Scouts BSA Troop 1916

Scoutmaster’s minute:

The Patrol Method, Properly Implemented...

By following the Patrol Method, our plan for such a complicated event was both simple and strategic in its objectives: 1) Successfully get everyone to the campsite as a group; 2) Have our patrols, show younger Scouts how to set up their tents in their respective camps; 3) Ensure that the older fellas in our troop would effectively share with our younger Scouts some important skills that they will need to learn when they cross the bridge and become older; 4) Play some touch football to burn off youthful energy; 4) Prepare some tasty food for 60 adults and kids; 5) Wash the dishes and clean up after dinner; 5) End the evening with some traditional Boy Scout entertainment around the campfire.

To say everything worked perfectly would be pushing the realms of all reality. Considering the opportunities for some sort of disaster to occur, however, the Patrol Method proved its merits again.

Another adage from Baden-Powell still prevails: “Training boy leaders to run their troop is the Scoutmasterʼs most important job.”

I agree completely!

What the Patrol Method Provides to a Scout Troop

The Patrol Method provides a troop with structure and hierarchy. It teaches young boys organizational and leadership skills that will serve them well as they grow up. And the fact that the patrol leaders are selected by a vote of their fellow Scouts makes it possible to avoid a lot of the typical distractions, temptations, and emotional reactions that teenage-boys might otherwise find appealing when given the chance.

Finally, the Patrol Method reinforces a spirit of responsibility and camaraderie among the Scouts. With time and experience, they inevitably come to respect what the Patrol Method offers and recognize its enduring wisdom as a means to get the most out of scouting.

The Patrol Method in Today's Culture

With all the outside, distractive noise that young people encounter in today's culture, understanding and living by the Patrol Method will, I'm confident, teach them some important lessons and a set of valuable skills. They will learn how to develop a detailed plan and then execute it with their friends. And they'll realize that this applying this approach to some of life's many challenges will help them succeed when they head off to college and choose their own paths.

For the moment, however, following the Patrol Method certainly provides for a more enjoyable and learning experience for all of them.

Finally, I must note that when the Patrol Method is employed successfully at a troop outing, it allows more time for the Scouts to goof off, which, given the fact they are teenage boys, is a "skill" at which they all seem to excel.

Matt Salt -- Scoutmaster, Troop 1916