Leaderboard

Does having adults around on a patrol hike change things? Yes, no mater how quiet they are, and how much in the background they stay. It hurts the scouts. Multiple studies have shown the benefits of unsupervised time for child development. The kids need time without any adults around to grow. Youth Protection is important, but not at the expense of the kids.

Seeing how as the Patrol is the fundamental unit of Scouting, that the Patrol Method is the only method and that today in Scouting we do not see patrol method being used enough or very well, I thought I would start a thread on Best Practices. Not just how to define what patrol method is, but what adult leaders can do, and maybe more importantly what they should NOT do in order to create an environment where a true boy-led patrol method environment takes hold. I'll start with a few: A gang of boys, friends, with common goals and interest, that work together to have fun and accomp

I had the same thought, but perhaps his user name is in reference to something else? I agree, I would be concerned about someone who wasn’t taking responsibility for his actions.

@5thGenTexan, if I'm reading too much into your situation, just assume that there might be some other scout or scouter who needs this frank discussion. Your #1 job is to survive your anxiety. I know a couple of friends who failed to do that, and the world is worse off without them. Turn in any firearms. Not joking. The glove compartment of your car will be just fine without one. We guys are really good at hiding stuff that will do us harm long before it does us any good. And the trail of sorrow is long. Years after the fact one friend was asking me about why his best buddy did what he did

There are lots of people, myself included, who cannot do the job. Being a good scout leader is not an easy task. Not everyone can do it. It is nothing to be ashamed of. They say that there is no crying in baseball. Most of us would also say that there is no failure in scouting. You did your best. That is all we ask for.

Is it possible to quantify this a bit? How often does a scout get permanent damage on a hike from mishandling a first aid situation? How often does a parent know enough to make a difference in such a situation? What training does an adult need to make a difference in such a situation and how many adults have that training? Standard first aid assumes there's an ambulance 5 minutes away. First aid MB is mostly a joke. If it weren't then I wouldn't have to renew my first aid in a week from now. Wilderness first aid touches on more issues. So how many adults have taken wilderness first aid and how

It’s really more of an attitude. You do what you can do with your resources. The patrols in my troop as a youth always roped off the patrol campsites whether or not we were 100 yards, feet, or whispering distances apart. Scouts of other patrols were expected to ask for permission to enter the other campsites. Barry

A few thoughts 1) camping 300 feet away from other patrols and adults. That way are close enough in an emergency, but far enough away to be independent 2) Adults don't interfere except for safety 2a) Adults make sure it's a true emergency. Had an incident where one ASM jumped on a Scout's case because he thought the Scout was playing with fire, when he was cooking his meal over an open flame. 3) Let the Scouts make any rules like " no consecutive terms," have to be X rank for PL, SPL, etc. 4) Don't tell Scouts who to vote for. Yes, heard about that one twice n