Issue 589 – March 5, 2019

________________________________________
Hi Andy,

One of the requirements for the rank of Scout states that one must “Explain the patrol method” (req. 3a). Yet Scouts BSA can’t seem to say what The Patrol Method is in any accurate or coherent way (I checked the Scout Handbook before writing to you). Topping this, explaining The Patrol Method isn’t even a goal of Scoutmaster-specific training (as a trainer, I’ve read the current syllabus, beginning to end). What’s going on here? This is so foundational and fundamental to the whole Scouting movement that you’d think it could be found somewhere! (Thomas Linton)

Although the current Scout Handbook provides two partial descriptions of The Patrol Method (pp. 10 & 25), both are shallow to say the most. I can’t comment on the current position-specific training syllabus, but as far as the handbook, what’s not even mentioned—except for the three types of patrols, which is only vaguely relevant to new Scouts—is the importance of how The Patrol Method underpins the entire Scouting experience.

The Patrol Method—the most unique element of Scouting as I see it—is foundational. It’s the mini-democracy on which Scouting is based; it’s where all Scouts are equal and their elected Patrol Leader is first among them (the Primus Inter Pares concept), representing his or her patrol’s views and desires at all Patrol Leaders Council meetings. The Patrol Method includes sharing responsibilities alike (e.g., having a rotating “Duty Roster”) and all share the rewards (e.g., earning the National Honor Patrol Award, winning the troop-wide inter-patrol skills contests and games, etc.).

As a long-time Certified Course Director and adult volunteer and youth training staff member (Cub Leader Training, Venturing Leader Training, Scoutmastership, IOLS, NYLT, NJLIC, NAYLE, SSOST, etc., etc.), I’ve continued to notice that, while the BSA provides a lot of “How To…” stuff. But what’s typically lacking across the board (even Wood Badge) is WHY it’s this way (e.g., The Patrol Method) and not some other way. The inevitable result when there’s no WHY is that folks quickly begin to think “I know a better/faster/more efficient way.” When that begins to happen, Scouting as it’s supposed to be delivered goes right down the ol’ porcelain fixture. Without the WHY, folks come away with the impression that they just saw (or experienced, we’d hope) an example of one way to do things, instead of recognizing that this is the ONLY way!

Let’s take a closer look at how The Patrol Method goes awry…

In some troops, the Troop Guide is the automatic Patrol Leader for a patrol of new Scouts, and then some self-important adults bust it up and reassign the Scouts to other patrols. Other troops think that the Assistant Patrol Leader (and also the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader) is the “runner-up” in patrol and troop elections, instead of being selected by the PL or SPL who’s elected. In yet others, the Scoutmaster, or the Scoutmaster and troop committee, will appoint PLs and SPLs because they “know better” or because “some Scouts need leadership positions to advance, and it’s not fair that they haven’t been elected by their patrol/troop.”

Similar things can go wrong when patrols are first formed or when a single new Scout joins up. Instead of asking that Scout which patrol he’d like to join, some misguided adults assigns him or her to a patrol because “we know better” or “that patrol’s losing members, so we’d better beef it up.”

Then there are troops with adult leaders who decide to “re-shuffle” the patrols, never taking into account that, if this is ever done (which typically shouldn’t have to be done at all!), it’s entirely up to the Scouts themselves.

Or, when it comes to hikes and campouts—which are supposed to be accomplished via The Patrol Method, too—which become “troop” events and “patrols of convenience” are subsequently assembled by the adults, based on the Scouts on the trip.

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve regularly observed occurs when a troop’s adults disregard The Patrol Method when it comes to any outdoor activity. Instead of leaving the planning and logistics to the patrols (basic tenet: “Never do for Scouts what they can do for themselves”), the adults plan the meals, buy the food, arrange transportation and recruit drivers, help the Scouts set up their tents, and so on. All this does is keep the Scouts from doing for themselves, while the adults make sure that their “little kids” don’t do any heavy lifting and ultimately have no skin in the game or commitment to their fellow patrol members…and then the adults wonder why attendance evaporates.

Or, it’s court of honor night, and the program’s supposed to start at 7:30 PM sharp. So, the adults (right—the adults) show up 15 minutes early and fuss about setting up the chairs, getting the flags and other stuff out of the troop locker, setting up tables for later refreshments, and so on. Meanwhile, the Scouts drift in, huddle up with one another and chat—all the while glancing over at the adults, who are still busting hump to start on time. Has no one ever heard of the “service patrol” and “spirit patrol” concepts? “Oh, yeah…We did that in Wood Badge,” a few say. But they never ever got it in their brains that this is how—and the ONLY way how—a troop is supposed to run. (A troop is run by its Scouts and their Patrols; Scouts and Patrols aren’t run by the troop!

The list of silliness goes on…until Scouting becomes little more than a gang of kids in tan shirts earning badges while being spoon-fed by a well-meaning but clueless batch of adults.

