (wonder why...)

DENMARK

Currently the following names are used: Ravens, Owls, Curlews, Falcons, Cuckoos, Pigeons, Woodpeckers and Bulls.
In the years 1927-1937 Ravens, Pigeons, Woodpeckers, Bulls and Owls where used. In 1982 Wood Badge became for scout leaders as well as cub scout leaders. From the Cub Scout Wood Badge courses, the use of colours to identify the patrols where adapted, but afterwards the current names took ower.

FINLAND

The patrols are, in this order (or reverse!): Käki (Cuckoo), Sorsa (Mallard), Varis (Crow), Närhi (Jay) and Pöllö (Owl).

GHANA

A "Cat Patrol" is known.

ICELAND

Owl, Cuckoo, Pigeon, Raven, and Woodpecker.

JAPAN

The patrols are, in order of seniority, Fukuro (owls), Kakko (cuckoos), Kiji (pheasants) and Washi (eagles). From another source a Tiger patrol is observed.

KOREA

Woodpeckers and Tigers are known for sure.

LEBANON

A Bobwhite from 1982 is known.

NORWAY

Owl, Woodpecker, Pigeon, Cuckoo.

MEXICO

In the section of the cubs the patrols are white, brown, yellow and green. For the troops the names depends on the team.

SOUTH AFRICA

The patrol names are not part of a established tradition. Names used for sure includes Cobra, Lions and Kingfisher.

SPAIN

A Squirrel patrol is known.

SWEDEN

Most of the scout associations uses Ugglan (Ow), Duvan (Pigeon), Gök (Cuckoo), Hackspett (Woodpecker) and korp (Raven). Also Curlew are used. But a case is also known of Bee, Bumblebee, Wasp, Mosquito, The Flame, The Smoke.

SWITZERLAND

Two situations observed: Letting the patrols make their names themselves or the use of numbers only to identify the patrols.

THAILAND

Numbers are used to identify patrols.

UNITED KINGDOM

Currently patrols are not used during the Wood Badge Training. Earlier traditional patrol names where used, for instance in 1948 the following: Bulldogs, Eagles, Curlews and Ravens. Also known is Wood Pidgeon.