Troop Organization

[farmwife]

I have two questions.

First does your troop organize in patrols and if so do you mix ranks within the patrols or try to keep similar ranks together. Also how often do you reorganize patrols.

Second, how do you select your Sr. Patrol Leader and do you always have an Asst SPL? Is the SPL always one of the highest ranked Scouts?

Thanks

[Mrw]

Our scouts are generally sorted into patrols by age, regardless of rank. Changes are made on an as-needed basis to solve conflicts we can't help them work out and to adjust patrol size if one has lost some boys. We recently combined two patrols after each had lost a couple that did not recharter. This new patrol has several Lifa and Star scouts and then one who is First Class and one who has been with us for three years and never earned a rank. (He is coached and prodded a bit, but doesn't care.)

The SPL is elected from the pool of willing boys who are at least First Class. I think we currently have two ASPL's, but we have over 40 active scouts. The oldest boys in the troop are JASM's at this point. They are Eagles and help out a lot, but are leaving the other POR's to boys that still need them for advancement.

[Chief J]

In my Troop, when Webelo's cross over we keep them in a new scout patrol with a Troop Guide (Older Scout who works with the new patrol leader).

As this patrol progresses through time, the rank structures will begin to fall out. that is the older Scout patrols have kids who are First Class, Star and Life (I do not have any Active Eagle Scouts at this moment)

Also try to keep the patrols around 8 scouts. If I have a small group cross over or a Scout join in mid-year, they are generally assigned to an existing patrol so they can function.

As far as SPL, the Troop elects him annually. Right now my SPL is a 14 year old Scout. He is allowed to pick his ASPL and yes we always have an SPL and ASPL.

Best Regards,
Chief J

[Fibonacci]

I seem to remember someone saying that about half the troops have same-age patrols and half have mixed-age patrols. We're a mixed-age troop.

We have a Frog Patrol for the newest Scouts when they cross over. They work on Scout Skills at meetings and at Summer Camp. Then they are assigned to one of our three existing patrols in October. The patrols generally have 11 - 13 Scouts, but participation varies with athletic seasons, WWW (wheels, women, & work), and Scouting interest level.

We allow Scouts to switch patrols, but only a few have ever requested to change. If a patrol is getting small, we just give them more Frogs in October.

The SPL is elected. We require that he have experience as an ASPL first. The other positions are also elected, but the SM helps Scouts select an appropriate position to run for.

[Mad Dog]

Our troop reorganizes every year. There are an equal number of scouts of each rank in each troop. I don't agree with it but that is what is done. The troop votes on SPL evry year and the SPL picks and ASPL.

[RMM]

Currently we have two patrols. Every fall we task the scouts on deciding how many patrols they want to have. Last year we went from three to two as many turned 18 and left. I suspect this year we will stay at two. We are getting 4 new scouts this fall and hoping for more next spring. Then next spring we will hope fully have a new patrol that will stay as a patrol next fall.

[WeeWillie]

The Patrol Method is one of the 8 Methods of Scouting. As such, your troop should always be organized by Patrols. The number of Patrols will be determined by the demographics of your troop. I currently have two patrols. One is 6, 7, 8th grade, the other 9, 10, 12th. The SPL is 9th, the JASM 12th. No ASPL because we are small (17 Scouts). We reorganize every year based on new scouts and retentions. I live in a military community so we lose 2-3 Scouts each year to moves.

[joat]

Just a thought, but the Scoutmaster Handbook might have some thoughts on patrols. I heard a rumor once that ideas put forth in the book have been tested throughout the country, revised, re-tested, and are proven to work.

[WeeWillie]

The following quote is found in the SM Handbook. Look in the chapter "Boy Run Patrol."

The Patrol Method is not a way to operate a Boy Scout troop, it is the only way. Unless the Patrol Method is in operation you don’t have a Boy Scout troop.

Lord Baden Powell


There are lots of reasons for not using the Patrol Method and none of them are good reasons. Not using the Patrol Method is a characteristic of a Merit Badge Mill. If you are unfamilar with the term Merit Badge Mill, it describes a unit that is so focused on advancment that they ignore the other 7 Methods of Scouting.

The Patrol Method depends on having Patrol Leaders who know their Scouts Skills; can lead their patrols; and regularly show up for meetings and outings. Too many parents and leaders view this as an unnecessary intrusion of their advancement goals, and interferes with their non-Scout activities. The SPL and PLs become honorary positions and exist only for the purposes of holding PORs for 4/6 months. The SM is the Super-duper SPL and the ASMs are Super-duper PLs.

