Using Patrol Duty Rosters

[Buffalo Skipper]

In the parent thread, there was some discussion about whether or not the PL should be on the duty roster.

 

How do your patrols work up duty rosters? How are assignments divvied up and what duties do you have on your troop's roster forms? Is it effective? If not what is done about it?

[Mike F]

The troop I currently serve has never used Duty Rosters. PL is in charge and he makes sure everyone is engaged. This is part of his leadership. Everything goes quicker with all available hands involved. PL generally leads by example, yet provides opportunity for guys to take more responsibility for leading cooking, etc., as they get experience. If any boy attempts to dodge the work, feedback from the rest of the patrol is pretty clear.

[evmori]

Lead by example. The PL is part of the duty roster.

[OldGreyEagle]

What does NYLT say about Duty Rosters and the Patrol Leader?

[Stosh]

My Life scout PL of the NSP, basically did all the cooking for his patrol all weekend long last weekend because he was teaching them the basics of campfire/charcoal cooking. We teach that the camp chores are a team effort, not just that John got stuck with cooking and Pete got stuck with fire and Mike got stuck with water. With a delegation style of leadership these rosters are mandatory. With team style, each boy is responsible for knowing what everyone else is doing, if not his only question is: "What can I do to help?"

 

Once a year when the boys do their annual planning session on a campout, the SM is chief cook and bottlewasher and he has a whole corps of ASM sou-chefs. The boys tend to business of planning and the SM/ASM's introduce new menu ideas by doing elaborate meals that are easy to make. I am usually the first one up and they know I'm going to cook, so if someone gets up before me, they usually start the fire and the second one up usually gets water ready for after meal cleanup, etc. When boys witness such teamwork, they naturally view this as what is normally having to be done.

 

This last weekend when the PL was teaching the boys how to cook, he was using the "Brule Menu", i.e. the menu from last year's planning weekend when we went to the Brule River for the outing.

 

EVERYONE leads by example, from the SM right on up to the individual patrol members.

 

The nice thing about this is I have a whole year to come up with creative menus to top last year's efforts.

 

Stosh

[dg98adams]

Don't know about NYLT yet, but in our Troop the PL sets the duty roster for his Patrol. He is responsible to make sure all the jobs are done. So if he has to help (demonstrate) or get another Scout to help he does. Most times the PL gets to pick a job that does not get filled (short on Patrol Members at some outings), and of course the Perk of PL is the pick of the job that he likes the most or takes the least effort.

 

The PL is encouraged to not do a job, where he can't check up on the PL as that is his main role.

 

When it works (and we observe it) the PL picks a job he knows nobody wants to do (carry heavy water jugs from the pump) or a job that is continual (trash), when it doesn't work like when they choose cook and can't or don't keep tabs on "dish water prep" or "stoves" it's hard to keep from butting in letting them find out they have to round up Scouts in the dark or get them back from "capture the flag".

 

It's always a surprise when it works.

[boomerscout]

duty roster is worked on @last patrol meeting before camp. If you don't attend your patrol meeting, no telling what you may have volunteered for.

Patrol works as a group for intial water (& firewood if we're having a campfire), plus filling in latrine at the end. If you finish your initial assigned tasks early, you're expected to help set up the fly, clean out the firepit--if needed, erect the tents. Slack off & you get instant feedback.

Anyone working on cooking mb will cook more than once if desired. Patrol tries to schedule such that for each meal 1-2 Scouts have no duties.

For activity camps--such as Camporees--everyone is given a copy of the itinerary, and is expected to be able to tell time

PL is expected to lead. By the time he gets to FC he has done all camp chores many times. His duty is to supervise the entire camping experience. PLs all pitch in anyway as they feel guilty standing around if everything is going well. However, if PL is out on some task, then he is not really where he needs to be to handle problems and emergencies

Just one way of doing things. Nothing is cast in stone; it ebbs & flows for each outing

[SMT224]

After several camping trips that ending up complete fiasco's with regard to camp chores and who was supposed to do which job, the PLC decided to do something about it.

 

They came up with a list of Troop camp chores (below), described what needed to be done, and set up a year-long schedule with one or two Troop camp chores randomly assigned to each Patrol for every campout.

 

It has worked better than we expected. Now Patrols know what they will be doing before the campout and we all know who is responsible for getting the work done. Each Patrol has a copy of the schedule, and one is posted on each camping trip. Patrols also do their own duty roster for Patrol cooking and clean up.

 

Camp Chores

 

Fire wood: Gathering/Cutting

- Gather enough fuel wood for all to keep warm

- Cut wood to size appropriate for fire ring

- Ensure an adequate supply until fire is put out at departure

 

Fire: Build, Maintain

- Collect tinder and kindling

- Clear fire pit area

- Fill fire buckets

- Start fire

- Keep fire going

- Stay with fire

- Put out fire completely at end of campout

 

Water & Bug Juice

- Carry containers from trailer

- Fill bug juice and water containers

- Keep containers filled

- Add bug juice powder as necessary

- Empty water & bug juice on departure

- Carry containers back to trailer

- Clean container upon return to church

 

Dish Washing Station

- Set up dishwashing station

- Hang up drying bags

- Boil water

- Fill all containers

- Place sponges and dish soap next to station

- Place paper towels and trash bag at the front of station

- Clean up and stack containers at end of campout

 

Dining Fly

- Help select site for dining fly

- Help set up dining fly

- Ensure dining fly is staked properly

- Help take down and put away dining fly

 

Stove set-up and operation

- Carry stove boxes from trailer

- Help adult leaders set up stove

- Ensure that stove is used properly

- Clean stoves after last meals

- Help adult leaders break down stoves

- Carry stove boxes back to trailer

 

Kitchen Patrol

- Decide where kitchen will go

- Monitor use and ensure area is kept clean

- Ensure patrols keep their cooking area clean

 

Cake

- Make 1 or 2 Dutch Oven cakes for everyone on Saturday evening

- Clean Dutch Oven

 

[ntrog8r]

We used them - and liked it. The PLs rotated through the all duties during the various camping trips but only one duty per campout. Of course the PL was involved in ALL duties, just like the ASPL, when you consider checking, demonstrating, teaching, showing, finding, explaining, telling, reiterating, etc.

