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For those of you experienced with scout-led troops, how do your patrols decide to change their names. Obviously we are talking by a majority or super-majority vote. But what is the process, after that? Who buys the new patches? What becomes of the old flag? Do the old patrol's awards just go away?

 

Just looking for some ideas on how to handle this one.

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I'm sure this happened in our troop, but I don't remember it. Which makes me think I didn't get involved. So maybe this is one time you don't have to do anything. Let the patrol figure it out while you just sit back in the shade and watch.

 

Barry

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I like patrol name continuity but did not demand it as SM. What I told the patrol that wanted to change their name - go for it. As soon as you have the patrol patches, yells, flags, etc. I'll officially change your name.

 

The problem I ran into was when we had patrol equipment we labelled it Patrol A, Patrol B, etc. just for the fact that the names may change. Then, the boys couldn't quite get what equipment the "Badgers" owned. It seems simple to me but muddies the waters for quite a few Scouts and adults.

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acco40,

Not sure if this is feasable or not, but how about this: In a pack, a Webelos den can use a patrol name,patch and flag. Instead of a den # patch on their sleeve, they wear a patrol patch. BUT... on paper, they are still listed as den # 6 ( or whatever their number was.

 

Could you actually ( on paper) list the patrols as Patrol #1, #2, and #3 on paper and equipment.

 

meaning Patrol # 1 is the Screaming Banshees. Next month, patrol #1 might be the Rowdy Rhinos, then 3 months later - Patrol #1 might be the Economic Energizers as they sure are specding alot of money on patches and flags! LOL!

 

 

But the equipment still belongs to Patrol #1

 

Is that a feasable idea?

 

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When My patrol decided to change its name back in the day, we were originally the Owls, we were limited to another bird by the PLC as "Birds of a feather flock together," and our troop had a history of using bird names. So we went with Ravens. The Owl flag was retired, all ribbons retired with it, and the Ravens started fresh. When I left that troop as a leader You still had the Ravens, Eagles, Hawks, and Venture Crew which really functioned like the old Leadership Corps.

 

last I heard, they were down to one patrol, Eagles due to the membership loss after Katrina.

 

As for gear, the boxes and everything int them were numbered, not named.

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In my youth, the patrols were proud of the name and wanted to keep the name as a badge of honor. I can remember a patrol every changing its name. All the patrols had very standard patrols names chosen from the national patches.

 

In my current troop, the NSP is allowed to choose any name it likes as long as the standard national patches are worn. Usually after a year, they want to change the patrol name to something more exotic. The SM runs an advertising firm and has his art department make up a new graphic and the troop buys the new custom patches. The first time. After that, it comes out of the pocket of the patrol.

 

When I joined the troop several years ago, the patrol boxes and equipment were labeled with patrol names that did not exist. I suggested we color code & number each patrol box. Now we have Orange 1, Red 2, Blue 3, Yellow 4, Green 5, White 6, Purple 7, and Black 8. The box and every piece of equipment in the box has a piece of colored tape or spray paint on it. Non utensil items also have a stenciled number. It is amazing that at the end of every campout, the inside of each patrol box is rainbow colored. The troop quartermasters sort the gear twice a year.

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Patrol names in our troop is whatever the PL shows up with on his staff. Sometimes the shirt patches match, sometimes they don't. Selecting their patrol members and names isn't something I as SM get involved with as long as the membership of the patrol is 6-8 members, I don't worry about it. Over time groups seem to gel into nice groups without any interference from any adult.

 

Stosh

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Thanks for all the replies. I have not intention in interfering or directing the scouts to change their patrol name.

 

Where I was going about this was more about "continuity." Once a patrol changes its name, the old patrol "ends." The old flag goes away (hung on the wall around the room), along with all the old awards and ribbons the patrol earned. When the name is changed, the patrol starts a new. No history, nothing. If a patrol was working on the National Honor Patrol, they start over.

 

Do you agree with this? I want the patrols to have a real sense of continuity, and it is hard to do that if they are changing their name every 6 months.

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That's how it was done in my troop. When we brought out of retirement the OWL patrol, we got to keep the old flag and the ribbons. We really weren't working on the BOP patrol award at the time, so don't knwo what the SPL would say abotu it.

 

But after 3-4 months as OWLS, when we changed to RAVENS, we were a "brand new patrol", and had to start from scratch. The one ribbon we earned as OWLS stayed with the OWL flag since it was awarded to the OWL Patrol, not RAVEN Patrol.

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Often the change is in name only, some of the time it is the result of a merger. Most of the patrols keep their ribbons. In the case of a split, the groups will decide how to divide up the ribbons. On occasion the patrol just disappears, generally when they are either aging out or moving on the Venturing.

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  • 1 month later...

A Patrols name is a very carefully considered matter between thge scouts of the patrol and their Court of Honor (no, not that court hijacked by adult leaders for adult aggrandizement) ...

 

It is a solemn trust and revocable only by the members of that patrol...

 

Savvy scoutmasters have honored this tradition for decades....

 

Long live the Flying Spitting Space Camels wherever you are...

 

let thnose with eyes see and those with ears hear...

 

all scouting is local

 

MCCET

PMTNPO

OWL

 

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