[Chief J]

Last evening, my SPL, ASPL, and the trhee patrol leaders asked if we could adjust the patrols. One of my patrols had fallen to 5 scouts and were beginning to struggle. They asked if that patrol could be absorbed into the other two patrols.

The particular patrol being merged is my "middle" scouts. One is ready to make Star, a couple were first class and a couple were second class. We m,erged the older scouts into my "experienced" scout patrol which are generally all star and life scouts, and the younger, second class scouts into my 2nd year scout patrol where the scouts are all roughly 12 and 13 and vary in rank from Scout to First Class.

Normally I have enough crossovers to have a new scout patrol, but this year we only had three so we combined them with my 2nd year scouts so they can function in their patrol.

Again this was all driven by my youth leadership and the reason for the request was to allow for the Troop to function in patrols on our numerous outings.

Yours In Scouting,
Chief J

[joat]

... the reason for the request was to allow for the Troop to function in patrols on our numerous outings.

What kinds of functions can a small patrol of 5 or less not get done that a patrol of 8 can get done?

[Mrw]

If there are only 5 in the patrol, and only three manage to make any given campout, it doesn't work real well.

That is about where we tend to want to re-align or merge patrols as well. And even if it is done based on a suggestion of the adults, it is done with the approval of the boys.

[WeeWillie]

Joat

Look in the Camping MB book or the PL Handbook for how a Patrol is organized for cooking a meal. The PL should be supervising the entire process.

We use that method and we can prepare breakfast and break camp in about 2 - 2.5 hours which leaves the rest of the AM to have fun. Prior to my becoming SM, we cooked as a troop and it took 3-4 hours. It also teaches the PL how to break down tasks to sub-tasks, organize, and lead.

[Chief J]

What kinds of functions can a small patrol of 5 or less not get done that a patrol of 8 can get done?

As the others above have stated, when a patrol only has five assigned if all of them do not show up on a camping trip, the work load becomes double for the kids to cook and cleanup as well as setting up the patrol area (dining fly, patrol box, etc.).

We also find it hard to "merge" a patrol for camping, because it causes alot of disruption to the process of having the PL be in charge and seeing that things get done.

Fo our Troop on our outings a patrol of 5 or less has the same amount of work to divide up as a patrol of 8, and that workload begins to make the outing seem more like punishment.

Chief J

[koholintscout]

First-we try to keep an even number of people in each patrol without regard for ranking. The only sidebar here is that Scouts that have less than a year in the troop are in the new Scout patrol until they hit the year mark (whether or not they hit 1st Class). We organize patrols sporatically, sometimes two scouts really don't like each other or something so we split them up. There's always some reoganization every six months (with the elections) with some peoople shifting posititions that takes them out of patrols or whatnot (JASM, SPL, ASPL, Troop Guide) and every year we have to split up what was the new Scout patrol and put half in one patrol and half in the other.

We do six-month terms, with votes at the end of the school semester in December and another at the end of the other semester in late May. Its a popular vote and it precedes all other votes. Then the SPL appoints an ASPL and we always have one of those. The SPL has almost always been one of the highest ranking Scouts, but that's more out of coincidence than pure intention-there's no argument to having a 1st Class Scout be the SPL if there's Star, Life and Eagle Scouts walking around wanting (or needing) the position. Having the higher rank def helps the credability of the SPL as well.

[biglou]

My Troop had 2 patrols until last Thursday (Crossover at the Blue and Gold). Now we have 3. Two of the three are filled with 8 members. The new patrol has 6. I suspect that number will grow and they will have 8. They are off to a good start.

My Troop uses the PATROL METHOD. It works. The problem I have seen is when people try to reinvent the program, ie CO-SPLs and "SCOUT SCHOOL", with no leadership training. In my honest opinion, if you train the boys to do their job and support them, they will do well.

The SPL in my Troop is doing a great job. My Troop is getting stronger each week. I hate to say, I go to my meeting to see what they SPL and ASPL will do next. It is an absolute pleasure to watch them work. The SPL has also appointed the other leaders of the Troop and they are doing their jobs. It is amazing to see.

We have in the past merged two patrols into one because the one has died out but that is it. The boys are recruiting and bringing in new blood. Maybe it is because their Scoutmaster is always asking them if they are recruiting and leading by example. If I am at the local pizza shop and their is a boy of Boy Scout age, I ask them what they are doing on Wednesday nights. The Scouts chime in because they have caught on. We have grown because boys who were not asked before are now. I have one completing his Eagle Project tommorrow night. The only bad thing about that is he turns 18 Friday February 27th. But he has said he is stayin on as an ASM. Cool huh!