Adult/Leader Patrols
Keith Wood (kwood@CJNETWORKS.COM)
Wed, 3 Dec 1997 11:31:16 -0500
Reading the other responses on this subject today prompted me to offer an
additional thought. One of the respondents noted an example where adult
patrols became an adult club, with better gear, etc. This is a concern and
I have seen it happen in our district too. Generally, but not always, our
leaders use the same tents, we have the same cooking gear as the boys, we
store our stuff side by side with the Scouts' gear, and we operate on the
same rules, even to a patrol flag and yell. Over time, new leaders
inadvertently begin to shift the situation, but somehow cooler heads
prevail and we prevent the clubby concept from becoming entrenched.
The point should be obvious. This is a concern, but in a boy led troop,
the adults should not be in the patrol being the leaders. Camping as a
separate patrol does not mean that the program has to go down hill. With
enough leaders though, as someone else pointed out, there are usually
plenty of folks to wander around, suggest ideas, teach and counsel, all
while setting and displaying a good example of the patrol method.
Keith Wood
ASM, etc, etc
"Used to be a Lightning Bobwhite"
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
