Fun activity to prove the value of the patrol method?

[Trabucchi]

Hi folks,

 

Our troop runs a TLT training each year for the boys that need training for their positions. One topic that seems to brush by all the scouts every year is the need for a patrols to consider having patrol meetings/activities outside the normal troop meetings. Anyone know of any games/activities that demonstrate the value of working in smaller groups (patrol) vs larger (troop) to demonstrate the value of the patrol method?

 

Bob

[moosetracker]

I don't have a game or something for TLT.. But a suggestion to get them to start working outside the normal troop meeting. I knew one troop that had 3 group troop meetings a month still working in patrols with the troop meetings but one common meeting room. They then had one meeting a month where the troop did not meet in the common room. Each patrol met at someones house or other designated place, with some task they are assigned.

 

If giving up a group meeting once a month will not work well into your plans. You might try it for a meeting or two where you ask the patrols to meet to organize a skill or an outing, and meet the next week to exchange skills or ideas.. Sort of jump start the ball rolling of meeting outside of the troop setting.

 

I guess when my husband grew up the Troop was similar to a cub setup.. The troop met only once a month as a group, otherwise the patrol meetings were at someones house.. His was the house that his patrol always met at.. Was this the case with others of you who were in scouts a long time ago (back in the age of the dinasaur)?

 

Edited to note: Just noticed you are in Nashua NH. I am in Weare NH (Wannalancit District).. Any chance I could get invited the next time you do a TLT? I am District Training chair and we were assigned to try out the new to be released TLT last year. But, I found NO ONE in our district does the TLT program.. I took a small course at Scouting University on it, but still do not feel compentent to instruct our Troops on how to lead a TLT as is was basically just the team building excercises, and did't focus on much else from the syllabus.. I would love to monitor a troop that really knows how to run the TLT ..(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[qwazse]

Most hikes work better in patrols. If you have a number of trails at your facility, have a morning hike that involves the whole troop. Have afternoon hikes where each patrol is assigned to a different trail.

 

Have the boys evaluate which went faster/covered more distance.

[BartHumphries]

What's TLT again? Troop Leader Training?

[shortridge]

Go camping as patrols.

 

Then go camping as a troop.

[moosetracker]

Yes TLT is Troop Leader Training.

 

Shortridge - remember - camping as patrols is no longer permited.. (Unless 2 deep Adult leaders go with you at least..) But they could do the 2 deep, or camp far apart..

 

But, all that we have proposed so far is not a quick game that Trabucchi can use in a TLT training.. But honestly, it really is something that is not conducive to a 1 hour game..

 

 

[Basementdweller]

moose.....

 

You camp as a troop, but also camp as a patrol at the same outing.

 

We have patrol A camp to the right of Leaders turf Patrol B to the left. Both have a patrol box, cook clean and purchase food independently. It isn't 300 yards but is what we got and we work it.

 

They function as a Patrol.

 

We have also taken out one patrol at a time.

 

You can still Patrol camp..... Just takes a couple of adults to come along.

 

 

[moosetracker]

Yeah.. That's what I said.. But, the OP is looking to get the patrols to function outside of the troop and do things together outside of the troop.. So the old style patrol camping that was valid up until 1 month or 2 ago would have worked for what the OP wanted, now single patrol with 2 adult leaders will work, but I don't think troop style camping with patrols in seprate patrol areas will, as that is still troop organized.. Just wanted to clarify..

 

But, again.. A TLT could be done in a day, stretched to a weekend.. Two different styles of camping would stretch it to at least two weekends or more based on when the patrols go off on their camping outing, and if the adult leadership can be spread to accomidate leaders with each patrol, or if the SM & ASM have to book about 3 or 4 weekends out of their schedule to accomplish this..

[moosetracker]

Really on further thought, none of these ideas would work for TLT, even time permited.. That is because TLT is only done for the boys who have Leadership positions SPL, ASPL, PL, Troop guides etc.. It is not done for the whole unit.. Therefore the whole troop is not at a TLT training in order to break up and work as a patrol..

 

Nope, the more I think on it, with both time needed to do something and the fact you have no patrol groups to do it with, TLT just doesn't lend itself to this type of training..

 

But the ideas & suggestions given are good for giving to the Patrols as normal troop excercises and nudging them in the right direction.

[shortridge]

TLT can be whatever you want it to be. If you want practical, hands-on, field work, do a campout with patrols doing their own thing and call it "training" for the leaders. If you want to run a standard TLT program, have the campout as the "capstone."

[qwazse]

Nope, the more I think on it, with both time needed to do something and the fact you have no patrol groups to do it with, TLT just doesn't lend itself to this type of training..

 

[insert Kudu's management training rant here.]

 

I'm sorry, I did not realize we were thinking TLT as an evening course. If that is the case, I would suggest the following:

Assign boys to patrols as they enter the room. Direct them to their patrol table where there are the fixings (markers cloth, whatever) for making a flag.

Signs up. Pledge oath law.

