Whither the Patrol Method?

[Kudu]

When Wood Badge Staffers talk about the "Patrol Method" as taught in the "Leader Specific" course, what do they mean? I volunteered to staff the "Working With Boy Leaders / The Patrol Method" session to find out.

 

In the session outline I circled the words "leadership," "leader," "lead," and "led," and discovered that they occur 50 times in this 25 minute session. That is once every 30 seconds!

 

How many times is the term "Patrol Leader" mentioned in the session that explains the "Patrol Method" to new Scout Leaders?

 

Zero (0).

 

How can we explain the "Patrol Method" without discussing what a Patrol Leader does?

 

Likewise the word "Troop" is used 35 times, but the word "Patrol" only 13 times.

 

In 10 of the 13 times it is used, the term "Patrol" occurs in the same sentence as "Troop" as synonyms to explain some abstract manager skill, as in "That growth will be reflected in patrols and a troop that are developing into more productive teams."

 

The term "Patrol" occurs without the term "Troop" only three (3) times: Twice to mean a group of adults sitting around a table, and once to illustrate the "directing" manager style of a Scoutmaster "Telling Scouts, 'Have the members of your patrol use buckets of water to put out the campfire'..."

 

Why do One Minute Mangers insist on leaving the Patrol Leader out of the Patrol Method? Shouldn't a cub-style Scoutmaster be "telling" the SPL or Patrol Leader to use buckets of water to put out the campfire?

 

Wood Badge Staffers always tell us that Wood Badge is all about "leadership" as if it were self-evident that only ONE of the Eight Methods of Scouting deserves SIX (6) days of hanging out with Den Leaders.

 

Supposedly the Patrol Method is explained in Leader Specific Training, but just as Wood Badge reduces manager skills down to the Least Common Denominator for adults, Leader Specific Training dumbs the Patrol Method down to the same Least Common Denominator for Scouts, where the manager skills for a Patrol Leader are the same as the manager skills for the Troop Librarian. This is why they are careful to use the term "boy leader" rather than "Patrol Leader" when "explaining" the "Patrol Method."

 

Surprisingly the term "Patrol Method" appears only at the very beginning of the session, in the newest version of the fake Baden-Powell quote: "The patrol method is not a way to operate a Boy Scout troop, it is the only way" (the previous fake version was "The patrol method is not A METHOD to operate a Boy Scout troop, it is the ONLY METHOD").

 

I guess some manager expert did not like the idea that the Patrol Method is the ONLY Method of Scouting!

 

Perhaps the next version of the fake Baden-Powell quote will read: "The Leadership Development Method is not A METHOD to operate a Boy Scout Troop, it is the ONLY METHOD!"

 

Because as far as I can see, Leadership Development is the only method that the Wood Badge types allow.

 

Kudu

 

 

[Stosh]

I don't think one needs to go to such depth and detail to conclude the style of leadership being taught by BSA is really a top-down directive style. This means there is basically adults running the show. They direct the SPL who toadies the directive down to the PL's who run work crews who do the eventual bidding of the SM. Somehow this is supposed to translate into youth leadership, when in fact it never really does. Somehow if the SPL can second guess the SM and direct things before he is given directive to, he will be considered a great SPL.

 

Stosh

[OldGreyEagle]

Stosh,

 

I don't know where you got that conclusion, its not what is taught in the Lehigh Valley but it may be what is done in your area. I always thought the BSA taught4 leadership styles, Directing, Coaching, Delegating and Supporting. I think I have those correct.

 

I dont see how the concept of Servant Leadership works in with what you are saying

[Stosh]

Maybe they ought to take it out of BSA literature then. They obviously don't understand how it works.

 

Stosh

[Tokala]

Leadership styles vary through the entire spectrum of the organization and at every level. The patrol method is a way of dividing the youth into teams of 8 to give them an opportunity to grow. It's not in the details of the syllabus, but in the growth that each young person experiences. They're all not the next BP or Green Bar Bill, and neither are the adults.

 

It's a red herring to throw out the concept that modern leadership models mentioned in the wood badge syllabus are trying to usurp the patrol method.

Couning the number of times a word is used in a publication does not guarantee that it's practiced religiously.

