Patrol Yell for Coyote Patrol

[Stosh]

Barry,

 

All valid points.  So is it my understanding that the POR Bugler and the Bugling MB need to be tossed out as passe?  If they aren't going to be functional, they need to be dumped on the heap pile of history.  You're right on the knots.  With the way the kids wear their shoes today, even if they have laces they don't tie them.

 

I would almost bet dollars to donuts that if one were to poll all the scout units in the nation, that only maybe a dozen or two have bugles, let alone boys that can play them.  Even then it's only ceremonial because all the calls for communication directions are unknown to the people hearing it.  Yeah, we all know what Taps is, maybe Reveille, too, but in the field no one even cares anymore.

 

Let's keep WebMaster and instead of Bugler, we should have an EmailMaster instead, to kinda keep up with the times.  There more functionality in an EmailMaster than there is in today's Bugler POR.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Stosh

[TAHAWK]

The proper adult role includes being a resource.  That is contrasted to making the decision or doing the job.  That does not relieve the Scouts of the responsibility for deciding on their own call/cheer/yell.

 

You could suggest googling Coyote howl OR call and let them go from there.

 

    https://coyoteyipps.com/category/coyote-behavior/coyote-howling/

 

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/campfire/helps/yells.htm

 

[The Latin Scot]

@@ShutterbugMom, I know how hard it can be to help boys come up with a Den/Patrol yell from first-hand experience! When I was a new Webelos Scout leader (never just "Webelo"; that's not a word!), I worked on getting our den a name and flag early; we became "The Merry Archers" with a cool-looking Robin Hood character on our patch, but for multiple reasons the boys could not/would not come up with a decent yell. I gave them lots of examples from old Boy's Life magazines from the 40's and 50's (back when they really knew how to use Patrol yells) and explained to them that our yell would be used to "let others know that we have arrived" (to quote Scout materials from the 30's) and as a call-and-response system during activities. And they are best when they are short and simple - a single coyote's howl is perfectly sufficient for the purposes of a den or patrol call. 

 

But they couldn't come to any agreement, nor could they think of anything reasonably like a den yell. So, I waited, and every week for over a month I would give them 10 minutes or so to come up with something. As they continually either goofed off or failed to reach a consensus, I finally told them "look - you don't have to pass off this requirement. And I don't have to give you the Scouting Adventure adventure pin, and you don't have to earn your Arrows of Light; it's okay! I'll just explain to your parents that you don't want to earn any of this." Then I smiled and said "unless, of course, you can come up with something together."

 

20 minutes later  (after we had started a completely different activity of course, because they are 10) one boy stood up and out of the blue shouted "Archers aim high ... Bull's eye!" The boys loved it (excepting one who hated it but voted for it anyway so we could get the dang thing signed off, bless his heart) and I didn't have anything to do with its creation.  All I did was remind them that it had to be their work, and that if they didn't work together, it wouldn't happen. At 10 years old that's plenty of motivation. But they got the three things that you can and must give them at this age:

1. Good examples after which they can pattern their own work

2. Time to create or perform the activity

3. Freedom to make it their own

 

Since then, I have used our den call in very much the old-fashioned way since it lends itself particularly well to call-and-response usage. When we are at pack meetings and there is a lot of activity, or out exploring and the boys are wandering around the woods, all that I or any other boy has to do to find the others is yell "Archers aim high!" and they have been trained to stand immediately and reply "Bull's eye!" no matter what they are doing. They even have a "shooting the arrow" action that goes with it, which has become so reflexive that there have been a few instances of refreshments being spilled all over the place when a boy has heard the call and jumped up to perform the response without thinking. In fact it's become something of a sick game among the boys to see how much disturbance they can make by shouting the first part of the yell and seeing what mischief comes as boys in the middle of various activities suddenly jump up to make the reply ... actually, maybe the boys aren't the only ones who get a kick out of the practice. 

 

Anyway - your group has it particularly easy. Animal calls are always the easiest to use in patrol yells, Historically in fact, the earliest calls, created by Baden-Powell himself, were simply the different calls of different animals, and were used to help patrol members find or identify each other out in the woods. In fact, it was expressly forbidden for boys to use the calls of other patrols, to the point that it was considered shameful and dishonorable to do so. A patrol's call was something that was used practically, but treated with a great deal of respect. I have tried to create that same feeling with my Webelos Scouts to great success. I am sure if you give them good models of ideal calls, time to stew on it over a few weeks even, and the freedom to truly let it be their own creation, they will come through. And remind them that you don't have to give them their Arrows of Light if they don't want to do it. 

Edited February 23, 2017 by The Latin Scot

[Stosh]

I spend a lot of time working on getting my boys out of childhood and into adulthood.  They often feel the campfires tend to be rather boring and a couple even compared them to Cub Scouts.  When told they were to have a skit for the campfire, they simply announce that they would be busy that evening and wouldn't be able to attend.  If they don't get told they would be part of the program they sometimes might go but  the older boys have their own campfire because their SM makes all the popcorn they can eat on the campfire.  After a long day of activities my boys generally head for the sack early.  They stay up late on Friday, have a full day of camporee, they pretty wind down around the fire and call it an early night.  Many times we have had to wake the boys so they can go to bed.  Raucous campfires of boring skits and unimportant awards?  Or a mesmerizing fire of small talk and popcorn?  I think in the past 10 years the youngr boys might have done one or two skits, but after attending a campfire that quickly passes.

