Scout rank requirment trouble

[MrJZhu]

Hi, I am 15 years old and just started scouting. I having a bit of trouble with a scout rank requirment, which is to see my patrol flag. The thing is that it seems like NO ONE in my patrol seems to know where the flag even is! How can I fix that? Do I have to see the flag or can someone describe it and me memorize that description be sufficient? Thanks

[scoutldr]

The requirement is: 
"Become familiar with your patrol name, emblem, flag, and yell. Explain how these items create patrol spirit."

If no one knows where it is, I would discuss with my Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader.  Your patrol should create one if one does not exist.  Good Luck and Happy Scouting!

 

[fred8033]

If the patrol flag is lost, get together with your friends and create a new one.   It can be very fancy and professional ... or a simple craft project ... or a hand made cloth hung on a tree branch.   It really depends on what you want as a patrol flag.

  




 

[DuctTape]

After you find or make  a new flag, at the next campout challenge another patrol to a game of capture the flag.

[MrJZhu]

@DuctTape Won't work - we don't do montly campouts where everyone is forced to be there, instead, we have signup sheets and patrols on campouts that aren't called "Camporee" are for eating purposes only usally.

[qwazse]

There are some advantages to starting scouting later. One is that you can be bothered when a patrol is missing something. You might think that you can’t fulfill the requirement because your patrol flag is nowhere to be found, whereas an 11 year old would just say, “My patrol doesn’t have a flag, so I’ll do my best without it.”

I think if you brought this up to the patrol and told him how important the flag is and how you all should remake one (at least temporarily until the preferred one is found), you’ve met spirit of the requirement.

Edited July 17 by qwazse

[DuctTape]

1 hour ago, MrJZhu said:

@DuctTape Won't work - we don't do montly campouts where everyone is forced to be there, instead, we have signup sheets and patrols on campouts that aren't called "Camporee" are for eating purposes only usally.

Sorry to hear that. Perhaps you could be the change agent the troop needs to start having them. 

[MrJZhu]

The thing is that on a lot of campouts, if it was done that way, each patrol would consist of like 1 or 2 members. That is why eating patrols are done. At the same time, I don't think even if I proposed that that it will go through because I just don't think that the troop would want mandtory outings. We require camporee and still some scouts do not show up. @DuctTape

[SSScout]

Somewhere, in somebody's attic or basement crawlspace, is  piece of Redwood that the Eagle Patrol of Troop 759 carved for a Patrol Campsite gateway.  13, 14 year old kids using chisels and hammers.  We didn't have a Patrol flag, but for this weeklong Troop sponsored summer camp, it was us.  Somebody's dad had this scrap of Redwood from a project , and we used it. We might have had a flag, someone's mom helped make, hem, paint on the cloth, but I don't remember that. The carving I remember.  

Patrol cooking.  For that summer weeklong the Troop  parents decided, since somebody had this property (it is now part  religious retreat center and part county park and part subdivision) , they decided it would be fun for the Troop to build a small cabin for "headquarters"  and Quartermaster , they found a natural spring that was capped and  tested safe, and so we created a campground.  Patrol campsites were created and so we learned Scoutcraft.  Yes, we created campfire sites and cooked for our meals.  We cooked or went hungry. 

Patrol cooking?   As we went on with our Scout careers, sometimes kids couldn't come, that was alright.  Two of us made a Patrol. You didn't combine unless there was only one (Moose, Beaver and Eagles?)  But it was certainly not enforced.  You want to cook alone? No problem. You can share our stove or fire.  The parents/dads made sure we were safe, but it was up to us to cook and eat.  And a Scout that didn't help or "cooperate" in the chores might not eat, the other Scouts enforced that, it got back to the parents and sometimes that Scout didn't come back (hello Randy?). 

It can only need one active engaged Scout to sparkplug a Patrol.  Make that your "gang". Kids need neighborhood "gangs". The only decision is what kind, to what end?  

See you on the trail..... 

[MattR]

11 hours ago, MrJZhu said:

The thing is that on a lot of campouts, if it was done that way, each patrol would consist of like 1 or 2 members. That is why eating patrols are done. At the same time, I don't think even if I proposed that that it will go through because I just don't think that the troop would want mandtory outings. We require camporee and still some scouts do not show up. @DuctTape

If the only patrol activity is eating then that raises a question. What is going on the rest of the time? Is it fun, challenging or in some way memorable? If so, then do them by patrol. If not, then it certainly explains why few scouts are going.

Another challenge is whether or not there are scout leaders. I'm not talking about someone with a position of responsibility patch. I'm talking about the scout everyone wants to hang out with because they create fun. Those people need the patrol leader patch and support from the adults to put on a good program.

Here's an idea for you to try out being such a leader. Suggest a competition between patrols to create the best patrol flag. Bling is good. Flashing lights are great. Spend part of a meeting for patrols to think about ideas and another meeting to make them. The hard part will be finding material so ask the adults if they could help with that. This is the type of activity that can be fun, create good memories and help patrols develop.

[DuctTape]

16 hours ago, MrJZhu said:

The thing is that on a lot of campouts, if it was done that way, each patrol would consist of like 1 or 2 members. That is why eating patrols are done. At the same time, I don't think even if I proposed that that it will go through because I just don't think that the troop would want mandtory outings. We require camporee and still some scouts do not show up. @DuctTape

If scouts are not participating in the campouts, then tgd first step is finding out why. Likely it is b/c they aren't fun. This is often a result of the adults planning them. I hope you can find a group of scouts, create a patrol and plan your own outings with fun stuff to do.

[DannyG]

The Scout requirement is "become familiar with" and "Explain how these items create patrol spirit." Unfortunately, you have discovered your patrol flag is missing and nobody can find it. Perhaps you could explain how having a patrol flag would create more patrol spirit.