John Thurman

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This article is about the British Scout. For the U.S. Representative from New York, see John R. Thurman.

R.F. "John" Thurman was a British Scouting notable, and awardee of the Bronze Wolf in 1959. Thurman was Camp Chief of Gilwell Park from 1943 until 1969.^[1]

In 1943, Thurman wanted some form of recognition of the completion of each stage of the Wood Badge Leader Training program, and it seemed logical to present some part of the Wood Badge insignia on the completion of what was then called Basic Training. The woggle was first created in the early 1920s by Bill Shankley, a member of the Gilwell staff. He produced a two-strand Turk's head slide which was adopted as the official woggle. From 1943 to 1989, the Gilwell woggle was awarded on the completion of Basic Training, and the Gilwell scarf and the Wood Badge beads were awarded on the completion of Advanced Training.

In 1962 Thurman conducted the only Wood Badge course ever in Burma.