Why did they eliminate the Leadership Corps?

[BSAChaplain]

Here's one more, "how we used to do it" posting...followed by an opinion on Venture Patrols/Crews

 

In the late 70's-mid 80's our troop used a combination of "Senior Patrol" and Leadership Corps.

 

If you were 14 years of age and First Class, you became a member of the Senior Patrol. For the purpose of camping and patrol functions this was your patrol. Most trips our Scoutmaster had a Scoutmaster's Challenge for the older Scouts that was similar to the activity for the younger. Honing our Scout skills and getting us to think outside the box.

 

Our adults functioned as a patrol, the "Silver Foxes" and there was a good natured rivalry between the Senior Patrol and the Silver Foxes as to who could eat the best, have the most luxurious camsite etc, regardless of the conditions. This made us stretch our Scout skills beyond the basics. Once per year the Senior Patrol would spend a week backpacking in the Sierras without the rest of the troop. We all functioned together as a unit. It was a tremndous week for young men and older to learn more about each other and to work as equals.

 

If you served in a position of troop leadership, you were made a member of the Leadership Corp (trapezoidal red patch with Aladdin's Lamp in the middle). This was the group of committed older Scout's that I as SPL always looked to for helping the new Scouts. All of our Boards of Review below Star were held by boys from the Leadership Corp. They were the only boys who could teach Totin' Chip classes etc.

 

Only Patrol Leaders and members of the Leadership Corps had sign off privileges for skill awards and other rank related items.

 

As the SPL and then JASM, this group made my leadership possible and very effective.

 

At that time our council offered both "JLT" - Junior Leadership Training a troop led weekend training and "TLT" Troop Leadership Training, a week-long event modeled in many ways after the Woodbadge of the 20th Century (or so I understand). In our council they called it "Buckskin."

 

Like every troop, our two biggest exit points were brand new Scouts who figured out it wasn't for the, and high school freshmen who decided there were things that interested them more. Our troop had a much higher retention rate than others in the area. I think largely due to the way we engaged our older Scouts.

 

I don't care whether you call it a Venture Patrol, Senior Patrol, Leadership Corps, or the Big Macs. The trick to retaining older Scouts is to recognize them for their abilities, allow them to shine beofre the younger Scouts and challenge them enough to keep them a little humble and interested. It should be a little elitist to make it desirable, but not so much so as to be snobbish.

 

I worry about Venture Crews. I worry that we will siphon the older boys from the troop and not allow them to build the leadership skills that are best developed after the basic skills have been learned.

 

What is there to encourage a boy to continue advancing in ranks when he is outside of the troop? If there is a strong advancement push, is that fair to the girls who cannot earn rank?

 

I know many people who think it's the best thing for this age group, but for me the jury is still out. I know this probably should have fit in another thread or been spun off, but here it is anyway.

 

Yours in Cheerful Leadership and Service.

[settleformore]

I like BSA Chaplains comments on LC. Our Troop is still utilizing the Leadership Corps format, but it has been under fire recently. Our LC has the highest attendance percentage for campouts than any of the other patrols. The younger boys look forward to their turn to move into those ranks. However, it seems that when a boy becomes a member of LC, there is a change in personality, and an superior attitude of 'can do no wrong' comes over them.

 

Reading the Scoutmaster handbook, and a few other sources, I see that the SPL is to be elected, and then he, with Scoutmasters help, appoints the rest of the positions. If this is true, how does this group of boy leaders differ from LC? Is it merely a case of semantics?

[t158sm]

Settleformore:

 

Welcome to the forum.

Glad to have you with us.

 

Think of how the leadership corps was supposed to operate as more like an older patrol. Not like how the leaders in the patrol leader's council (PLC) function. In a way you could think of the leadership corps as being made up of what we now call Troop Guides.

Their place was to teach, help and advise the younger members of the troop, not to actually run the troop.

This is kind of a rough comparison between different aspects of different programs in different times. (Boy that sounds weird)

But I hope this helps clear things up.