Re: Patrol Leader Award
(no name) ((no email))
Tue, 11 Aug 1998 22:16:01 +0000
Lawrence Tuck asked:
>I'd like to come up with some sort of recognition for patrol
>leaders who do a particularly good job. One thought I had was a
>"Patrol Leaders Knot", similar to the various Scouters' knots,
>with a similar set of requirements--attend JLT, serve six months,
>attend all PLCs, X number of patrol meetings, do a certain amount
>of advancement, etc.
Sounds great. Sounds like the requirements for the older Crest of
Leadership in the ALL OUT FOR SCOUTING! program back in the 70s.
I was part of a team that was fielding something called the
"FORWARD IN LEADERSHIP" award, which took the Crest and moved it
outward toward the 80s and 90s. The program died when we
reformulated the advancement trail and the Troop Operations Plan.
I wouldn't bother with the knot, however, only because knots are
used in the place of a plaque, medal or medallion, or certificate
for special Scouting work and service. I would tend to do as many
Troops, including the one in which I grew up in, did....give a
piece of special uniforming (in our Troop, it was the special red
berets that the Patrol Leader of the Year and Quarter got; you
could only get one hat, but you could get a $25 gift certificate
for trading post stuff from the Council as many times (I got three
of them, which paid for shirts and shorts!) as you can earn them.
I would tend to go with something which SCREAMS Scouting, like a
staff or backpack or one of the smokey-the-bear hats.
>1) Does anyone else do anything like this? What are your criteria,
>and have you found it helpful in motivating PLs?
I didn't do this, but it was done to me, and I think it was highly
motivating...like I said, I earned the beret and three $25
certificates!
>2) What are the rules, if any, on troop-designed, custom square
>knot patches? Or should I stay away from square knots and use a
>different type of patch?
I would stay away from a knot emblem *unless* you're going to also
present a plaque, trophy or medal. What *I* would do was what Jake
Boals, Terrance Wilson and Barb Pullam did when they designed the
Silver Scouter Award for folks at Eastern Kentucky University a
while back. What they did was to take one of the BSA "contest
medals" in silver, Jake had it highly shined, and Barb found
someone that made a neck ribbon from fabric material at a local
fabric shop. The school's colors are maroon, white and gold, so
the first set of medals "made" have ribbons with all three colors
in it. The scound set were made with maroon, white and maroon
ribbon (to get the white stripe down the middle, Barb had someone
to sew the white ribbon down the center of the plain maroon
ribbon...it looked cool; from the back, it's all maroon; from the
front, it's maroon, white and maroon.)
Terrance made the certificate, patterned after those military-type
things you get with a medal (he was part of the Army ROTC cadet
corps).
The awards are presented each spring to at least two University
students, staff or faculty for "service to youth of the University
and for service to youth-serving programs or projects". Two awards
are made to Scouting Club members, one adult and one youth per 25
registered youth members of the Post. The awards are presented
during the BGSA's annual spring awards banquet.
With some changes, and of course, with your Troop's colors, you can
do something similarily for your Troop. The medals run about $3
each; engraving runs another $2 or so, and if you go with a ribbon,
you can get some great deals on older colors or go with a plain
color.
>3) Is there an award like this already out there, that I'm just
>overlooking?
Nope. There isn't anything out there for Patrol Leaders. I would
recommend that if there's enough interest, that the award could be
extended to other Troops in your District...it could do wonders for
promoting the leadership part of Scouting and your Commissioners
staff can make the presentations at Courts of Honor...which would
tend to emphasize that this isn't just "something the Troop's
adults dreamed up!"
The thing with the square knot, Lawrence, is that your Council
Scout Executive must approve it before your Troop can wear them.
He or she must send a copy of the knot award to National.
Hope all of this helps out!
Setttummanque!
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201
(settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle
241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil
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