As commissioner on a troop visit, I once—with the Scoutmaster’s permission—held a “handbook inspection.” The winner, which I selected, had the most dog-eared, beat up, written-in handbook of the lot. When I declared that one the winner, nobody could quite figure that out. After all, most of the handbooks were things of beauty: No dog-eared or sometimes torn-and-taped pages, no covers beat-up, most looking almost brand-new—like “mint” copies, even though some of these were presented to me by Scouts who’d been in this troop for four and five years.

Why had this happened? Simple. When it came to, let’s say, learning knots for a knot-tying patrol relay competition, the Scouts had all been taught by the troop’s Assistant Scoutmasters! The Senior Patrol Leader hadn’t said to the troop’s Patrol Leaders, “We’re going to have a knot-tying relay two weeks from now, and you Patrol Leaders need to learn the knots so you can teach your patrol. Get your assistant to help you with this. If you have a question or problem, come see me.”

Thanks, Andy, but there’s more. I presented on The Patrol Method yesterday at a University of Scouting. A participant asked what to do in light of the BSA’s inconsistent statements on the patrol being self-selected and the safety bubble’s three-year-age-span rule. I got through this, but I’d like your take on it. (TL)

That participant linked two disparate issues—patrol member selection by the Scouts themselves and the BSA age-span policy—and called the BSA “inconsistent.” I can only guess that this particular trainee may have little to no knowledge of pre-teen and teen-aged youth. If some knowledge were present, that wrong-headed link-up would never have been raised. Observation of youth in groups (in Scouting or otherwise) will clearly show the significant differences in physical, mental, and “social” maturity between ages 11 and 14, 12 and 15, 13 and 16, and so on. In fact, this is usually the reason why arbitrarily “salting” a patrol with a significantly older or younger new member rarely if ever works out. Leave patrol member selection to the Scouts themselves and 99 times in 100 they’ll get it right all by themselves!

As for the “three-year age span rule” this is now outdated. The most current GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING states specifically that no two Scouts tenting together may be more than 2 YEARS apart in age. But I’m guessing that that comment about a mandatory three-year age gap was more likely a semi-fictional “mountain” created in the tradition of almost impossible “What if…?” scenarios instead of the “molehill” it’s more likely to be.

Now that we have that straight, let’s look at the actual practicality of a tenting-by-buddy pair situation. There are three possible scenarios: A group (den) of new Scouts entering the troop from a pack, a singleton (new or transfer from another troop), and an SPL-ASPL combination.

For the first, we already know that some 80%+ of all Scouts come from graduating Cub Scout dens. This will make their most likely age-range somewhere around six months. So, hoping that no one’s messed around with patrol composition and “salting” these Scouts into various patrols, a brand-new patrol of Scouts will ideally and practically continue through the Scouts BSA program as an intact group for the next seven years. This process alone reduces the probability of a non-authorized age gap to virtually zero.

In the case of a singleton joining a troop, it’s the responsibility of the troop to assure that he or she is offered the opportunity to join a similarly aged patrol, thereby making an unauthorized age gap moot, so long as this is absolutely agreed to by not only the joining new member but the receiving patrol members as well.

The third situation is that of the Senior Patrol Leader (“SPL”) and his or her assistant (“ASPL”) as a “buddy pair.” This situation is likewise equally soluble when the SPL is given guidance by the Scoutmaster to select an ASPL who is no more than two years away in age. Result: No age-gap problem.

Now I’m sure some genius will come up with at least one other scenario of the “What if…?” ilk. When this happens, before tangling yourself up in your own knickers, ask how often the proposed scenario is likely to actually arise in the average troop. This should save a lot of time, mind-twisting, and hot air.

Let’s wrap up with a brief review of what The Patrol Method does for your son or daughter. Here are some excerpts from my own HANDBOOK FOR BOYS (Fifth Edition, 1953)…

“You do your part in the Patrol when you do your best to live up to the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, and the Motto and Slogan. This makes you a better Scout yourself, and you set an example for others. When they see that you are living up to the spirit of Scouting, you help them to be better Patrol members.

“You do your part in the Patrol at meetings, hikes, and camping trips. You may be selected for a Patrol job: such as Patrol Leader or Assistant, Scribe, Treasurer, Cheer Leader, or Hikemaster; or may help the Scout who has one of these jobs.

“”You may know where a Patrol Good Turn is needed, and help to carry it through.

“You may think of a new kind of hike…or a new place to go.

“Patrol activities are decided upon by all members of the Patrol.

“When you have learned a few Scouting skills…you can help your Patrol Leader train other Scouts in your Patrol. This will help you too, for there is nothing like teaching others to help you learn a subject yourself.

“A Patrol is a group who are good friends and who can work and play together as a team. (Your Patrol) has a name, its own officers, and much of the fun you find in Scouting will be with…your Patrol.”

Happy Scouting!

Andy

Have a question? Facing a dilemma? Wondering where to find a BSA policy or guideline? Write to askandybsa@yahoo.com. Please include your name and council. (If you’d prefer to be anonymous, if published, let me know and that’s what we’ll do.)

[No. 589 – 3/5/2019 – Copyright © Andy McCommish 2019]