Topic
Small groups of Scouts, led by Scouts. The patrol method was one of the most talked-about ideas in troop leadership, and these posts work through patrol leaders' councils, patrol identity and letting youth lead.
136 posts · 2007–2019
Showing 51–100 of 136 posts
You have a vision for your Patrol; you know what you want it to be. But how do you get started? Communication is 90% of being a good Patrol Leader! But where do you start? When I was a Patrol Leader, I found one of the best tools to have in my ‘Communication Toolbox' was…
I know from experience that bored Scouts cause chaos. About a month into my term as Patrol Leader I still hadn't figured out how to run a meeting with my Patrol. Some other Patrol Leaders in my Troop would give up, let chaos reign, and the whole meeting would go by without accomplishing anything productive.
One of the main functions of the Scoutmaster is to train the Junior Leaders, in particular, the Senior Patrol Leader. I take this responsibility serious and am in a constant mode of looking for opportunities to train the Scouts to be better leaders.
Action-Packed Meetings! In part 1, I said your Patrol should have a life of its own! In Part 2, I explained how you were the only one that can make this happen. One of the most important things you can do is have your own Patrol Meetings!
What does the Patrol System look like? If there was one tangible thing that you could look at and tell how well a Patrol is working, what would it be? The Patrol Flag? The uniform? No, there is something even better that requires the personal initiative of the whole Patrol: The Patrol Den.
For the last several years Boy Scout Troop 68 of Melrose was holding on to life with a small group of Scouts, only about 8 of them. The Cub Scout Pack has also had a rough time recruiting members which meant that the troop has only had 2 Webelos Scouts transfer to the troop during…
If you've been involved in Scouting for any length of time, you've probably heard the term “Patrol Spirit”. Simply put, Patrol Spirit is a culture of teamwork and camaraderie that develops among the members of a Patrol that is run according to the principles of the Patrol System.
I had an interesting Scouting discussion last night. A very well-intentioned someone was trying to explain to someone else how much the adult leaders should be involved in the different programs of Scouting. They said that for Venturing, the program is 75% youth led, Varsity is 50% youth led and Boy Scouts is maybe 25%…
Patrol leader training is not an event; it is an ongoing process of coaching and mentoring. Good coaching comes from a solid, simple, shared understanding of the fundamentals. To my mind a trained patrol leader knows these fundamentals. Here's how I train patrol leaders in fifteen minutes.
Patrols are much more than a convenient way to divide a large group of Scouts into smaller, more manageable groups. Patrols are the single unique feature of Scouting and the indispensable method for achieving the aims of Scouting. Most of became Scouters as Cub Leaders.
What separates a successful Boy Scout troop from a foundering one? The answer hasn't changed in a century. It's the patrol method, and it's been around since at least 1920 when Scouting founder Lord Baden-Powell explained it in his Aids to Scoutmastership (link opens PDF) .
Perhaps "Troop Program Death Spiral" is a gratuitously dramatic title but it describes something that does happen. Got your attention, though, didn't I? How and why do troops get off track and loose Scouts? There's a predictable sequence of events that spiral down into a crash.
Ok.. So to get back to the Future.. we need to focus on those basics that I referred to in the last post. I am going to, in the next few post expand on what I think we need to focus on.
Whether you're a new Scoutmaster or not, Working the Patrol Method – A Scout Leader's Guide To Youth Leadership Training is a MUST-READ for both alike! It's one of those "tools" you wish every Scoutmaster got when he accepted his role in a Unit (including me).
A new patrol leader may think, at first, their position is one of great power and authority. Truth be told patrol leaders do have great power and authority but it's not aimed at bossing people around or commanding their respect.
It has been an interesting week or so and the blog once again, while always on my mind took a back seat to the daily working of being a Scoutmaster. As we prepared for the camp out and then went out on another winter adventure the Scouts of Troop 664 kept me busy and looking…
When we think about a patrol leader's council we form a picture of Scouts sitting around a table talking and making plans but what's really going on? The Senior patrol leader is in charge, the patrol leaders are assembled , the scribe is ready, the Scoutmaster is on hand to advise… what happens next?
Whether you’re a new Scoutmaster or not, Working the Patrol Method – A Scout Leader’s Guide To Youth Leadership Training is a MUST-READ for both alike! It’s one of those “tools” you wish every Scoutmaster got when he accepted his role in a Unit (including me).
The first post in this series about the patrol method paints a picture of the patrol as the central unit of Scouting, next we discussed the adult role followed by discussing the usual objections that arise when we put the patrol method into practice.
Our first post in this series establishes the patrol method as the character school of Scouting, that real self-government makes the Scout Oath and law more relevant than a bunch of concepts preached by adults. That Scouts find meaning in the life of the patrol and troop where individual responsibilities become group responsibilities.
Spent some time going over the Senior Patrol Leader Handbook this weekend. Along the same lines as the Patrol Leader Position Specific Training, I've gone through the SPL Handbook and outlined a training module for use with initial position specific …
Imagine a bus tour of some important city where, seated in the air-conditioned comfort of a motor coach, we listen to the guide explain each landmark in detail so we won't miss anything. The guide sticks to the script, we sit behind the tinted windows of our bus dutifully turning our heads to the left…
In order to keep a Scout Troop established along the lines of the Patrol Method and being Boy-led, it is important that new Scouts in the Troop are taught about the Patrol Method and know its importance and the responsibilities it requires of each Scout.
