Timber Tag was the name given to a Basic Boy Scout Leaders Training Course held in the Chisholm Trail Council, Abilene, and is still used in the Texas Trails Council today.  They have had 80 troops of Timber Tag over the years. Troop 1 of Timber Tag was started some 50 years ago at Camp Tonkawa in 1953.  One can find, in the dining hall at Camp Tonkawa, large "wooden tent pegs" that have the names of those who took the course, plus staff, engraved on them, starting with Troop 1.  The current troop is Troop 80 and will be offered in March and April of 2004.

The original course was modeled after the first Wood Badge training but has since exceeded the current Basis Leader Training, Leader Specific Training and Outdoor Skills Training offered by the Training Division of the Boy Scouts of America.  The course was one week long but now takes place approximately three weekends in six weeks. In addition, it is now offered to registered Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venture adults, regardless of their involvement within the unit, or any level of the Scouting program. 

No one has come away from Timber Tag without having a lot of outdoor knowledge and the skills to be a good leader. This course incorporates New Leader Essentials, Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training, and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills.

The course has been conducted annually and limited to 60 participants, or 6 patrols of 8 to 10 adults.  Members of the Timber Tag staff must have taken the course and work their way up the ladder of leadership before they can become Scoutmaster of the training.  Usually this has taken a minimum of three years.  Changes are being made in the leadership of the course since it is now part of the Texas Trail Council.

The first training group was called Timber Tag Troop 1. Several members of the Chisholm Trail Council Timber Tag Training Team assisted in the course which was headed  by Werner Bendorf as Scoutmaster, Neal Pepper as Senior Patrol Leader and Walter Walske as Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.

Timber Tag Troop 2 was held in February and March of 1969.  The fee was $6.  The Scoutmaster was Neal Pepper.  Timber Tag Training was a normal part of this council’s training program through 1978.  Timber Tag Troop 8 was the last Timber Tag training group held.