[Eagledad]

Different Scoutmasters inspire young minds differently.

 

Barry

[qwazse]

SBmom's den has come up with examples -- four at the time of her first post.

What's in these boys' way is a willingness to defer to one another and come to a consensus.

I'm not sure pointing out that they won't earn AoL will motivate them to break that log jam.

But, it could be worth a try.

[Stosh]

Different Scoutmasters inspire young minds differently.

 

Barry

 

 

SBmom's den has come up with examples -- four at the time of her first post.

What's in these boys' way is a willingness to defer to one another and come to a consensus.

I'm not sure pointing out that they won't earn AoL will motivate them to break that log jam.

But, it could be worth a try.

 

I think these two quotes need to be together.  Yes there are Scoutmasters who inspire differently, but then there are those that are patient enough to wait for the inspiration from the boys and then support it.  Many times with boy led, there is a tendency for adults, with all their life experiences, to jump to the end of the process when patience is needed for the boys to catch up.  So while we wait, the inspiration for the resolution of this dead lock can come from the Scoutmaster, it can come from the boys, or it can come from the ultimate goal (i.e. getting their AOL.)  In the course of 5 minutes I could solve the problem for these boys, but I won't.  It's not my problem to solve.  How long will it take the boys to resolve it?  Time will tell, but in the mean time will it adversely affect the boys' development and put their goal in jeopardy? 

 

Boys at this age are still immature, not only with foresight of knowledge, but also in the development of their problem solving capabilities.  This calls for patience, not solutions. 

 

So 5 boys show up at the playground.  One has a football, another a basketball, another a baseball, and another a volley ball, and the lasts one a soccer ball.  Even with 5 boys they only have 2 choices.  Either they spend the afternoon arguing or they can play a game.  How long before they decide?  Anybody's guess, but they will eventually realize the benefits of working towards the goal of at least playing a game instead of standing around arguing.

 

So in steps the adult.  Says there's no basketball hoop, so that's out, no nets, there goes soccer and volleyball, no bats, so why don't you just toss the football around for a while.  That's fine, but the boys learned nothing in the process other than when adults decide at least we get to do something other than argue.  And what have we as adults done to prepare them for later in life when there's no one else out there to do it for them?

 

As a Scoutmaster we, too, need to learn how to know when it's proper to step in (safety issues) and when the situation needs us to step back and allow the boys to grow.

[Eagledad]

I think these two quotes need to be together.  Yes there are Scoutmasters who inspire differently, but then there are those that are patient enough to wait for the inspiration from the boys and then support it...........................

I think you need a hug.

 

Barry

[CalicoPenn]

Why the arcane Patrol Yell?  Stosh keeps answering his own question.

 

  #1 reason - group cohesiveness.  SPL asks if Coyote Patrol is present - the Coyote Patrol, as a group, does the yell.  Helps cement the group.  Patrols playing capture the flag?  Coyote Patrol get's the flag - does the Patrol Yell in celebration.  Helps cement the group.  Coyote Patrol finishes a camporee event - does the yell - helps cement the group.

 

#2 reason - communications.  Sure, we have cell phones and internet, etc. but if you're out camping and the grubmaster wants to tell the Patrol that dinner is ready, is texting really the way to go (if you even have cell access where you're camping)?  No - the grubmaster gives the Coyote Patrol yell - everyone knows the Coyote Patrol's dinner is ready.  Why use the yell and not just yell out Dinner's Ready?  Say you have 5 patrols - which patrol's dinner is ready?  Only one patrol?  Again - group cohesiveness.

 

Let's not put the yell on the trash heap just because we've got technology.  There are still places and times to use it.  If the Scouts aren't sure how to use it - it's time for the Old Goat Patrol to come up with one and start using it - after a couple of outings, the Scouts will get it if the adults will let themselves go and have fun with it.

 

As for what kind of yell for a Coyote Patrol?  Tahawk has the idea - Coyote's howl.  The best yells are something short and something Scouts will use and can use in multiple situations - a 10 line poem is just too long - and what Grubmaster is going to announce that dinner is ready by reciting a poem? 

[TAHAWK]

Group yells are not out of style.

 

OO-RAH !

 

Roll Tide !

 

O H!   I O!!

[Stosh]

My mistake, I didn't realize it had become the patrol cheer. 

[frankpalazzi]

Wow.  That was really not helpful and kind of mean spirited to be honest.  I'm sorry I asked.

 

There are 4 of them moving as a patrol and they have been arguing among themselves for several weeks about the best patrol yell.  I thought if I had a few fresh ideas for them maybe they could all agree and get started on the right foot.

 

And FYI our troop patrols use their yell at the end of every meeting.

Wow. Just plain Wow.

[TAHAWK]

Unless they know the reason for the yell, what's the point?  In all my years of Scouting no one has been able to have a patrol yell for any other reason than for meeting a useless requirement.

Not a college football fan.

 

Can I get a "ROLL TIDE ROLL !!"

 

"GO BUCKS !!"

 

https://youtu.be/rjRxdrg9BtU?t=99

[Stosh]

I guess I just define yell more as a yell one would give to get someone's attention than a cheer to excite others.    It would be interesting which is the preferred definition from early Scouting.  From my research it is more to catch another's attention without disturbing the rest of nature.  If one gave a wolf call or a bird call or some animal call as a yell to alert others in the patrol, it might not scare off the nature that the scout wishes to point out.

[TAHAWK]

"patrol yell, cheer, or call"  

 

See "Roll Tide Roll"