 

The duties reflect the specific camp. The permanent are cooking, clean-up, water, fire (this could be fuel and stoves instead of wood and fire ring).

 

For cooking, if an inexperienced Scout is learing, an experienced Scout is assigned to help. Aside from this, all duties are shared by buddy teams (tent mates).

[Eamonn]

Like the old ad for American Express cards, we never left home without one!

The Roster was made by the P/L.

My view is that the Roster is a communication tool and is really is showing true leadership.

It shows that the P/L isn't brain dead and is planning ahead.

In my book that shows true leadership.

The P/L as a rule was never "On" the roster, but was when it came to getting the job done the manager. Who was willing to step in and help and advise as needed.

He was held responsible for making sure what needed to be done, was done when it was supposed to be done.

Mostly the rosters were to do with cooking and clearing up.

Setting up and breaking camp were seen as the job of the entire patrol with everyone doing their best to get the job done.

The P/L was charged with making sure that everything was ready for the AM inspection.

If things found their way back to the Scout hall in less than good condition the P/L incurred the wrath of the QM who was known to have Patrols go over all the stuff in their Patrol box and re-fold tents and stuff that were not up to his high standards.

Most times the PLC had come up with a program of what was going on. When a Patrol ran late with a meal, either that Patrol sat out on the next activity or the entire Troop waited till the Patrol was ready.

At times this did lead to some finger pointing at the next PLC meeting and at times some bickering.

I think I should add that our Patrols were made up with Scouts of different ages.

When we had a weekend where the roster didn't work or just fell apart. At the next PLC we looked at why it didn't work.

 

Not to hijack the thread. But...

As a rule I don't watch Surviver the reality show on TV.

But for some reason I watched the past couple of episodes.

If ever there was a need for some kind of a duty roster these guys and girls need it.

One poor guy seemed to be doing all the work, while the rest of his team seemed happy to stand by and watch.

This week the guy who was doing it all passed out and was removed from the game. He was the guy that they elected chief.

I'll bet they are really going to have a very rude awakening.

Ea.

[boomerscout]

PATROL LEADER: Maintains organizational "harmony" throughout the cooking process. Makes sure that each Patrol member knows his job and that they don't interfere with the other Patrol members doing their job. The Patrol Leader is not generally included on the Patrol Duty Roster. It is his responsibility to be the "foreman" and step in where help is required.

ADULT LEADERS: Make sure that Scouts use safe cooking and food handling practices. Provide

encouragement and advice when needed while allowing the Patrol Method to remain the means by which the meal is prepared. Scouts will gain no confidence or practical experience in cooking if you step in and do everything but the clean-up.

This was from Camp Bashore in Pennsylvania. They believe the patrol method of cooking is the first step in becoming a boy-led troop with an effective PLC

[John-in-KC]

When I was a youth member, the PL's duty was to ensure everything else happened, to be an extra pair of hands and arms when needed, and to make sure those who needed a task for training got access to it. I remember when a couple of us were taking Cooking MB. Even then, cooking for the Patrol was part of the requirements. That meant Billy cooked every other campout for several months to get his time in.

 

It was in the 1965 Boy Scout Handbook as well as the Fieldbook of the era.

[shortridge]

I was just shy of 11 when I was chosen as PL of my new Scout patrol after we crossed over from Webelos. It was kind of instinctive that I included myself on the duty rosters - it was a simple issue of fairness. Everyone pulled their own weight.

 

Years later, I heard that point of view codified in the statement: "I won't ask you to do something that I won't do myself." I still really like that and try to live by it whenever I'm in charge of a project or program. It keeps me grounded and in touch.

 

That said, as a practical matter, the PL can lay out the duty roster however he wants. If Sunday breakfast is a light meal, or if Saturday lunch is sandwiches and fruit on a hike, he might make himself cook on those occasions as more or less a coordinator, while showing everyone that he doesn't just hand out the assignments - he does them, too.

[Eagle92]

in my old troop, duty rosters were used, posted, and the PL wasn't listed. He was to supervise and chip in as needed.

 

Back to my BA22 Days, PLs were not on duty rosters on their day to be PL; they were to supervise, chip in as needed, or attend the PLC.

 

When I staffed JLT, Pls were still not on duty rosters on the day they were PL, and again they supervised and chipped in as needed.

 

At BA22, the PLs in my patrol, the Cocky Curlews, DID have to chip in as we were the youngest and least organized patrol. We didn't work together as a team until day 5, and only due to necessity.

 

At JLT, depending upon the patrol, the PLs either didn't have to chip in at all, the older scout patrol, chip in occassionally, the two middle of the road patrols, or chipped in all the time, ouor "youngster" patrol.