Working inside of a patrol scouts learn how to interact with each other, even if sometimes they don’t get along. Scouts learn conflict resolution as they work through problems and disagreements as a unit.
Transcript:
Patrols are the heart of the ScoutsBSA program.
Working inside of a patrol scouts learn how to interact with each other, even if sometimes they don’t get along. Scouts learn conflict resolution as they work through problems and disagreements as a unit.
Patrols and the patrol method teach scouts how to effectively work together, solve problem and excel as they find each of their patrol member’s strengths. By working together patrols can form a tight bond with other patrol mates, so they can experience learning from each other, supporting each other and growing together.
A well running patrol acts as a single unit that can quickly overcome obstacles.
But patrols aren’t easy. At first they fight and compete for dominance, and you may believe that it would be best to just break them up, but the reality is this conflict has a purpose. It forces them to work together, to compromise and be better for it.
I’ve seen patrols who were at the early stages of forming and ones that were highly performing, and I can absolutely say they were the same patrol, just at different parts of their lifecycle. When first joining as cubs these boys were not team focused. In fact I had most of them together through their cub scout career, and they were young, disruptive, didn’t listen to anyone especially each other.
But they matured over time. When they were young scout and tenderfoots they began to think about something other than themselves, they began to grow. I credit the patrol method for a lot of this.
It starts simply enough. As a patrol develop a patrol flag. This makes them get together and try and complete a task as a group. They fight, they yell, a few of them don’t pay attention and need to be redirected, but guess what, at the end of it they had a flag they could display proudly. This flag became their symbol of teamwork.
A short time later they were going camping. They were excited. “What would dad bring to eat”. Nope.
What will YOU bring to eat, and what will you cook for yourself? On that and subsequent camping trips they planned the menu, the shopped, cooked and cleaned up for themselves.
Was it perfect? No, absolutely not. But what they learned by working together was invaluable.
I’m proud to say the three of the group went on to earning Eagle. But even the ones that did not rise to Eagle rank supported their fellow patrol mates on their projects, and the three had a joint Eagle Scout ceremony together, and WANTED to involve the other members of their patrol in the celebration as part of the ceremony.
Even today, over a year after aging out of the troop they still talk, and have plans on a grand adventure after scouting.
Take what you like and leave the rest, and as we say in Woodbadge, feedback is a gift, leave yours below in the comments, with the hope we can all learn together.
I’m Scoutmaster Dave, and this was a bit on patrols and why they are important .
