Patrol leaders and advancement

[dan]

The original post turned into a kids these days post. So I thought I would do a spin off.

 

I thought that it is our job to develop the scouts into leaders?

 

I really think that we (the adult leaders) are a big part of this issue. If you look at the Boy Scout handbook it says that the PL should be helping his patrol with advancement. . I take this to mean that he is making sure that meetings and outings are geared toward what his patrols needs for advancement. And making sure that they are getting the sign offs done, by reminding his patrol members to get these sign off signed off. This should be monitored by an ASM giving the PL guidance, just like a SM gives the SPL guidance.

 

The PL reads what his job is suppose to be by reading the handbook and possibility the handout of the job description from JLT and sees that he is not doing any of it or very little, and the adults leaders think this is fine. How are we developing him for future leadership rolls? The Scout sees that the troop really does not expect the scout to do what is written for his POR, why would he think that another POR would be any different.

 

How many times have you heard or read here that the adults leaders answer to a scout question is ask your SPL, when it should be ask your PL.

If we do not start developing the leadership when they join the troop why would we expect them to have good leadership 2 or 3 years down the road?

 

What are the PL responsible for in your troop?

Do they take attendance of the patrol and track why patrol members are not present?

Do they call patrol members who are not present and ask why they where not at the meeting/outing, and why they did not inform him that they would not be there?

Do they really represent the patrol at the PLC?

 

 

[jr56]

Good points. Actually, the PL should appoint positions within his patrol to make sure that all the worl gets done. Patrol Scribe, Quartermaster, etc... not to mention making effective use of his APL.

[acco40]

A troop can run fine with a crappy SPL and good PLs. The reverse is not true.

 

A big learning curve by both the youth and the parents is that the boys have a responsibility beyond themselves. I've had many a parent complain that I shouldn't burden their son (a PL) with the advancement concerns, attendance, QM duties, Scribe duties, etc. of the other boys in their patrol.

 

I make sure I make patrol goals such as complete uniforming, arrive/leave together, etc. I get a lot of "it's not fair" responses in the beginning but they seem to fade as the patrol bonds and comes together. The boys learn quicker than the adults.