Re: New Scout Patrol/Experienced Scout Patrol
David W. Conner (dconner@UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU)
Thu, 29 Feb 1996 22:55:10 -0800
George Hay Kain, III wrote:
>
> We have a troop of 38 registered Scouts and plenty of adult leaders. We
> have a functioning PLC, and have lots of good Scouting and good program
> activities. However, a somewhat heated discussion is continuing within our
> Troop Committee, and I would greatly appreciate some input from the
> collective wisdom of Scouts-L.
>
> Our oldest two patrols are at about 3 or 4 active Scouts each. The
> third-oldest patrol, the Cobras, is at about 8-9 active Scouts. The newest
> patrol (they crossed over from Webelos in March, last year), the Flaming
> Arrows, is 13 strong. Since our Pack graduates its Webelos into our Troop,
> almost all our patrols are essentially the Cub Den/Webelos Den that
> graduated into the troop in any given year. The Cobras have been Scouts for
> two years, the Flaming Arrows for one year. Almost every one of the Flaming
> Arrows have made First Class in the first year of Scouting in accordance
> with National's guidelines. They have more patrol meetings, wear their
> uniforms more frequently, and do more "neat Scouting stuff", than the rest
> of the troop put together. They almost beat the Cobras, one year their
> seniors, in getting to be all First Class Scouts.
>
> The issue is that some of the Troop Committee feel that once the "New Scout
> Patrol" has completed its first year, it should be broken up and the members
> farmed out to "round out" the other older patrols in membership. They point
> to language in the Boy Scout Handbook, p. 10, which reads as follows: "Once
> you have earned the First Class badge or have entered the seventh grade, you
> will have learned all you can from your new Scout patrol. You will be ready
> to join one of your troop's experienced Scout patrols."
>
> Others feel very strongly that since this group of boys has been together
> for six years (they were Tiger Cubs, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I, and Webelos II)
> together, and since none of them want to join any other patrols and in fact
> want very much to stay together ("We've come this far together, we want to
> make Eagle together!"), they should not be forcibly broken up just to
> satisfy some adult's interpretation of the Handbook. They argue that the
> Handbook concept of a New Scout Patrol followed by a transfer to experienced
> patrols may be fine for situation where boys join a troop at random times
> (versus all at once in the Webelos cross-over), and where they don't know
> each other to begin with (unlike here where the boys have a six year track
> record together). I fear that forcible or entreated breakup and transfer of
> this patrol is likely to actually kill the current enthusiasm these boys
> have for Scouting, and for helping each other to "make Eagle together." I
> am well aware I betray my bias in the way I have reported the situation, but
> I believe my facts are stated correctly.
>
> If the boys wanted to break up and transfer into other patrols, they could
> do so at any time, since our current Troop policy is that patrol transfers
> are permitted at any time with the consent of the Scoutmaster and of the
> PLC. I am just against forcing them to do so, and I'm against "lobbying"
> them to do so. I.e., I don't want the committee members of the opposite
> viewpoint to be telling the boys, "It's your choice, but the Handbook says
> you should be disbanded, and as good Scouts, you want to follow the
> Handbook, don't you?"
>
> If I'm wrong, and the boys really should be encouraged to join other
> patrols, I'm willing to listen. I want what's best for the boys. I would
> really welcome any thoughts pro or con that you experienced Scouters may be
> able to offer.
> /s/ George Hay Kain, III <ghkain@cyberia.com>
> Attorney at Law (Estates & Trusts)
> 29 North Queen Street, York, PA 17403-1428
> Telephone and Fax: 717-848-3500
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Assistant Scoutmaster for Training, Troop 25, B.S.A. (aka The Cyber-Eagle)
> | >>>-----> | Tuckahoe Lodge 386 - Ordeal '62 - Brotherhood '65 |
>>>-----> |
> "I used to be a Bear, but I'll always be an Eagle, and a Silver Beaver, too."
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leave them in there patrol. They will do better in a patrol they feel
part of. You can always break them up later. "If it works don't fix
it,it don't need to be fixed"
yis David Conner
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