 

 

 

[Stosh]

I do believe that the patrol method is a lot more than dividing the boys up into groups of 8 so that they can grow. If adults and troop youth are dictating to the patrols as to what they can and can't do, then they haven't really been separated out at all. They are nothing more than subgroups of an adult-led, troop-method program.

 

Until one begins the process of discussing the autonomy of the patrol, there's not much to discuss because the reason the patrols break out into these 8 member groups is to independently run their leadership, team work, and program development processes on their own. Once adults or other youth leaders begin to direct, "coach", influence, etc. these patrols, the patrol-method is no longer being used. Until the patrols request support or suggestions from outside sources, they need to remain independent and authomomous. Maybe the 300 foot distance needs to be more than just physical. Can a SM emotionally let a patrol run independantly? or does s/he have to constantly hover over their progress to make sure it's done "right". Can a SPL be there in a support role without interfering in the operations of the patrols? Isn't a PLC that dictates what patrols can and can't do really fall under a boy-led, troop-method program? Until the units begin to realize that they need to trust the independent development of the patrol-method it isn't going to happen. We are always worried about hovering moms and dads, maybe we need to focus more on the hovering SM's, CC's and SPL doing the toady work of the hovering adults. Until the boys prove themselves otherwise, maybe we as adults ought to take the first Law of Scouting more seriously.

 

If given the opportunity, the boys can and will develop and grow and will do so faster and more effectively in a boy-led, patrol-method operation than any other "management" style. I hear a lot of lip-service to this concept, but no real practical application going on.

 

Stosh

[SR540Beaver]

It is simply amazing how many patrol method "experts" seem to know what takes place in thousands of units across the country. By all means, please tell me what is wrong with my unit that you know absolutely nothing about. It is like me trying to tell you how much fertilizer and what type you need when all I really know is that you have grass.

[Kudu]

Stosh,

 

Yes, Scouts can and will develop and grow faster when their Patrol is autonomous!

 

But how to get there?

 

As in all Scouting, the things we do best are the things we are trained to do, and training can only serve how "what we do" is defined.

 

jblake47 writes:

 

Until one begins the process of discussing the autonomy of the patrol, there's not much to discuss because the reason the patrols break out into these 8 member groups is to independently run their leadership, team work, and program development processes on their own.

 

Before "Leadership Development" was introduced in 1972, the reason that Patrols broke out into these eight member groups was to independently run their own Patrol Meetings, Patrol Hikes, Patrol Campouts, and Patrol Advancement.

 

For Patrols to be autonomous again, the Patrol Method needs its own training program: a "Patrol Leader Specific" training course such as "Intensive Training in the Green Bar Patrol" which served Patrol Leaders for 30 years.

 

See:

 

http://inquiry.net/patrol/green_bar/index.htm

 

Patrol Leader Specific should be taken AFTER generic Leadership Development courses, to avoid the same Wood Badge-lite takeover of Scoutmaster Specific's Patrol Method session.

 

Maybe the 300 foot distance needs to be more than just physical. Can a SM emotionally let a patrol run independently? or does s/he have to constantly hover over their progress to make sure it's done "right".

 

From the 300 foot distance everything else follows.

 

Scoutmasters would rightfully hover over such Patrols at first because so far in the 21st century we only teach Patrol Leaders "how to be a leader," not how to actually lead a Patrol in the woods.

 

The nice thing about 300 feet is that adults must put some real effort into hovering. This would motivate us to make our job easier by teaching Patrol Leaders the nuts and bolts of how to camp independently at Troop Campouts.

 

Perhaps such authentic "Baden-Powell Patrol Camping" could count 10 points toward "Quality Unit" with random surprise inspections that award 1 point for every 30 feet apart a unit's Patrols are camped!

 

Kudu

 

 

[Stosh]

"It is simply amazing how many patrol method "experts" seem to know what takes place in thousands of units across the country."

 

It always amazes me as well. Especially those who think that adult-led, troop-method scouting is somehow really boy-led, patrol-method if they break up into groups and make the boys toe the line.

 

"By all means, please tell me what is wrong with my unit that you know absolutely nothing about."

 

I have enough work dealing with developing boy-led, patrol-method in my own troop. Of course I know nothing about other units, nor do I lay awake at night worrying about them either. I have never said what may be right or what may be wrong with what happens in a troop. I have only pointed out the advantages of a boy-led, patrol-method approach when it comes to developing true leadership within the boys.

