Script for a Patrol Meeting

[WB8280]

The Patrol Method is not going very well in our Troop. We have a JLT Training session comming up shortly. I would like to have a mock Patrol Meeting at the JLT. Are there any scripts that I could use to have a mock Patrol Meeting at the JLT?

 

[KoreaScouter]

Why not use the PL Meeting agenda/plan that's in the PL Handbook (chapter 4, pp 62-63)?

 

KS

[WB8280]

I will use that but I was looking for a script that was laready put together. Thanks.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I am not sure about your question but let me review just in case I am missing what you are saying.

 

The PL's Handbook is already scripted for you and your PL's in general. The Program Helps are scripted step by step for each meeting for every month specifically. BL usually has articles that go along with the theme. The BSHB has articles that will help with some, if not all of the information. The BSFB has other articles that lend more information, if needed. There are even merit badge books that have a wealth of information on all kinds of subjects for program. The district roundtable gives support and training for each month in advance. Other Scout leaders in the district may also have insights about specifics that you are looking for in program additions. Your Troop Commissioner is generally a good person with experience to ask for further assistance. If he/she can't, then they generally know who can help. Your PLC has additions to the script that will deepen and personalize the information, on-going. You and the PLC with your committee support has made it possible for it to all happen for those Scouts that voted for the great program all of you have put together for the year!

 

I still might be missing the point completely. If I have, please forgive me. I have been known to look right at the answer and not see what in the tarnation that everybody else saw long ago. FB

 

[AnneinMpls]

From my reading of this post, I think he's looking for a way of modelling what actually happens at a patrol meeting and PLC...

 

If you've got a few boys who are of the talkative sort, you can have them up front and roleplay a discussion. Sometimes just one opening line written on an index card, and maybe a brief characterization of opinion is enough to get the ball rolling - you don't need to then script the entire thing.

 

You can tailor this, throwing in a couple "characters" who display difficult-to-manage behaviors, such as The Complainer or Dictator, but at this stage you're better off, having each one in the roleplay try to do their best without playing up the negatives.

 

Is that more like what you're needing?

Anne in Mpls

[WB8280]

Yes, what I was looking at was a way of modelling what is supposed to happen at a Patrol Method.

[AnneinMpls]

Here's what we did last month to help our girls understand the process better..

 

I started off by describing what they would be doing - how the patrols can give ideas to their patrol leaders and what happens when those ideas are brought to the patrol leaders meeting. I gave each of our patrol leaders a very simple patrol meeting agenda - basically take attendance and list three events happening this spring that were of interest to them. While the patrols met, I brought 4 chairs (for myself and the 3 pls) to the front of the room and arranged them in a semi-circle and then gathered everyone back together for a demonstration patrol leaders meeting. I explained that at the patrol leaders meeting, we spend the first few minutes on a leadership skill, and then take care of troop business. For the leadership skill portion, I "taught" the pls "positive encouragement" because it's short and sweet and easy to do in front of a bigger audience. I explained what positive encouragement is, when to use it and gave examples, then went around the group and had each pl roleplay giving positive encouragement to her neighbor. Then we moved on to the next part - I asked each of the pls to make a report: who was there and what their ideas were - we also always include in our reporting the "minority opinion" - sometimes one person's off-the-wall idea has some real merit and can point us in another direction for program. From these reports we were able to determine which events to go ahead and register for.

It was important to keep the whole thing *brief and concise* - otherwise you'd have a whole meeting of mostly sitting and watching. But we found this to be time well-spent. They got to see their patrol leaders in action, they found out that there are real skills to be learned - leadership doesn't just come naturally, it got more of them interested in someday being a pl, let everyone know that every opinion is valued and recognized. Our group is pretty young yet - patrol leader meeting attendance is spotty if we fo these apart from our regular meeting night, and I don't think any of them are making phone calls to their patrol members on their own yet. But they are actively recruiting, which I take as a good sign. (Our numbers went down again because we had a family move to Chicago over the holidays - they had *6* girls enrolled in our troop, ans they had divided themselves amoung the 3 patrols..) So right now we only have 3 registered members in each patrol, but we have 9 new girls starting next week (crossing over from the Brownie troop)so that should put us back up to 6 in each patrol, assuming every patrol does an equally good job at recruiting new members

Peace out,

Anne in Mpls