This is a letter written to the members of my Troop about the matter of patrols and their necessity to our mission and for my own consideration on the topic.
In any project, we define success as meeting our goals. It follows that in order to be successful, you must first have a goal. In scouting, we have not just a goal, but a great mission. This is the development of the character of the youth, particularly through leadership. It is not enough to be led, good citizens and scouts are to Be Prepared for any situation. Living up to that ideal may seem like a monumental task for the unprepared, but as Baden Powell said in Aids to Scoutmastership, Scouting is simple. It works through the Patrol method, a way of assigning leadership to as many boys as possible. Without this framework for scouting, we are not equipped to teach true leadership, the foundation of character "The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting for boys can be carried on. It is the only method." —Lord Baden-Powell, Scouting's founder.
In order to understand the method, we first look at the structure. By ‘scouting’ we mean the character of all great and rugged individuals: backwoodsmen, explorers, and frontiersmen. “In giving the elements of these to boys we supply a system of games and practices which meets their desires and instincts, and are at the same time educative” (Page 6)
Baden Powell understood that the youth have a tendency to form long-term ‘gangs’ for everything from play, to mischief and loafing. “From the boys’ point of view Scouting puts them into fraternity-gangs which is their natural organization, it gives them a smart dress and equipment; it appeals to their imagination and romance; and it engages them in an active, open-air life.” (Page 6) This exclusive sense of fraternity is a fundamental aspect of human psychology, even apes exhibit this tendency. It is this sense of exclusive fraternity. Something which he can call his own and be proud of. Scouting, in essence, fuses the two. It undertakes the instruction of great character in a natural and compelling way for all youth.
The fundamental view of scouting as a fraternity of good character has been established, but the importance of the small group cannot be understated. “The main object of the Patrol System is to give real responsibility to as many boys as possible.” (Page 32)
By working through patrol leaders leadership is dispersed to as many youths as possible, and in return, the boys have a real chance to develop and self-actualize. It is one thing to be led, but to be responsible for your own development is something that really appeals to the youth. Nobody wants to be told what to do, but the chance to lead his fellows in a kind of great, virtuous outdoor adventure is irresistible. The troop facilitates this by providing a support structure for patrol leaders to develop along the right track.
The scout troop is not to be understood in terms of the collective. The success of the organization is to be evaluated on the basis of its mission. It is Individual character development through group leadership. Individual responsibility is a crucial part of that character development. It is quickly realized through patrol leadership. Accountability for the actions of his unit, and accountability to them for their development and enjoyment in the whole program comes quickly. But this can only happen when he is made the leader of a distinct and long-term group. In the entire world of scouting, there is a brotherhood of idealism, uniformity, and discipline created by shared values and experience. In each troop, there is a sense of competition and identity created by patrol activities. The troop works by supplying the patrols with structure and provisions. It oversees their activities and keeps them on the right path. In each patrol, there are inseparable bonds of friendship forged by teamwork and the completion of difficult goals. The members of a patrol all work together because of their shared identity which they seek to uphold. They do this through games, outdoorsmanship, and scoutcraft which substantiate a reason for interest and an avenue of teaching those skills necessary for a good life. The entire structure works together to support the individual and enhance the overall experience. This is the model of leadership and the way to growth.
This method is the one thing that makes scouting visibly distinct from all other organizations, it is the bedrock of progress in leadership and the prerequisite for truly engaging activity. Without patrols, we may as well have a church youth group. Most youth groups have activities appointed from the top down. Many of them go camping a few times in the summer and all of them have games like tag, relays, and even hot potato. Most of the kids enjoy their mandated fun, but it can't compete with sports or video games. Fun is beside the point, those groups have another mission, games are a tool to them, not a method. The main reasons for membership in a youth group like that include religious commitment and parental compulsion, you know it's true. This troop has it all confused. Games aren't supposed to be what keeps people in the troop, it’s the challenge of leadership and the call of adventure that separate us. “The Patrol System is the one essential feature in which Scout training differs from that of all other organizations, and where the System is properly applied, it is absolutely bound to bring success. It cannot help itself!” Aids to Scoutmastership.
