Patrol Spirit

It's difficult to describe how important patrol spirit is to becoming a real patrol. If you've been in Scouting for any length of time at all you've probably heard the term "Scout Spirit", and you know that it means doing your best to live up to the Scout Oath and Law. Well, "Patrol Spirit" means pretty much the same things, except that it's the patrol that does its best together. It doesn't just happen overnight. A lot of things have to happen to a patrol for it to develop the sense of "team" spirit that they'll need.

As their Patrol Leader, your job will be to start them on the road to doing just that. You'll start by making some pretty important decisions together from the beginning. Then, you'll show them how to be a good Scout, and what it means to be a member of a patrol through your actions as Patrol Leader. Little by little they'll get the idea, and pretty soon the patrol will have developed "Patrol Spirit." After that it will be up to each member of the patrol, you in particular, to nurture that spirit and make it a part of everything you do.

So, let's take a look at the decisions your patrol will have to make to start down that path, and some of the things you'll have to develop over time. Remember, you are all in this together. It's not just your patrol, it's our patrol. Every member has to be involved in building the patrol.

Your Patrol Name

As with any team, the patrol's name is its identity. It should be something that fits the patrol members' personalities; something they've chosen to identify themselves.

Your Patrol Emblems

Once you've decided on a name, the next step is to decide on a symbol or emblem to represent your patrol. You may use one of the BSA patrol patches for your uniform, and a special symbol for your stuff. Some patrols even design a special signature mark that identifies the patrol, and each member of the patrol.

Your Patrol Yell & Cheer

Every now and then, Scouts love to make noise, why not use that to develop and inspire patrol spirit? Yells and cheers give voice to your patrol spirit, so make one of each and use them as often as you can.

Your Patrol Activities

How your patrol acts, and what your patrol does goes a long way in identifying the patrol. On each activity you'll find the members of your patrol growing closer and closer as a team. Why? Because they do things the patrol wants to do as a patrol.

Your Patrol Traditions

It takes a long time to establish traditions, but that doesn't mean you can't start thinking some up. Traditions don't have to just happen, they can be designed as well.

Patrol Discipline & Honor

For a patrol to survive and work properly, every member has to agree to live by the same set of rules. You already have a set of rules like that in the Scout Oath and Law. But it's your job to maintain discipline in the patrol, and everyone's job to look after the patrol's honor.