Fat Old Guy Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 I suppose that the troops don't have patrol outings and the question should be, "How many troops have patrols that schedule patrol outings?" We cannot get the Scouts in my troop to be interested in going on patrol outings or even going camping as a patrol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver-shark Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Our boys plan Patrol Outings quite often, but every one to this point has turned into a Troop Outing. They all jump on the bandwagon of whoever starts it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matuawarrior Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 We have patrol outings. It just cannot conflict with Scheduled Troop Activities. The boys plan, get the parents permission, and off they go. We started with one patrol and now the other 3 patrols are doing it also. Makes it easier on the leaders. Matua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overtrained Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Our troop PLC schedules two months a year that will have no troop outing. This is done on purpose to allow the patrols to have their own. So far it has worked pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoutmaster Ron Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 You really can't promote this enought what else builds patrol unity. My son's patrol did this recently it was not camping but a patrol outing just the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle90 Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Our troop has not had separate patrol activities. While the idea seems super, with all the scheduling conflicts (band, sports, church, etc.) it is, at times, hard enough to get scouts to commit to troop activities, let alone separate patrol activities. I did ask them that when a conflict does come up to give Scouting the priority "sometimes". It's a shame we spread ourselves so thin sometimes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 We don't have patrol outings, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraT7 Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 that's a great idea to leave specific time openm for patrol outings.... i think I'm going to mention that to our SPL and ASPL.... We've been trying to encourage patrol outings - but we have also either had the whole troop jump on the bandwagon or had them peter out from lack of commitment or time constraints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk9750 Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 Our Troop has three months every year that have no Troop events, to allow the Patrols to camp on their own. Our older guys (the Venture Patrol) do almost no camping on their own, given the conflicts other parts of their life present. They do participate in the all of the high venture stuff (climbing, rapelling, kayaking, hiking the AT), but these events are open to a select group of other boys, also. The two younger Patrols almost alsways have a weekend campout during the "free" months. In addition, my son's Patrol has started getting together every month for some Patrol activity. Sometimes it's been a nature hike, to work on the two requirements for 10 plants and 10 animals, sometimes it's not "Scouting" related, like bowling or Putt Putt. My son started this when he was Patrol Leader a year ago. It carried on when he left the position, and now that he's been elected again, he's got a number of ideas he wants to try. And they have historically slept over each other's house on a rotating basis, almost every week, for two years. There are nine guys in his Patrol, and they are VERY tight with each other. I have been encouraging him to consider doing an "adultless" campout, based on what I have learned here. He's excited about trying it, but some of the Scouts are having a tough time getting permission from their parents. Getting our Troop to evolve from only doing Troop events to doing some Troop, some Patrol events was tough. But the rewards are worth the effort. It went better for us, I think, because we offered incentive to try - we developed a Patrol Contest to identify the Patrol with the best Patrol Spirit, and all that entails. We gave prizes to the best Patrol (four prizes to the winner - A headlamp, a pizza party, a custom designed "Honor Patrol" T-shirt, and cooking and KP done for the Patrol by the Geezer Patrol. The T-Shirt and the meals by the adults were the most covetted prizes!). this did wonders for encouraging Patrols to act like Patrols. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 We have scheduled the troop campout the last past couple of April's to be Patrol Outings. Each patrol is expected to plan and carry out a campout of at least one night. The results have been mixed, some patrols have events, others don't. I am not sure the events are looked at as "real" as a few patrols tend to blow them off as soon as one person can't show. Oh, and BTW, the patrols with the most active parents(Scouters and parents who drive to events have the most success) Patrols with parents who are not active seldom have a patrol event even when the adults volunteer to provide transportation, 2 deep, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted October 21, 2003 Author Share Posted October 21, 2003 "Oh, and BTW, the patrols with the most active parents(Scouters and parents who drive to events have the most success) Patrols with parents who are not active seldom have a patrol event even when the adults volunteer to provide transportation, 2 deep, etc." I believe that I've ranted on this subject before but I'll go again. This is a problem in our society in general. Not that the parents aren't involved but that the kids won't do stuff on their own. Generations of children were raised without constant parental invovlement. The parents were around, they set the rules and enforced those rules but they didn't stick their noses into everything. Let's jump into the wayback machine. We got ourselves to Little League practice. We played pick-up games without adults. We organized sports leagues. We put on circuses. We built our own tree forts or clubhouses. We organized our own clubs. For most of us, our primary mission during summer vacation was to get as far from home as possible so our mothers couldn't put us to work. We've done it to them and us by organizing everything to the nth degree. Play dates. Organized sports for all ages. Adult run "clubs". Etc., etc., etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Fat Old Guys knows of what he speaks. I have commented to my wife many times how kids today don't just "do" stuff. When I was younger, we were always at the ball field or the playground or the pool doing something. We played pick-up games of baseball (pitchers hand since we only had 5 on a team), basketball, four square, tennis, horseshoes, football, hockey! We would call each other to get a group to go to the pool in the summer. How did we get there? We walked or rode our bikes! Mom was home but didn't drive us. We would play bike tag in the neighborhood! We were never home during the summer except to eat & sleep! Today's kids are never out unless there is an organized activity organized by adults! Ed Mori Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 (Crew member 1) What? Going to Philmont costs how much? (Crew member 2) How will we get that much money together? (Crew member Mickey) Hey Kids, I know what we can do, lets put on a show! (Crew member Judy) Thats right, we can use my Dad's old barn (Crew member Darla) I'll make the costumes (random Crew Members) I'll get carbon black to light the stage I'll play the accordian for background music We can use barrel staves and some old hoops for scenery We can use my dad's surplus parachute for a curtain My dad's a blacksmith, he can make the lantern holders (Crew Members in Unison) It'll be the bestest show ever Gee, why dont they make them like that anymore? Oh, and FOG and Ed, I didnt post clearly enough. The patrols that had events happen did plan them by themselves, they just had parents concerned enough to provide transportation. The patrols who didnt have events come off didnt have parents who do more than drop off in the church parking lot. And considering where that is, I dont blame the patrol for not camping out there(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 It seems to me that a big element in kids not doing things on their own much any more is a perception that they are in greater danger from external forces. I think this perception is probably even greater in urban or suburban areas (and it's rampant here in the DC area, after the sniper incidents). I say "perception," because I'm not convinced the danger is really any greater than it was 30 years ago--we just hear more about the rare incidents that do happen. So even if you can satisfy yourself that a group of young teens can be trusted to act safetly on their own, how do you convince their parents that they will be safe from other people? I can't imagine any parents around here allowing boys younger than 15 or 16 to go on a campout without adults--but it's not because they don't trust the boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoutmaster Ron Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Hunt put it best but I do believe that the danger is greater than early 1900's when B.P. first envisioned it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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