Summer Camp Patrol Leaders

[eagle90]

Please help with some sage advice please!

 

Our troop has 3 patrols, and will have 3 patrols at Summer Camp. One of our regular PL's cannot attend camp due to school commitments. Our ASM's and myself have been evaluating the APL's, and at this time, due to age, maturity, knowledge, and leadership ability, none of them are really ready to step up to the responsibility of being a PL at Summer Camp. We do attend a Ptrol method camp, so there is a lot of PL responsibility.

 

However, we do have one scout who is not a PL or APL, but shows more leadership ability, knowledge, and maturity than any of the others. The problem is he is only 12 years old, and has been in the troop for only one year. But he did get his First Class in that First year and is a real go-getter. He even gives his "advice" to the adult leaders, and is usually pretty right on.

 

Should we bypass the present APL's and appoint my go-getter as PL for Summer Camp? Wonder how the APL's will feel, and how older scouts willwork with a 12 year old PL?

 

Your words of wisdom would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

Dale

[OldGreyEagle]

If the regular patrol leader cannot make summer camp, why not have the boys who will make up that patrol elect their own patrol leader? Then you dont have issues about whether or not the boy will be accepted, he will be the boy's choice.

[FScouter]

I'll have to read up again on the responsibilities of the assistant patrol leader, but filling in during the absence of the PL seems like that is part of the job. If the assistant is not qualified and another boy is better qualified, well, that the way Scouting works. Boys don't always make the best choices.

 

But even if the PL selected the "wrong" assistant, I'd still question how adult intervention is going to support the patrol method.

 

Maybe extra support from the SPL, SM and assistants would help this assistant PL shine during his 6 days of glory.

[EagleInKY]

Ditto fscouter. The hardest thing to do is let boys make mistakes. But they will learn from them.

[OldGreyEagle]

AArrrggghhhhhhh!

 

This issue came up a few years back and I blew that one too!

If the patrol's APL is going to camp, then its the APL's responsibility to fill in as Patrol Leader as has been commented. If neither PL or APL are going to camp, thats when having the boys going as a patrol electing a Summer Camp Patrol Leader would be a good idea.

 

I think I have that right now (I hope)!

[CA_Scouter]

Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. I vote for the APL.

 

Its not fair to relieve the APL of his position just because the adults want 'my go-getter' in that position. It not only might be potentially devastating to the APL, but it will show the rest of the troop that the elections have no meaning when the adults want their way. Boo... hisss....

 

Your 'go getter' will have his time.. if he is as good as you think he is, he'll earn the respect of his peers and get elected.

 

 

[Double Eagle]

Was the APL appointed or elected. If elected, how about the mature one being his APL for the camp. If appointed, you may want to ask him whether he feels up to the charge. If he says yes, let him lead. We adults see youth in a different light than youth. Who we want to lead is often not who the youth want to lead. I've seen this many times in OA elections. The leaders like a scout, but he doesn't know how to work with his peer group. Bottom line: If he is APL now and can lead outside of camp, he will learn a lot more with additional responsibility. He also has the support of strong PLs. My experience is the SPL has the most involvement with camp staff for troop info. Let the APL step up, otherwise he'll always think "could I have ...." Leaders don't get to pick their times to serve, good or bad they inherit issues and signs of the time.

[Eagledad]

>>Your 'go getter' will have his time.. if he is as good as you think he is, he'll earn the respect of his peers and get elected.

[scoutingagain]

I agree with the responses so far. The APL should fill in for the absent PL. However, I like the idea of "coaching" the Summer PL on who he might consider appointing as his Summer APL.

 

The issue of boy selected leadership is one of the toughest things I've found for adult leaders who have not had a scouting background to deal with. Many of them are great people who do alot with other youth organizations as well. Many are involved in youth sports. The difference is, as a youth baseball coach, the adult assigns positions. "OK, listen up, here's todays line up, John, shortstop, Bill, first base, Cyle, centerfield, James, thirdbase,...." They come from that environment, come to scouting, and they're told let the boys set the line up and help them do the best they can. It's not an easy transition for many of even the most well intentioned adults.

 

SA

 

 

[sst3rd]

PL's are elected, and then they select their APL.

 

So, the APL replaces the PL as necessary.

 

This "go-getter", is he in the same Patrol? If so, yes maybe the APL, soon to be summer camp PL, may be guided to ask the "go-getter" to be his summer camp APL. If the "go-getter" isn't even in this affected Patrol, it's not an issue and shouldn't be brought up as an option.

 

In the end, the APL (summer camp PL) should be supported to make "his" choice for an APL for summer camp.

 

That's the BSA program.

 

sst3rd

[scoutldr]

It is really annoying when adults take over because "this is a better way to do it." If we don't want to let the APL do his job, then why have APLs? I agree with the above posts. The APL has a job to do. We have to be fair and give him a chance to step up and do it. It may require a lot of mentoring and guiding from the SPL and (as a last resort) the adults, but that's the program we agreed to deliver.