 

"It is like me trying to tell you how much fertilizer and what type you need when all I really know is that you have grass."

 

And if all one is growing is grass that may be a great generic answer, but deep down I believe the BSA is trying to develop hybrid, high-quality leaders and that will of course take more consideration than a general purpose approach to having an organization that entertains boys out in the woods on a monthly basis.

 

I work with Cub level scouting, Troop level scouting, Venturing level scouting as well as non-scouting church youth groups, adult groups, and community groups over the past 35 years, I have figured out what works for me. If what works for me is of no interest to others, feel free to just skip over my posts, but if one wishes to consider 35 years of experience in youth/adult leadership development, then they can at least peruse my stuff and maybe glean out something they can use. It doesn't make any difference to me. Self-led, small group, servant leadership works in any organization better than anything else I have tried or witnessed in action. It is far less work to be efficient and effective the first time around.

 

Kudu:

 

What does the BSA mean when they make reference to Servant Leadership and then not really support it very well in their training programs?

 

What would you like to see included in PL specific training?

 

You have brought up a legitimate discussion and I am interested in pursuing it a bit more.

 

Stosh

 

[Bob White]

I can teach you how to tie your shoes without ever using the words shoe.

 

To suggest that you can judge how well a topic is taught by selecting a word and counting how often it is used is just silly.

 

Basic traiuning is just that....basic. The "Patrol Method" itdels of less about the role of the Patrol Leader (that is found in the explaination of the Youth Leadership Method) and is more about underetanding that operating in small groups or gangs is a natural part of social development for boys at this age group. UInderstanding these social characteristics explains why we use patrols, why groups of 6 to 8 work best, why and how leaders are selected, what keeps the group together, how the gfroup develops and other aspects of the patrol operations.

 

Ic everything you need taught in basic training? Nope, and it never was. That is why there are supplementary and advanced training opportunities available through the BSA. It is also why units need to select the right people for the Scoutmaster position. If the people chosen do not already exhibit an understanding of dealing positively with youth at the stages they will be working with in the Troop, or do not exhibit an aptitude for learning and understancding these characterisitics, then it is unlikely that they will develop as leaders to the extent that others will or at the reate that others will.

 

Some leaders pick up an understanding of the Patrol Method and Youth Leadership very quickly. Others can be in Scouting for many years and never quite grasp it. It takes more that just the BSa teaching it, it takes an adult willing to accept and practice it.

 

 

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

Just to set the record straight for those who believe WB is evil and destroys the boy led patrol method. WB is an adult traing class for registered leaders of BSA. I thought that was obvious, but evidently not. It is leadership training for any and all positions from the Tiger Den Leader to committee chairs and members to Cubmasters to ASM's and SM's to Venturing Advisors to District, Council and National volunteer and professional positions. It is done in the setting of a month in the life of a troop with all those trappings. It would be rather silly to base it on a season in the life of a football team. The purpose of WB is NOT to teach SM's how to apply the patrol method in a troop and never has been. Is the training different than it was in BP's day? Why yes, yes it is. BP was quite an innovator. It is reasonable to believe that he would expect every aspect of scouting to change with time. To blame the supposed demise of the boy led patrol method on WB is nothing more than a personal bias with no verifiable basis in fact. Most SM's who attend WB were SM's long before attending. Were they doing it roight before WB "corrupted", them?

[Kudu]

Bob White writes:

 

I can teach you how to tie your shoes without ever using the words shoe.

 

Or the word "shoelaces" either!

 

If the BSA did teach the Shoe Method, the session would be about the four leadership styles of shoe wearers.

 

Wood Badgers would insist that shoelaces are old fashioned and dangerous, and that the purpose of teaching you how tie your shoes is NOT for tying shoelaces, and it never has been!"

 

Kudu

 

[Stosh]

Being an effective leader has very little to do with being an effective patrol leader. Once the boy turns 18, there's not going to be much demand for one's patrol leader skills.

 

The advantage and beauty of the boy-led, patrol-method approach to leadership is that it creates a valid environment in which young men can develop their over-all leadership capabilities. If this environment is in a constant state of change or constantly re-directed by outside dynamics, it is quite difficult to accomplish. If it is autonomous and working as team, there's a greater chance for some effective leadership to develop.

