Age for PL

[scoutdiver]

I am a PL but only about to be first class. It is my first year in scouts. We have a green bar meeting coming up. What do you think I should talk about.

[t305spl]

Actually if this is your first one sit back and take notes and listen to what others say. Watch how it is run, every troop is different. After you do this once or twice and get the feel for the meeting then gather ideas about your patrol and questions or comments from your patrol to share at the meeting.

[scoutdiver]

thanks

[Lynda J]

Kevin served as PL 6 months after he joined the troop. There is no age requirement. Just that your patrol members think that you can be a good leader. They elect you. Serve them well.

[scoutdiver]

thanks :D

[mrcis]

Our troop requires the PL's to be at least 1st Class, but there is no age requirement--If you get 1st Class in 6 months, you can put your name in to be PL

mrcis

[ASM-142]

Our troop requires the PL's to be at least 1st Class, but there is no age requirement--If you get 1st Class in 6 months, you can put your name in to be PL

mrcis

Having a requirement of being 1st class is not allowed.

[Mrw]

Our troop has the patrols arranged by age - their choice.

Obviously then, the newest boys' patrol has to elect a leader who is not first class.

We do require first class fo SPL, but that is a position that requires a bit more maturity and organization.

[Mad Dog]

In our troop any boy that wants a shot at SPL can apply. All of the interested boys are given 5 minutes to address the troop and then the boys vote on it. Personally I donnot like this because it becomes a popularity contest and the boys do not necessarily pick the boy who is best qualified or has the best leadership skills or leadership potential.

[gwd-scouter]

I have mostly seen SPLs and PLs elected by popularity, not by who would actually do the best job. The result more often than not is a poorly run patrol and troop. However, having said that, it can also result in the scouts learning the hard way to make better choices next time elections come up.

[EagleBoy62204]

I have mostly seen SPLs and PLs elected by popularity, not by who would actually do the best job. The result more often than not is a poorly run patrol and troop. However, having said that, it can also result in the scouts learning the hard way to make better choices next time elections come up.

it is a popularity contest, and always will be. the same thing happens in our troop when we have elections...which is a rarity.

picking the spl has been very rare in our troop, each year the same thing happens. the spl who turns 18 drops out, then another kid whos 17 1/2 picks it up, and runs for another 6 months and then leaves.

we finally ran out of older kids that turned 17 and went with a young spl.

[mrcis]

I must admit that I'm not totally sure if it is a requirement that boys be First class to get into the PL election. I do know that at our recent planning session, the SM only wanted First class or higher boys to volunteer to be event PLs, which I was surprised at. But then, when my son raised his hand to be PL for a certain event, he wrote his name down, even though he's not first class yet. I think our SM is just looking for a maturity factor and possibly in a subtle way saying 'if you're not First Class, you should be working on getting that and not so much running events or leading a patrol.' Perhaps also looking at a way the position could be looked up to by younger (lower ranked) scouts.

[hacimsaalk]

i agree with lynda- the boys in your patrol think you are a leader, so they chose you.

no requirement at all for this position. congrats on the position & keep working on that rank.

[Lynda J]

last year one of our boys was elected SPL. It was because he was popular. Well guess what he did a bad job and the boys got upset. When it came time for OA elections he was not elected. I know his job as SPL should not have effected his being elected to OA. But the boys used this to say. "YOU NEED TO GET IT TOGETHER. YOU WERE NOT A GOOD LEADER". He was very hurt when he wasn't tapped out for OA. He came to be complaing about it. I ask him if he has represented his troop to the best of his ability as SPL. He admitted he had not. He apoligized to the troop for his bad performance as SPL. He was elected to OA the next time. Boys will figure out who will do a good job. They will also let the boys not doing a good job know what they think. THat is if we as adults will leave things alone, and let them make mistakes.

[Double Eagle]

A troop may make a rank requirement for the position of patrol leader.

"The troop determines the requirements, if any, for patrol leaders, such as rank and age"

From the Scoutmaster Handbook page 21.

[RWSmith]

A troop may make a rank requirement for the position of patrol leader.

"The troop determines the requirements, if any, for patrol leaders, such as rank and age"

From the Scoutmaster Handbook page 21.

Ah, but the key is interpretation. IMHO, the "Troop" is the youth members... not the adults. The "Troop" also decides what type of neckerchief, if any, to wear. The default, in either case, is the same. Unless it's specifically addressed and agreed upon by a majority of [the youth members of] "the Troop", the requirements are none.

[wagionvigil]

For those in the OA think this way The LOdge Decides and the Lodge is the youth as they are the only voting members. It is the same in scout troops the adutls do not have a vote only the "TRoop" AKA the Youth

[Double Eagle]

mrcis said:

Our troop requires the PL's to be at least 1st Class, but there is no age requirement--If you get 1st Class in 6 months, you can put your name in to be PL


ASM-142 said:

Having a requirement of being 1st class is not allowed.

I said:

A troop may make a rank requirement for the position of patrol leader.

"The troop determines the requirements, if any, for patrol leaders, such as rank and age"

From the Scoutmaster Handbook page 21.


So I think that ASM-142 was incorrect. There may be rank and or age reqirements for the patrol leader if the troop determines that they want them. I never said that the troop was anything other than the youth.

[ASM-142]

I stand corrected.

[mhjacobson]

This issue is more than what requirements are set for election to positions. The issue is what is done after the election. ALL youth leaders in a troop should undergo Youth Leadership Training as close to immediately after each election period.

How can the scouts and the adults expect youth leaders to perform adequately if they are not trained. We have the expectation that adult leaders get trained, and each time that we see a problem with an adult, we find that he/she did not take the appropriate training.