Prerequisites for Leadership Positions

[BrentAllen]

Why would a PL need to be FC?

 

Because he needs to be able to teach those skills to his Patrol. That used to be the way leadership was taught, it was a skills-based system.

 

From Green Bar Bill:

He is the Leader of his Patrol. As such, he leads his Patrol by his initiative and personal example, in Scout Spirit as well as in Scoutcraft knowledge, establishing the morale of the Patrol on such a plane that the Scout Oath and Law will be realized in action.

 

Finding the Patrol Leaders

 

Intelligence and Scoutcraft Knowledge. A Patrol Leader should have the brains and push to set the pace in advancing in Scouting. If he is outdistanced by his Scouts, he is in grave danger of losing their respect.

 

SM HB, 3rd Edition.

[Stosh]

All our boys equally have the same opportunity to be in a position of leadership. There are no prerequisites or rules placed in the way of that opportunity.

 

If a boy wants to be a PL, it is suggested he go out and get a patrol. I had one boy "serve" as a PL with no members. He went to 2 Blue/Gold Banquets and attended several Webelos meetings and worked hard until he got a patrol of 6-8 boys. Now he's responsible for following through on his promises made to those boys.

 

Another boy asked if he could be an instructor. He's working on lesson plans for the boys coming in next winter after the Feb/Mar Blue/Golds. Is he currently an instructor with no one to teach? Yep. Same as a person that works the summer months getting ready for school to open in the fall is still called a teacher.

 

Opportunities and goal setting are two vital skills of leadership. I don't see it in my job-description to stifle this process with rules.

 

On our outing this past weekend we dragged out a number of tents at 10:00 pm Friday night after a long 4 hour drive to get to the site. It was raining. Tents were pulled open and some no stakes, some poles were broken, others had no ground cloths. There was no water jug to haul water in, there were no kitchen equipment brought along. The SPL did throw in the troop first aid kit. The boys struggled all the way through the weekend. By Sunday afternoon on the long drive back, the discussion revolved mostly around the need to have a good Quartermaster for the equipment. I was busy driving so I wasn't part of the discussion.

 

Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

[Buffalo Skipper]

Hey Stosh! I've missed your perspective on things lately. And to all of you, these are good responses, and all of you make some very valid points.

 

I think what I will recomend to the PLC will be this (or something similar). This election (mid-September), PLs must be Second Class. This will make about 1/2 the scouts eligile, and inclusive of those how have the best skills. Next election, we will raise the bar to First Class (as an incentive for those Second Class scouts--and Tenderfoots--who only lack 2 or 3 requirements for their next rank).

For SPL, I will recomend that it be First Class and at least 6 months as PL. I really believe that being a PL prepares one for SPL and that not being a PL limits one's ability to understand and relate to the SPLs repsonsiblities. We are still small enough that we have little need to fill the ASPL position. Next March? That remains to be seen.

 

We won't have our PLC until the week before elections, so I am still open to ideas and viewpoints.

(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[Stosh]

I've been busy lately so I haven't been on the forum except to lurk a bit here and there. It's summer, ya know, and I haven't figured out a way to plug my laptop into a tree yet.

 

We had a blow-away summer experience. Boys didn't like the council camp so they went on the internet found another camp, registered, organized it all and we went. It was like walking back into time 50 years. Campsite cooking by patrol, huge lake, no pool, no messhall, caring staff. Boys voted unanimously to return there next year. No adult was involved in any of the camp program this summer except to drive the boys there and drink lots of coffee once we got there. It was awesome!

 

Crew is getting ready to leave for a national reenactment this weekend.

 

I have been so busy doing nothing it has been fantastic. Just got back yesterday from a troop whitewater kayak/canoe outing. It rained, it was cold and it was fantastic!

 

Once one gets to boy-led, be prepared to be busy! They can come up with some pretty great things if the adults don't interfere.

 

Stosh