 

If, on the other hand, the patrol is constantly being directed, delegated, coached and supported by outside leadership influences, there will be very little learning going on within the patrol. Just because the SPL replaces the SM with demands and control, doesn't mean the PL will ever have to learn anything. As I said before, we surely don't allow moms and dads to do this in our troops, but think nothing of doing it ourselves or forcing our troop POR's to do this. Why would any patrol member be listening to anyone besides their PL?

 

In WB class did the staff step in and direct how things were operating in the patrols? Nope, so why then do we do it when we get back to our troops? It's not necessarily the program, but what happens with that information between the time the participant leaves WB classes and arrives back at his/her unit.

 

As a Beaver, I would have found it offensive to have the Bobwhites come over and tell us what we need to be doing. I would have also found it offensive to have the staff dictate how things were to be run. Why then do we find PL's abandoning their positions because everyone else is stepping in and taking over? This constant usurping of their authority, their autonomy, their responsibility will not produce leaders. On the contrary, it will only produce docile followers. Wouldn't one eventually wonder why every single Eagle candidate can't demonstrate leadership skills in a troop and never once consider the possibility that the District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver, BSA blue-blood SM always having to run the show might be the root cause? And yet this goes on all the time in hundreds if not thousands of units out there.

 

Unless the PL is the highest ranking officer in the troop, I see no future for leadership development within the patrols. It just can't happen until the PL can actually be the leader he's expected to be. This is the reason why I don't seem many truly patrol-method units out there. They're there, but they are more the exception than the rule.

 

Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

[Kudu]

jblake47 writes:

 

What would you like to see included in PL specific training?

 

To teach Patrol Leaders the nuts and bolts of run their own Patrol Meetings, Patrol Hikes, Patrol Campouts, and Patrol Advancement.

 

Who could top William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt's Patrol Leader Specific training course? For those who do not follow URLs, here is an outline of the first half of the course (up to the Patrol Hike) with most of details removed:

 

INTENSIVE TRAINING IN THE GREEN BAR PATROL: PART I

 

FIRST TRAINING MEETING

 

THEME: Patrol Spirit and Patrol Organization

 

Preliminary Reading Assignments:

(Older Scoutmaster and Patrol Leader Handbooks contained three to five times more information, so those original chapter titles have been retained to give an idea of what was covered. Pages where similar topic is mentioned in the current editions appears in parentheses.)

 

For Scoutmaster and adult leaders:

 

Scoutmaster Handbook:

Why the Patrol Method?: (Pages 11-17)

Setting Up the Patrol Method: (Pages 19-22)

Other Leaders & Helpers: (Pages 156-157, 165-170)

 

For Patrol Leaders:

Patrol Leader Handbook

Patrol Spirit: (Pages 23-32)

Patrol Organization: (Pages 115-121)

The Boys in the Patrol: (Replaced with "Leadership Skills," Pages 89-112)

 

NEEDED MATERIAL:

Paper and pencils.

Copy of Patrol Record Book.

One three-foot length of rope for each participant.

Several short lengths of rope.

String.

 

PROGRAM:

(a) Simple Opening Ceremony:

(b) Purpose of Training and Establishing Patrol:

© Make Notebooks:

(d) Discussion of Patrol Name:

(e) Call and Yell Contest:

(f) Patrol Flag Contest:

(g) Instruction Games:

(h) Election of Members:

(i) Work Session: Treasurer, Scribe, Hikemaster (working out a route to a camp site); Grubmaster (making up a Patrol menu); Cheermaster .

(j) Handicraft Project:

(k) Recreational Games:

(l) Simple Closing Ceremony: Singing of Taps

 

After Meeting:

 

Before dismissing the Training Patrol, give a short summary of the ground covered. Tell the leaders to make use of the material in their next Patrol meetings, and ask each Patrol Leader to make a short talk on how the material worked out at next training meeting.

 

 

SECOND TRAINING MEETING

 

THEME: Patrol Meetings

 

Preliminary Reading Assignments:

 

For Scoutmaster and adult leaders:

 

Scoutmaster Handbook:

The Working of the Patrol Method: (Pages 12-22; 33-67)

The Patrol Carries On; Let Them Lead; Are the Patrols Patrols?

