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The Patrol Method

Lessons and questions of Scout leadership and operating troop program

836 topics in this forum

  1. Asking an SPL to Resign? 1 2 3 4

    By ChristianDad,
    • 50 replies
    • 12.1k views

  2. Who manages the ASMs in your troop? 1 2 3

    By ParkMan,
    • 34 replies
    • 8.3k views

  3. Patrol Meetings

    By happyhappyjoyjoy,
    • 1 reply
    • 2.6k views

  4. Election question 1 2 3

    By Kcaine,
    • 34 replies
    • 9.3k views

  5. Videos on managing scout accounts and leader-to-parent communications

    By ScoutmasterDanny,
    • 11 replies
    • 3.3k views

  6. Behavior problems: What is expected, how to deal with? 1 2 3 4 7

    By Grubdad,
    • 102 replies
    • 27.6k views

  7. How many in a patrol 1 2 3

    By sheilab,
    • 30 replies
    • 12.1k views

  8. Beating Court of Honors Scripts Doldroms 1 2

    By Deaf Scouter,
    • 18 replies
    • 5.1k views

  9. Patrol Yell for Coyote Patrol 1 2 3

    By ShutterbugMom,
    • 44 replies
    • 14.8k views

  10. Eagle Project

    By JasonG172,   
    • 14 replies
    • 4.6k views

  11. Let the Boys Lead

    By Stosh,
    • 3 replies
    • 3k views

  12. NSP and Veteran Scouts 1 2

    By Stosh,
    • 28 replies
    • 8.3k views

  13. elections? 1 2 3 4

    By thrifty,
    • 52 replies
    • 14.4k views

  14. Adults At It Again 1 2 3 4

    By Eagle94-A1,
    • 54 replies
    • 14.9k views

  15. Building Patrol Spirit: a Pie in the Face 1 2

    By Eagle94-A1,
    • 17 replies
    • 5.4k views

  • LATEST POSTS

    • fred8033
      Changing Troop Culture as a New Scouter

      By fred8033 · Posted

      I'm 100% okay with this.  I'd celebrate getting the scouts outside their comfort zone and experiencing new things. My earlier response should probably not have been written during a work mtg.  
    • MrGumby
      Changing Troop Culture as a New Scouter

      By MrGumby · Posted

      I just want to make it clear that I'm not looking to change patrol method or interfere in the details, just looking for ways to influence the broader mission of the troop without looking like the new guy who wants to come in and change everything.  My thoughts are that I can continually be hyping more wilderness-type adventures, but I don't know if there's anything more direct that people have had success with, such as altogether hosting it myself.  In my Troop when I was a Scout, we had at least one major trip or event each year that was chosen and arranged by my dad, who was SM.  Patrols would still handle meals and gear, but the itinerary was set for us.  I can imagine some strict Patrol Method adherents would not approve of this, but it got us out of our comfort zone and exposed us to things we otherwise would have missed, and thereby had a lesser overall experience for missing.   
    • fred8033
      Changing Troop Culture as a New Scouter

      By fred8033 · Posted

      Argumentative.  Patrol includes the patrol leader.  The connection between SPL and non-PL patrol members is the PL.  The point of the original sentence was that the guidance for the patrol (including PL) is thru the SM and the SPL and that parents need to be careful trying to influence the patrol (both patrol leader and patrol member).
    • qwazse
      Changing Troop Culture as a New Scouter

      By qwazse · Posted

      Regarding your original question about choices of activities: they evolve as the troop evolves. The bad news: a huge influx of crossovers will require you to focus your on basic skills and relatively short hikes to campsites. Nothing can make a 1st year hate backpacking like 4 hard miles in backcountry. On the other hand, with proper conditioning, they will be begging for a 4 day midweek outing in the middle of Dolly Sods. Regarding load balancing of chores: it takes attending multiple events to understand those dynamics. You may have seen a weekend where the younger scouts did the dishes, but on the previous camp out they may have been the cooks. You might not have seen the hours after the first trip that the older scouts had put in cleaning carbon from pots, or the hours before the trip you were on that they spent organizing gear with the QM. Attend several consecutive outings, and you might be qualified to put a bug in the SM’s ear about patterns of behavior that should be reformed.
    • acco40
      Changing Troop Culture as a New Scouter

      By acco40 · Posted

      To combat "Daddy interference", as a Scoutmaster I was also the Patrol Leader of the Rockers (our patrol badge was a rocking chair).  It was made up of the adults on the particular outing - Scouters or not.  When Daddy hovered around junior a little too much, I'd assign him a patrol function in the Rocker patrol. One of issues I seemed to always run into before I did this was having the adults critique the menu plan and and take over cooking duties.  Eating as a patrol (Rockers) and not getting in the way of their son's (and now daughter's) patrol was the goal.  I'd also allow the SPL and ASPL to eat with the Rockers (adult patrol) if they so desired as a guest (they didn't have to cook or clean up).  This did two things I thought were beneficial.  One, it allowed for me to review how the outing was going with the SPL and give him some feedback (as well receiving feedback from the SPL) and just as important, kept the SPL from overshadowing the PL during their dining.  My personal style was to always allow adults a leadership position (ASM) if they requested it (sort of like a Cub Scout asking to join a troop).  Then as the Scoutmaster I'd assign them a duty commensurate with their skill set and willingness to do it.  If they wanted a committee position, that was up to the Committee Chair. P.S.  Same approach for "Mommy's" too. 
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