Using the "Old Goat" Patrol

[SeattlePioneer]

Bob White has a good critique of the idea of an adult patrol. But he suggests that a group of adults can plan and coordinate their activities informally by just observing what is needed and "pitching in."

 

While I've seen that work, I'm seeing it fail in the Troop I'm a part of now, which appears to need more formal organization of adults to get things done.

 

And as I've been encouraging it, I've promoted the idea of the Troop Committee Chair as being the "Patrol Leader" of the adult Patrol. When I first suggested the idea, the CC said, "no one has elected me to be Patrol Leader," to which I suggested that as CC he was pretty much the de jure leader of the adult Scouters.

 

Unfortunately, in our Troop, activities tend to be underplanned and planned too late. This begins with the Scoutmaster, who isn't capable of doing much advance planning himself and doesn't do much to encourage or train the Scouts in such skills either.

 

For these reasons, more formal orgainzation seems to be necessary or we adults will tend to go hungry on camping trips.

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

 

 

[schleining]

Like I said earlier, we adults are not a Patrol, but we establish the adult area of the campsite like a Patrol.

 

And then at Camporee this last weekend I came back to the campsite to find the Water jug marked with "OLD GOATS".

 

Not turning into a Patrol, but a good way of marking our gear.

 

I had to laugh.

 

Jerry

[madkins007]

I agree that the SM and ASM should not really be a part of the 'Adult Patrol', but in our old unit, we had TONS of other adults along, and formed such a patrol for two purposes- the public purpose was lead by example. The unwritten purpose was to give them something to do apart from their own kids.

 

I prefer that the SM and at least the senior ASMs 'float'. One unit had a policy I would have loved to impliment- adults are invited to patrols for meals as guests. It is budgeted for and pre-scheduled by the PLC- remember, sorta like we did in Wood Badge.

 

This puts an adult up close and personal- meals better be OK, and someone is there to watch the Patrol Method in action. The guest reports back to the SM to help the leaders plan ways to improve training overall, NOT to nitpick patrols.

 

By the way, I agree with one patrol for the Scouts. I liked the advice in "The Socutmaster's Other Handbook" for patrols of 10-12 to allow for kids who cannot attend activities- the bigger patrols would 'absorb' the lack easer than smaller patrols.

[DugNevius]

an additional thing an adult patrol can serve would be to keep the dads busy and away from their sons, allowing the scouts to turn to the PL and learn to rely on him, also removing the temptation for adults to do the scouts jobs.