 

For Patrol Leaders:

Patrol Leader Handbook

Patrol Meetings*: (Pages 59-66)

*(Old HPL, 77-100)

 

NEEDED MATERIAL:

Paper and pencils.

Copy of Patrol Record Book.

Materials for neckerchief slides.

Material as required for games selected.

 

PROGRAM:

(a) Opening Ceremony:

(b) Business Period: Treasurer Scribe Following this, the different Patrol jobs are rotated to next boys in line, as decided at First Training Meeting (h). Brief report from each Patrol Leader of his use of items learned at last training meeting in his Patrol.

© Scoutcraft Instruction:

(d) Work Period:

(e) Scoutcraft Games:

(f) Planning:

(g) Recreation:

(h) Closing Ceremony:

 

 

THIRD TRAINING MEETING

THEME: Patrol Hikes

 

Preliminary Reading Assignments:

 

For Scoutmaster and adult leaders:

 

Scoutmaster Handbook:

Working Patrol Method: (Same as "2nd Meeting")

The Troop Goes Hiking*: (Pages 34-44)

 

For Patrol Leaders:

 

Patrol Leader Handbook

Patrol Hikes: (Pages 73-86)

 

NEEDED MATERIAL:

Paper and Pencils.

Patrol Record Book.

Tin cans, pieces of wire, hammer, large nail, copper rivets.

Map.

Hiking equipment for demonstration.

 

PROGRAM:

(a) Opening Ceremony:

(b) Business Period:

© Hike Instruction: Short discussion on "Patrol Hikes," including leadership requirements, hiking technique, based upon Hiking Chapter in the Scout Handbook. Explain difference between "Sandwich Hikes" (a hike on which you don't want to be tied down by fire making and cooking), and "Chop Hikes," (a hike where fire building and/or cooking have a prominent place in the program), and announce that forthcoming Leaders' Hike will be a Chop Hike. If possible, have a demonstration of hiking equipment.

(d) Hike Planning: Divide the Patrol up into four groups, and give each group the responsibility for developing the details of one of the following items in preparation for the hike.

 

1. Route: (Hikemaster in charge). Plan an appropriate route on a map of the local territory.

2. Equipment: (Quartermaster in charge). Prepare list of essential equipment to take along.

3. Commissary: (Grubmaster in charge). Suggest menu and food list.

4. Activities: (Assistant Patrol Leader in charge). Kind of hike, activities on out-trip, at the hike destination and on the return journey. After the plans have been completed, they are discussed by the whole Patrol, until final adoption. Distribute leadership, decide upon meeting place and time, and equipment and grub to be brought by each Scout.

 

(e) Instruction Game:

(f) Work Period:

(g) Recreation:

 

1. Games:

2. Singing:

 

(h) Closing Ceremony: Use closing ceremony voted most popular at Second Training Meeting.

 

 

GREEN BAR TRAINING HIKE

 

NEEDED MATERIAL:

As decided on at Third Training Meeting.

 

PROGRAM:

(a) Assembly: Quartermaster and Grubmaster check equipment and grub to insure that everything is in readiness.

 

(b) Outbound Journey:

 

1. Hiking Technique: Follow suggestions in the Scout Handbook in regard to proper methods of hiking, and correct Patrol hike formation on highways.

 

2. Activities: Start activities as soon as possible --whether observation games, nature study or whatever was decided at Training Meeting. Give the different boys a chance to lead the Patrol from time to time.

 

© At Destination: Have an Assistant Scoutmaster or a junior Assistant put on a quick demonstration of the subject of the hike, then get the boys to work on axemanship, fire-building, cooking--or mapping or signaling--according to the program for the day. Cooking should be done on a Patrol basis. Also run a couple of

 

Instruction Games, such as Signal Relay, the Leading Packsack, String Burning Height Judging, Leaf Matching

 

Rest Period Recreation Games: One or two of the following: Capture the Flag, Skin the Snake, Antelope Border Scouting, Clean-up.

 

(d) Return Journey: Do not attempt any specially planned activity during this, although a game such as "Near and Far" may be tried. Make use of the songs rehearsed during training meeting. Dismiss at appropriate spot.

 

For complete course see:

 

http://inquiry.net/patrol/green_bar/index.htm

[BrentAllen]

So, we have another post from Kudu bashing Wood Badge... what's new?

Yawn.....