Troop from US Government

[mdutch]

BobWhite said:

The systems we use for troop operations are modeled after various aspects of our government branches.

 

I have never heard this statement before. Would you care to give some examples of where this occurs?

[Bob White]

The most obvious is found in the Patrol Method. The troop is a republic like our own form of governemnt. It is not ruled by a majority vote and every person does not have a say in every decision. Instead, the community elects a representative to speak on their behalf and decisions are made by the vote of the representatives. Sometimes the vote goes your way sometimes it doesn't either way you are expected to follow and support the decision as a member of the community. If you want to effect change then you need to become more active to either affect the representative or to become a representative.

 

Those who make no effort to give input willl forever be subject to the likes and dislike of those who do.

 

Then as I explained before the troop is like the United States and the Patrols are independent but co-dependent States. Each soley goverend by their own elected officials yet dependent to a degree on the resources and support of the Federal Governmemnt. The Troop (fed. Gov.) is in return dependent on the cooperation and resources of each state. The SPL acts as the President and Vice president, the other troop officers are his cabinet.

 

The Committee acts as the judicial system.

 

The SM as a trusted Presidential advisor.

 

Thers more but that is enough for now to get a discussion going.

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[SeattlePioneer]

Sorry, BW, but that analysis makes no sense at all in my view.

 

Comparing patrols to states "with a trusted Presidential adviser" fails to note that states don't have Presidential advisers, for example.

 

You are making comparisons to things that really don't compare.

 

Scouting is designed to carry out the purposes of Scouting. Any resemblance to Federal and State governments is coincidental and probably imaginary.

 

Still, Troops have to make decisions, and may include political methods of various kinds in making decisions about things to do. But it's best to look at Scout troops as Scout Troops, rather than comparing them to government organizations they have little in common with.

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

 

 

[Bob White]

The point being the SM is a counselor and not "incharge" of either the state or the country. Too many SMs look at a military model with people barking orders at each other. That's the wrong model. Scouting teaches particpating citizenship and the unit structure is one of the tools we have to help teach and explain to the scout his role in a community and in its governance.

 

Do not be concerned that it doesn't make sense to you yet. The important thing is that you be willing to learn. Scouting has many layers that go much deeper than pitching a tent or playing basketball at ta troop meeting. There are real life skill sthat can be taught over the years, some in very subtle ways.

 

With a curious mind much can be discovered.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Bob White]

Here are some facts:

The Troop operates by a republic style of government, where decisions are made by elected officials, just as with our local, state and federal governments.

 

A troop, as Baden-Powell said is a not divided into patrols, but that patrols gather to form a troop. (just as independent states gathered to form our nation, without abandoning their independence.)

 

Patrols are lead by their elected Patrol leader and not by an adult or the SPL. Just as states are lead by their Govenors and not by any other elected or selected power.

 

The SPL is elected by the troop to oversee the meeting of the PLC. Thers is nothing in any reference of the BSA that puts the SPL in charge of the patrol leaders. The PLC consists only of elected officals with the exception of the Troop Guide who is there to help train and guide the junior member of the New Scout Patrol.

 

The Definition of a Senate is an assembly or council usually possessing high deliberative and legislative functions: The PLC is a a Senate.

 

The SPL is the elected troop officer and selects all other troop leadership position, just as the PL is the elected Patrol officer and so he selects all other Patrol officers. Just as the elected President selects his cabinet who like the troop selected officers have no voting power in the PLC because they are not elected reprtesentatives.

 

How this helps to explain things more clearly.

 

footnote:

When I was 12 I was selected by my teachers for a youth government day in my town. For one week and for one city council meeting a youth was paired with a city official to run the government. As it turned out the majority of us were scouts. The mayor commented on how impressed everyone was with our understanding of civics and committees and that we seemed very comfortable during our roles in the council meeting. He asked what we thought helped us the most at school. One of the youth members stood and said "actually I think its because most of us are Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The audience applauded wildly. One of my favorite childhood memories.