From: Larry Tuck (LarryT@CURTCO.COM)
Date: Thu Jan 27 2000 - 12:45:36 CST
Bill asks:
<<What about adult patrol advisors? Anyone have any job descriptions for
them... orientation matierial? One of my biggest challenges is morphing a
Webelos Den Leader into someone who will let the Scouts lead.>>
******
Given a choice, I'd rather not appoint a newly-bridged WDL as a patrol
advisor, especially to a New Scout patrol, precisely because they often have
difficulty making the transition from an adult-run program to a boy-run
program. It doesn't make a lot of sense to have your least-experienced
leaders in charge of your least-experienced scouts. Have them spend a year
first as an ASM-at-large, or assistant patrol advisor with a more
experienced ASM as the primary advisor.
Given a choice, I'd also rather not have an ASM serve as advisor to his own
son's patrol. It's a lot harder to keep your hands off when it's your son's
dinner getting burned, or if you feel he's not advancing fast enough. It's
easier to be objective when it's someone else's kid.
Of course, we often don't have a choice, and the only available ASM
candidates are New Scout parents. (Does a patrol advisor have to be an ASM?
They are in our troop.)
Last year, our former Scoutmaster served as New Scout ASM and patrol advisor
to our one New Scout patrol. This year, we have three New Scout patrols.
Gary is staying on as head New Scout ASM, with three new dads as ASM/patrol
advisors under his direction. We are requiring each of the new ASMs to
attend Scoutmaster Fundamentals at the next available session. The
more-experienced ASM will provide on-the-job training and coaching.
Not all of our regular patrols have advisors-we haven't had enough trained,
committed adults to go around. The patrols that do have advisors meet more
often, are more organized, work together better, advance faster, and maybe
most significantly provide more and better troop officers. The negative is
that the advisors sometimes have to be reminded that it's the boys' patrol,
not the advisor's patrol.
So, what's the Patrol Advisor's job?
*In a nutshell, the Patrol Advisor's job is to make the Patrol Leader look
like a hero.*
If in six months people say that Jimmy was the best PL the Panthers ever
had, and all the Scouts want to be in Jimmy's patrol, the Advisor has done
his job. If everyone wants to be in Mr. Smith's patrol, Mr. Smith has
probably missed the point.
In the case of a New Scout patrol, it's his job to make the Troop Guide look
like a hero, and their mutual job to train the New Scouts to be great Patrol
Leaders.
There are other things, but nearly everything else follows from developing
the Patrol Leader. Work behind the scenes with the PL to encourage patrol
meetings and other activities (remembering that fun is just as important as
work); encourage advancement, especially with younger scouts; ensure health
and safety, especially with younger scouts; keep the parents off their backs
when necessary. Provide logistic support (meeting places, transportation)
where needed.
In a larger troop like ours, the Patrol Advisor also plays an important role
in providing Adult Association. Adolescent boys crave attention and approval
from adults they respect, and in a big troop it's hard for the Scoutmaster
to spend enough time with every Scout. The Patrol Advisor needs to be a
mentor to the individual Scouts in the patrol, monitoring their progress,
encouraging them to advance and take on leadership roles, and praising them
for their achievements.
I could come up with other things, but they're all secondary to coaching and
supporting the youth leadership of the patrol.
I hope this helps. It's a good question and I hope to see other comments on
the subject.
Larry Tuck
SM, Troop 761
Thousand Oaks, CA