A troop without an activity calendar is like a car without a steering wheel: It lacks direction. In the Boy Scouts, creating a troop calendar for the next six to 12 months doesn't happen by itself. It takes dedication from a well-trained Patrol Leaders' Council - and the right amount of guidance from adult leaders like…
The senior patrol leader is in charge of troop meetings from beginning to end. He chairs meetings of the patrol leaders' council as they plan troop activities and programs… To help the senior patrol leader achieve that leadership goal, you as
Today’s edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook is a quotation from the founder of Scouting, Baden-Powell, which I found particularly powerful: In this quote, Baden-Powell is very clear on the importance in which he holds the Patrol Leaders. Since Patrols are real units with real responsibility, the Leaders that they elect are equally real and should…
John Thurman was a prolific writer and Camp Chief of Gilwell Park from 1943 to 1969. I have taken some of his thoughts on the patrol leaders council (called the Court of Honor in the UK at the time)
For those of you new to Boy Scouting, please understand that it is not an advanced Webelos Program. Indeed, it is quite different. Unlike almost every other youth program, Boy Scouting is youth led and youth run. That's right, adults do not run a Boy Scout Troop.
The Patrol is, like the ideals, the foundation of the Troop. The Patrol is where the Scout learns citizenship, it is where they practice democracy, leadership, and teamwork. It is where they find companionship, life long friendships, and a place where they belong.
The Assistant Patrol Leader is a youth member of a Boy Scout troop who is appointed by the Patrol Leader and leads the patrol in his absence. The position of Assistant Patrol Leader does not qualify for the leadership requirements for advancement.
I realize that many of you would think that I have gone overboard about the subject of "Why Scout Camp is Important" but I still have covered this topic in its entirety. Basically what I am doing is that I am trying to give you as Scout Leaders, Youth Leaders, or parents enough information in…
Experience, maturity and skill are not prerequisites to leadership; they are the traits produced as we practice leadership. We often get email or comments from Scoutmasters with a troop of young Scouts wondering how they can be anything like boy led.
Adult leaders often say things like; "I don't override the boys decisions at all. " "I asked them what they wanted to do." "This was their decision." What most of us fail to recognize is that many of these ‘boy led' decisions were probably coerced, at least in part, by the presence of adults when they…
This post introduces a new contributor to Scoutmastercg.com; Walter Underwood. You can learn more about Walter by reading his profile . I really like the idea of a regular, brief and focused discussion amongst the adult leadership to air any concerns or ideas; we'll be having one of these discussions in our troop pretty soon!
A rebroadcast of an interview with Rob Faris and Harry Wimbrough two of the authors of "Working the Patrol Method" Get the book on Amazon Working the Patrol Method (my review) Patrol System Survey Results (PDF file) Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe…
In this weeks poll I want to know about your Troops annual planning session. Your choices are: Totally on the Scouts, meaning the Scouts put together the annual plan and submit it to the Troop committee to receive the support to run the program.
Last night was the last PLC Meeting for this group. After a long, busy Summer Camp the SPL told them no class A uniforms, just wear your Summer Camp shirt. The enjoyed the break from the heat (those uni's can get HOT) and got right down to work with planning 1 campout, 5 meetings, a…
Ok.. so the first post on JTE has been met with some resistance. Let me just say this, then I will move on. As a Scoutmaster or Committee Chair, you need to have a way to measure the success of your unit.
The patrol method is not a way to operate a Boy Scout troop; it is the only way." Baden-Powell knew that the success of any troop is contingent upon building patrol spirit and creating an environment of healthy competition. So how do you get the patrol method working in your troop?
So, you are new to the Boy Scout program. Maybe you crossed over this spring with your son who was a Webelos Scout, or maybe you joined with your son as he joined the program. Either way, you may be hearing terms you are unfamiliar with and abbreviations that confuse you.
If the Patrol Leader's Council (PLC) is supposed to be responsible for planning meetings and outings for their Troop how does this happen in practice? There is no universal model, agenda or method but there are some broad underlying principles: Give them the tools A little bit of training, a lot of questions and a…
Scout Tuesday: After the campout takes on another dimension. We do not have a Troop Meeting but we do expect all equipment to be returned on this day. The PLC also meets to plan out the month. So for today's 100 Days I will recap a typical PLC Meeting: - I hold a 'pre-meeting' to give…
The position of the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster is one that I find debated frequently. The debate ranges from what rank he needs to be to the age he needs to be and then as to what his job is within the Troop.
Tonight is our PLC...it's really only the second one that we have had...the others haven't really materialized...mostly due to the scouts not being trained...my fault...I take full accountability for that. That has been rectified, by holding TLT last month, and now, with a new patrol, our PLC is shaping up rather nicely.
A fellow Scout Blogger posted about Benefits of a small Troop. Being a Scoutmaster of 118....I thought I would respond here. To be fair I kept the original post and replied in italics...visit Scoutmaster Musings...we might disagree here but he put out an excellent resource for many Scouts and Scouters: the original post follows...
William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt described his ideal boy run as follows: "Troop No. 3 has its share of Merit Badge Scouts and streamers testifying to its proficiency at Council Rallies and Camporees. Yet, its Scoutmaster is never much in evidence.
A Scout led Troop lives and dies with the PLC. Success can be found when the young leaders of the Patrol Leaders Council are well coached. Scoutmasters are the coaches of the PLC and in order for them to be a high performance team they need to be allowed to plan and work their plan..
It's about time! Working the Patrol Method a Scout leader's guide to youth leaderhip training is the best work on the patrol method since 'Green Bar' Bill Hillcourt's Handbook for Patrol Leaders last published in 1965 or Baden Powell's Aids to Scoutmastership originally published in 1920.
Fresh back from IOLS I'm chock full of the ideals of the Patrol method and "boy led." While boy led is how our Troop has advertised itself I have doubts as to how much it has been in practice. It …
[Author’s note: Throughout this article I am not referring to any specific Troop, this is more general.] I’ve had the opportunity to visit several Boy Scout troops during my time in Scouts, and the one thing I know for sure is that each one operates differently.