In youth programs, there is a common spectrum. It exists between the extremes of martial discipline and the finest imbued knowledge imaginable. In the excellent book "The Patrol Method" - Bill tries to convince adults we are presented with this dilemma. On one end there are football team mentalities. They have martial discipline and only focus on the activity. On the other side, there is a sort of science club mentality. They know little of discipline but memorize every small fact. Each group appeals to only one aspect of psychology, and both suffer from it in some way. Scouting is the fusion of these two ideas into one through leadership. The program offers a sense of uniformity and discipline with physical activity. It also allows for the learning of many unique and useful skills through merit badges and scoutcraft. It is only able to do this because of the excellent program of patrol leadership in such an appealing setting. It beacons to adventure and challenges the youth to virtue. You cannot compel scouts to feel this way, but you can teach them to live it.
How to summarize all of this? Scouting is a program that seeks to develop the individual character of the youth. It does this by presenting a call to adventure for the youth, the great outdoors, the image of chivalry, and moral virtue in the oath and law. By splitting the youth into patrols it distributes leadership to as many of the boys as possible. Patrols create a sense of identity which fosters competition and teamwork. This closeness allows the youth to bond more tightly and chooses common interests to share in activities. Instead of pleasing many youths, only eight friends need to agree. These units form a troop that is more entertaining and constructive as a whole. Smaller groups mean that more activities can be done, fewer materials are needed at a minimum and competition is more vigorous. Youth are more likely to attend meetings because their very closest friends will be there, and they will have the chance to do what they enjoy as a group. The SPL should not be a dictator of fun. He is the conduit of will from the PLs to the scoutmaster. The troop should not be an amorphous collective to appoint fun, but a government to guide developing leaders in their patrols.
Since it has been established that the patrol method is the core of our movement, and the only method by which scouting can be carried on it is fitting to include a plan here of how to implement it. According to the BSA “Patrol Leaders carry out planning, leading, and evaluating patrol meetings and activities, and assure patrols are prepared to participate in all troop activities.” This concept should be introduced at JLT Training through the web page. Newley elected patrol leaders will be taken for 30 minutes to learn more in chapter one of the Patrol Leader Handbook. They will follow along with a copy of the book and write answers in this study guide.
The handbook will become an eight-week course which will be continued at the first meeting after the elections at JLT. Over the next eight weeks for 30 minutes before each meeting, PLs will attend a course of study with a senior scout and scoutmaster to read through the handbook. Each week the patrols will be introduced to activities as they are provided in the book. Chapter two covers patrol spirit. That meeting will allow them to use all the skills covered in the chapter. The chapters may be read out of order as needed. By the end of January, we should have covered the entire handbook, leaving newly trained leaders until June to develop. During that whole time, a special emphasis will be placed on patrols. Over time Patrol leaders will become more independent. It is important to know that the more responsibilities you give them, the more they will respond.
At the end of my term as SPL, I hope to have guided the troop on top of the right, straight, and narrow path of scouting. My goals are the goals of scouting, and I submit my will to them. “Each patrol leader is given full responsibility for the behavior of his patrol at all times. The patrol is the unit to work or play. Responsibility and competitive rivalry are established, and a good standard of development is ensured throughout the troop from day to day.” The Patrol - Troop Leader Resources
“My ideal camp is where everyone is cheery and busy, where the patrols are kept intact under all circumstances, and where every patrol leader and Scout takes a genuine pride in his camp and his gadgets.” The Patrol - Troop Leader Resources
Troop 1048 patrols until November
Troop 1048 patrols after November
Citations and recommended reading:
—Lord Baden-Powell, Scouting's founder
The Patrol - Troop Leader Resources
"The Patrol Method" - Bill tries to convince adults
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