Patrol Meetings

We've talked a lot about what the Patrol Leader's job is and what he should be doing to help make his patrol the best it can be. If you have any experience in Scouting, you've probably given some thought to how much time an effort is involved in being a Patrol Leader. Well, you're not wrong. It takes a little effort and time to do all the things a Patrol Leader is expected to do, and you've probably realized by now that most of what we've been talking about simply cannot be done during the small amount of time you're given at every troop meeting for "Patrol Corners."

The fact is, you're not supposed to be able to do all the things a Patrol Leader is expected to do during troop meetings. They're called troop meetings because they are for handling troop business and running the troop program. The time you have during weekly troop meetings for "Patrol Corners" is for you and your patrol to get together to prepare for whatever the troop is doing.

It doesn't sound fair, does it? Well that's because you and your patrol should be getting together on your own and doing patrol things. You're supposed to be getting together and having a Patrol Meeting. When and where you have them is up to you and your patrol. You could have them in your garage on a Saturday afternoon; in your living room on troop meeting nights before you go to the troop meeting; or, as one patrol I know of did, in the church parking lot an hour before the troop meeting. You don't even have to have the meeting at the same place and the same time every time. When and where is up to you and your patrol.

Of course, you have to have a reason to meet, and the most important reason for you and your patrol to get together is to do things as a patrol. I'm not just talking about "hey, let's go on a hike on the next troop campout." I'm talking about "hey, let's go on an overnighter next month on our own." It doesn't have to be a big activity; it could be as simple as getting together and going to a movie, or taking a hike somewhere. It could even be just getting together and working on advancement together.

Having Patrol Meetings gives your patrol something to do together away from the rest of the troop, and it leads to doing even bigger things together with or without the rest of your troop. Remember, the right kind of Patrol Leader keeps his patrol active. That means keeping your patrol active as a patrol as well as a part of the troop.

Patrol Meetings also give you a chance to run your patrol. You can spend a little time going over your Scout skills, planning for the next troop campout, working on advancement, and having some fun. Just like your troop meeting, your Patrol Meeting should have a little bit of business, a little bit of work, a little bit of learning and a little bit of fun.

Another important reason for having Patrol Meetings is so that you and your patrol can "Be Prepared" for whatever the troop has planned. In fact, if you've never had a Patrol Meeting before, you should start slow and have a special meeting to prepare your patrol for the next troop meeting or activity. The more meetings you have with your patrol, the easier they'll be. After a couple meetings you'll find that your patrol works better together. That means you're becoming a real patrol, and pretty soon you'll be planning your own campouts and activities.