Represent Your Patrol
Okay, most of what we've talked about so far are things you need to do as Patrol Leader in your patrol. Now we get to the part that takes place outside the patrol. As Patrol Leader, part of your job is to represent your patrol on the Patrol Leaders' Council. You are the patrol's voice when it comes to making decisions in the troop. That's a pretty big responsibility.
So, you may be wondering, how do you do a good job respresenting your patrol? Well, it turns out that's pretty easy. If you believe in your patrol, and understand the members of your patrol, it shouldn't be a problem representing them. Patrol Leaders who have regular patrol meetings, and have developed a spirit of teamwork within their patrol, have learned enough about the members of the patrol to do a good job representing them on the PLC. You also have to keep in mind that the decisions you make on the PLC aren't just for you - they're for everyone.
In short, if you manage to do all of the things that will make you the right kind of Patrol Leader, you'll know everything you need to know to be the right kind of representative for your patrol. Most of the time, you'll have time to discuss decisions with the members of your patrol before you make them, but when you can't, you'll have the confidence to make the decision. It's all about knowing the members of your patrol, and making decisions you know will make them happy, or give them a real challenge.