The Patrol Method

The Basic Unit

Take a look at your troop. Can you imagine what it would be like if there were no patrols? Now, take a closer look. Does your troop really have patrols? When the patrol method is missing from the program, that doesn't mean there are no patrols. The method is much more than grouping Scouts into patrols. For this method to work, those patrols must be living, breathing, entities that exist on their own. As one of my JLT Scoutmasters was fond of saying: "A troop is not divided into patrols; it's made up of patrols." That was his way of saying that the patrol comes first.

For the patrol method to function properly, the Scouts in a troop need to identify themselves first as a member of a patrol, and then as a member of a troop. A patrol is the most basic unit of Scouting. When properly functioning, the members of the patrol learn not just how to act like a Scout, but how to lead and accomplish things they never thought of before.

The old handbooks used to describe how a boy goes about joining Scouting by saying "First, find a patrol in your area." The idea was that a boy would join a patrol of Scouts whom he was already familiar with. This made it easier for the boy to get up to speed in Scouting. The patrol, you see, was his family in Scouting. When he joined it, it was his Patrol Leader who taught him everything he needed to know, and passed him on all of his tests.

Today, however, the troop has become recognized as the primary unit of Scouting. This comes from the fact that patrols are not chartered by the BSA, troops are. But remember, the troop is supposed to be made up of a group of patrols. That means the first task should be to organize patrols. Not to divide the troop into patrols, but to actually create patrols and let them form the troop.

A List Of Names

Many troops today tinker with the patrol method to such a point that it no longer resembles the original concept. Some have a policy of "reorganizing" the troop on a regular basis. If anything, this is a good illustration of a troop divided into patrols. Reforming patrols every six months or so effectively wipes out the feeling of ownership a Scout is supposed to have for his patrol.

When a patrol starts out, the Scouts who make up the patrol decide on a name, make a flag, and begin deciding what to do next. In a properly functioning patrol, the patrol name is not just a name. The flag is not just a flag. The patrol's name is its identity within the troop, and the flag is the physical symbol of that identity. If the Scouts have a feeling of ownership, they are proud of their name and their flag. But more than that, they take pride in what their patrol does, and they do their best to make their patrol the best in the troop. They'll not scoff at having patrol meetings outside troop meetings. They'll not complain about not being able to convince the PLC to plan a particular trip - they'll plan it themselves, go on the trip, and show the rest of the troop just how much fun they had.

Without that feeling of ownership, the patrol name is just a name. None of the Scouts care much about it, or their flag. There's no reason to have patrol meetings outside troop meetings because the patrol is just a group of Scouts in a troop. The real action is in the troop.

Without real patrols, the Scouts do not get real experience leading a group of Scouts. That makes it harder to train youth leaders who suddenly find themselves with real responsibilities. Without real patrols, Patrol Leaders have no incentive to represent their patrols and make decisions based on their own personal likes and dislikes. So, take a look around and make sure the patrol method is not missing in your troop.