The Patrol Method Poll!

[dan]

Does the troop you are affiliated at with use the patrol method?

Meaning no "troop camping"

PLC runs and is in control of all meetings and outings?

ETC.

The reason I ask this is that my son and I had visited 6 troops before my son joined and I convinced him to join the one that is the most boy run, but I expect more!

After being to, 2 winteralls, 1 camporees, 1 summer camp, and 1 camporall, I see no troops that uses the patrol method.

 

[Bob White]

Nowhere does the patrol method say or promote no troop camping. I think you may misunderstand the elements of the patrol method.

 

BW

 

 

 

[KoreaScouter]

Bob;

 

Dan can speak for himself, but what I think he may mean by "troop camping" is that if you visit the campsite, there is no evidence that there are patrols camping there, just an amalgam of Scouts in a troop...things like patrol campsites, patrol flags, patrol cooking/eating areas, patrol duty rosters, and so on...

 

KS

[bugle344]

Dan, Here's our understanding and implementation of the Patrol Method:

 

We function as a Troop made up of 4 patrols - 3 youth patrols and 1 adult patrol. We don't frequent the O-rees and events organized and controlled by adults. We're heavy into backpacking, canoe, high adventure, etc.

 

The PLC plans the outings as a Troop, but once we arrive, we separate by patrol.

 

Each PL picks a campsite/cooksite, preferably out of sight from each other, and is responsible to manage his patrol.

 

Each PL is responsible to get his Scouts to the troop activity at an appointed time. i.e. Compass Training at 9am, Compass Course Competition at 11am.

 

If we have only 2 boys from a patrol on an outing, they still function independently as a patrol.

 

Summer camp - things get stirred up during class times, but when we get back to our campsite, the tents and chores are arranged by patrol. Skits and songs for campfires are by patrol. Waiters and cleanup in the dining hall is by patrol. We all sit around the evening campfire as a troop, but the PL is still responsible to keep his guys in line.

 

I am not against the organized council events, but "the woods is where it's at!"

The PLC sets the schedule and runs the outing, not the adults or a guy in a golf cart with a megaphone.

The patrols have space to spread out;

it's quiet;

the young Scouts must follow their PL to survive; there are no Scouts doing things out of our control/discipline and setting a bad example;

the trapping of civilization are gone - Scouts must rely on their preparation and each other;

 

Does this answer your question?

[Scoutmaster Ron]

Bugle,

Tks for some good ideas for me to bring back to my troop's PLC. Sounds like you have a good boy-patrol run troop.

[LauraT7]

WE are re-instating the patrol method in our troop - after being an adult-run troop for a few generations of scouts!

 

It is surprising the resistance we get to some things _ I expected resistance from certain adults, but not from the boys! They haven't been taught to plan and use patrols - and often want to do what they ALWAYS did. I see alot of enthusiasm for breaking into patrols, cooking and camping in patrols, but many still look to the adults for decisions, and unfortunately, we still have adults who are more than willing to take over from them.

 

But we are making inroads.

 

we have a new SPL who is REALLY taking the bull by the horns, and a few adults who are willing to stand BEHIND the boys, not take over for them. It's an uphill battle - but we are making progress!

[denver4und@aol.com]

Hi. I wanted to comment on two things.

 

First, "patrol method" & "boy run" troops are often as different as zebras and hippos. I found as a SM that webelos leaders are all running around looking for a "boy run" troop but usually have no way to tell if the troop they are looking at is actually boy run. For example, we have a neighbor troop where there is often a boy in front of the room, giving a lecture on this or that. The other boys are in chairs listening (apparently). But you have to see "behind the scenes". In that troop, the SM or another adult gives the boy instructor a topic, an outline and coaches the presentation. The adult always then follows the boy instructor "with a few more comments". That troop is adult run. And it shows in all their activities including camping.

 

Second, as a SM I often have an adult with a new scout who was one of those "is this a boy run troop" types, who after about 3-6 months in the troop is complaining to me about how "unorganized" the troop is, and how his son "isn't advancing" because we aren't holding classes. My response is, of course, that the troop would be a lot more organized if I ran it, but i'm letting the SPL and the PLC run it, and they're learning. Of course, we average every scout to 1st class in 1 year, and all scouts to Tenderfoot in 90 days. We camp once a month, do summercamp and a major fundraiser every year, and have at least one high adventure trip every year. So we're active, and scouts advance. But to an adult, a "boy run" troop will always look unorganized. A boy run campout can often look like the perverbial "yard sale" as they say here in ski country (you know, a glove here, a ski there, a hat a little farther along...).

 

So, Dan, my question is: are the adults the one's who are driving the SM's tendency to run everything? If they are looking for a "well oiled machine", demanding everything be smooth and perfect, then the SM may be responding by running such a machine for them. I've had that happen to me -- my first Troop (many, many moons ago was SM run, because I was learning and because it seemed to be so much easier to get adult support and praise).

 

Finally, I have to laugh at the following snipet from a post:

 

"We function as a Troop made up of 4 patrols - 3 youth patrols and 1 adult patrol. We don't frequent the O-rees and events organized and controlled by adults. We're heavy into backpacking, canoe, high adventure, etc." I'm NOT laughing at the poster, I'm laughing at the district and council's idea of a camporee.

 

Please look at the December 2002 Boy's Life. The cover story "Living the Legacy" is about a klondoree in our district, and I'm on the district camping committee that supervised that event. It was organized BY A SINGLE TROOP! The boys in that troop went to the library and researched the 10th Mtn Div., they wrote the materials for the other guys, they planned the events, met with the Forest Service (practice camping several times), they invited the re-enactors and historians, and the only thing the camping committee did was to back stop (and contact Boy's Life!). It took them a full year to throw their party, but it was their party and it was GREAT!

 

There is no reason for "O-ree's" to be any more adult run than a troop -- unless someone is looking for perfection. If they are, then it will always be adult run since no boy was born knowing it all (in spite of their own opinions) and can't do anything well without practice.

 

So, maybe you should print out this thread and take it to the troop committee?

 

yis, jim

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dan]

So, Dan, my question is: are the adults the one's who are driving the SM's tendency to run everything?

 

Okay you have me total confused? Not that it takes much! I said nothing about the the SM driving everything! Where did you read that at?

[denver4und@aol.com]

Dan, maybe I am confused. You're original post indicated that you saw no evidence of patrol method and wrote: "...I convinced him to join the one that is the most boy run, but I expect more!

After being to, 2 winteralls, 1 camporees, 1 summer camp, and 1 camporall, I see no troops that uses the patrol method." I assumed that you meant your own troop as well was not using the patrol method.

 

So, if a troop isn't using the patrol method, what is it that they're using (and you're seeing?).

 

If a troop goes camping w/o the patrol method, then the adults must be running the show. If the boys are running it, then its the patrol method, even if they have just made the whole Troop, a "patrol" for the event.

 

so, what are you seeing?