SPL announces: you have 5 minutes to come up with a troop number for our troop. I will leave the room. When I return, I would like that number on our board.

Whistle. Thank you, troop ___. You have 5 minutes to decide yell for our TLT. It must meet SM approval with no grey areas.

Whistle. [practice new yell]. You now have 5 minutes to design our troop neckerchief.

Whistle. SPL announces: your table has 5 minutes to choose a patrol name. I will sound a wistle, then you have 5 minutes to make a patrol flag, next wistle 5 minutes to come up with a yell.

Whistle. Patrols sound off. Everyone does troop yell. SPL turns over to SM.

SM steps up to speak. He points out ...

In the first 15 minutes, you all came up with one troop number, one troop yell, and one troop neckerchief.In the next 15 minutes, you all came up with __ patrol names, __ patrol yells, and __ patrol yells.How were you able to multiply your productivity by __ times?

 

You get the drift from there. Personally, if I were a student, I'd rather have spent the hour hiking.

 

Also, I would always encourage patrol leaders to plan independent overnight outings that meet their scoutmaster's approval. Introduce them to the BSA tour planning worksheet. (Leave it to the SM to assign appropriate adult coverage.)

[moosetracker]

Now don't get all sulky on me.. I was just trying to lead the conversation back to what the OP actually asked.. As stated all ideas so far are good for trying to get the troop to start thinking about doing things as patrols outside of the troop..

 

qwazse - Your *BAD* example is why there really is no *Good* way to address this issue with a team building excercise.. Because you would have to make "fake" patrols & pretend.. You walk away with nothing benificial.. It will not get you that "Ah..ha.." molment.

 

But go back to the origianl question asked by the OP..

 

Our troop runs a TLT training each year for the boys that need training for their positions. (This is the 3 segament one long day, or 3 seprate days broken out by segments, or a weekend campout with time for some fun outside of the training added in.)

 

is the need for a patrols to consider having patrol meetings/activities outside the normal troop meetings (OP wants them to not work as patrols within a troop meeting or troop event.. But as Patrols outside of troop meeting/events..)

 

 

Anyone know of any games/activities that demonstrate the value of working in smaller groups (patrol) vs larger (troop) to demonstrate the value of the patrol method?

(OP wants a game or activity.. ie.. short period time, team building excercise. That will teach them the value of working in patrols even though this is done inside of a troop event (the TLT).. And the whole troop is not there just the youth leaders.. within this team building excercise for patrol method it should occur to them the value of not working as a patrol at a troop event (which I assume they do).. But the value of working as a patrol outside of the troop meeting/events)

 

The answer to the OP is that within a TLT training, with a short team building excercise.. My feeling is you can not do it.. But with the suggestions made so far, that outside of the TLT training, you can use these suggestions to get the idea across..

 

Now you boys can all stop pouting and can continue to give wonderful advice for ideas to be used outside of the TLT training event.

 

 

 

 

[Kudu]

Trabucchi writes:

 

Our troop runs a TLT training each year for the boys that need training for their positions. One topic that seems to brush by all the scouts every year is the need for a patrols to consider having patrol meetings/activities outside the normal troop meetings. Anyone know of any games/activities that demonstrate the value of working in smaller groups (patrol) vs larger (troop) to demonstrate the value of the patrol method?

 

So, do you want to "teach the value of working in smaller groups," or do you want them to experience the actual Patrol Method?

 

If it is the later, Shortridge nailed it: "TLT can be whatever you want it to be. If you want practical, hands-on, field work, do a campout with patrols doing their own thing and call it 'training' for the leaders. If you want to run a standard TLT program, have the campout as the 'capstone'."

 

To that I would add, separate the Patrols by Baden-Powell's minimum standard of 300 feet.

 

If you have never tried B-P's minimum standard, your yearly training course might be a good place to start. You will be surprised at quickly the Patrol Method clicks not only for the Scouts but for the adults as well.

 

If too many of your Scouts are too immature for you to trust their Patrol Leaders' abilities at 300 feet, you can do what I did recently: A "back-country fishing trip" (AKA backpacking trip).

 

I selected the Troop's most mature Scouts, and let them form an ad-hoc Patrol of friends whom they felt they could control in the back-country without adult supervision. I then formed a second ad-hoc Patrol of younger Scouts who are gung-ho about the backwoods, but not mature enough to run wild.

 

The older Scouts picked their own route to Gator Hole. The younger Scouts marched ahead of the adults (or at least that was the plan).

 

At Gator Hole, the younger Scouts camped about a football field away from the adults. The older Scouts camped much further.

 

A couple of videos of the hike:

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/At300Feet

 

Consider Wide Games, the original team-building exercise:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/games/wide/index.htm

 

Our Scouts play a laser version of manhunt in which the Scouts being hunted must every so many minutes tag a tree near Scouts pursuing them to show they are still in the game.

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

[bnelon44]

Wide games were my 1st thought as well.

 

Capture the flag is a real easy game for the Scouts to pick up on and can be played most anywhere.