Patrol Life

Podcast Episode (00:44:42): Listen on Apple Podcasts This encore presentation features an interview with the authors of Working the Patrol Method, a Scout leader’s guide to youth leadership training. I think this isthe 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. It’s about time! Working the Patrol Method a Scout leader’s guide to youth leadership 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....

Another agonized alliteration! In this podcast I answer emails about merit badge classes, patrols cooking their own chow, a Scoutmaster worried about Scouts who change troops, Scouting’s chimeras (or urban legends), and a little troop leadership election chicanery. Hows that for one jam-packed alliterative podcast? Here’s the first chapter of the narrative: A New Scoutmaster. Here’s the Three Secret Weapons I mentioned Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Podcast: Play in new window | Download...

What is the context of Scouting, and why does it matter? The game of Scouting has it’s own set of rules, it’s own playing field, or context. I discuss a couple of common questions that are answered by understanding this context. In addition we’ll discuss conflicts of interest for an Eagle board of review, whether one advancementrequirement automatically means you’ve completed similar requirements, when offering advice is interfering with your leadership, patrol selection, and Scouts asking for boards of review....

*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. Many Scoutmasters and others did not, at first, recognize the extraordinary value which they could get out of the Patrol system if they liked to use it, but I think that most of them seem to be realizing this more and more....

Printed edition cover. I set up this logbook for my Scouts to keep records of meetings, camping trips plans, adventures and memorable moments. They use the information to help their patrol understand what they should start doing, keep on doing or, perhaps, stop doing. By reflecting on things that worked well and things that don’t go as planned they can avoid past mistakes and make better plans in the future. By recording their thoughts they also create a memorable record of their Scouting adventures....

Once your Patrol starts taking on a life of it’s own your Scouts will want to do more ambitious activities. A field trek is hiking adventure with a purpose, and it’s a great thing to do with your Patrol. Make sure field treks are part of your Patrol operations plan. The purpose of the trek is only limited by your imagination and initiative, here’s a few ideas: Exploration Trek Pick a place you haven’t visited before and challenge the Patrol to discover every foot of it!...

How can you capitalize on patrol teamwork? In“The Hobbit” the company of Dwarves decides that they need a ‘burglar’. The burglar would be the company’s eyes and ears: scouting out locations along the way. At the recommendation of the wizard Gandalf the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins was chosen to be the burglar. Just as the Dwarves depended on Bilbo to scout ahead of the company, a Patrol needs someone to go ahead of the Patrol, scout locations, research good places for hikes, camps, and different Patrol Activities....

I wish my Patrol had kept good records when I was a Patrol Leader. I didn’t think it was all that important at the time, but I know better now. I did buy a little notebook and tried to keep it up to date, but I was so busy that I forgot to write stuff down more often than I remembered. To find out what rank requirements Scouts had completed, I had to get their book (if they brought it with them)....

In this Scout Circle Enoch Heise, Arlen Ward and myself discuss youth leadership in Scouting. Enoch is the author of the GreenBar life articles found at ScoutmasterCG.com. He’s a 19 year-old assistant Scoutmaster with a great perspective on helping youth leaders get going and keep going. Our central interest is developing a go-to resource for youth leaders to discuss and share their challenges and triumphs. Thanks to all of you who watched and participated in the live presentation!...

In part 1, I said that your Patrol shouldn’t be just a ‘paper-patrol’. Your Patrol will only become a great Patrol if you care enough to make it so. You’ve got to really care about your Patrol! I mean really care! The Scouts who are in your patrol now are the foundation. You’ve got everything you need to start building your Patrol into something great! Alright, the first step in making your Patrol awesome is getting together....

Get a life! I mean for your Patrol! Many Patrols are lifeless. These are called “paper patrols”. They have a name on paper, but it doesn’t mean much in real life. Your Patrol can be different. An active Patrol is a real team: a real group of friends! It can have a real life that grows and becomes something more and more fulfilling… and fun! I know it will work, because I did it!...

Working the patrol system is a challenge no matter where you are. I think that the scenes with Scouts huddled together in a dim room and feeling hopeless speak volumes! I laughed out loud when the Scouter says “A written test?!? Of course!”. Thanks to Mike Beck and David Smith for letting me know about this video from Scouts Australia. I’ve posted this video before, but it’s worth mentioning it again....

Here’s a question I recently received asking how to fix Scout patrol problems: I’m a Scoutmaster with less than a year under my belt and I’m faced with a ‘good problem’ ; we’re growing. We currently have 4 patrols and we anticipate that we will get about 7 Scouts from the Pack in February; they would be the 5th patrol. Currently, we have one ‘first year’ patrol, two second year patrols, and one patrol made up of the remaining older boys....

Adults keep an eye on things from a respectful distance and Scouts lead themselves. When we talk about boys planning, preparing and leading Scout outings some folks reply “Good grief, how can you leave the Scouts in charge when the troop is going on a strenuous hike to Jones Mountain and they have no experience? As Scoutmaster, isn’t it my responsibility to be closely involved in each Scout’s preparation for every activity?...

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. The patrol leader’s real power is the example they set for their fellow Scouts. A patrol will follow this example – whether it is good or bad. If they are prepared their patrol will be prepared....

This is post number four in this four part series on the patrol method**1. The Character School, 2. The Adult Role, 3. Objections, 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. Trying to work with patrols as though it were 1910 instead of 2013 is like sending a telegram in the age of email....

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. They look around a bunch of immature 11-year-old boys and don’t see anyone who measures up to their preconceived notion of a leader so the adults take over the leadership and may never let it go....

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 were discussed. It’s not that the adults shined bright lights in their eyes or twisted their arms behind their backs – it is much more subtle than that....

Patrol Choice Chart PDF FILE I am often asked about how patrols are formed, who does the choosing and how the choices are made. Scouts do the choosing and one way for them to choose is using the chart above (open the PDF file to see the chart in detail). To divide a group of Scouts into patrols each is given a slip of paper and asked to write his name at the top and circle it – then he writes the name of three Scouts he would like to have in his patrol....

Bruce Tuckman first offered a theory of group development in the mid 1960’s. Tuckman’s model has been a part of Woodbadge training for about a dozen years. Here’s Tuckman’s three stages: Forming Individuals want to be accepted by the others, avoid controversy or conflict. The group is busy with routines: who does what, when to meet, etc. Individuals gather information and impressions about each other about the groups goals and how to approach it....