The Patrol Method
The Patrol Method is how scout troops are organized throughout the world. Baden-Powell recognized that boys naturally form themselves in to cliques or groups in any environment and wanted to use this behavior to promote a sense of responsibility and brotherhood.
Each scout troop is lead by the Scout Leader, who appoints a Troop Leader and Assistant Troop Leaders from among the more experienced scouts to assist with the management of the troop. The scout troop is divided into patrols, which are each led by a Patrol and Assistant Patrol Leader.
In patrols, scouts rely on each other to carry out tasks. Patrols are required to work as a team at scouting events. For example, at camp, scouts of the same patrol will share a tent, prepare food and eat together, and go to activities as a patrol. A sense of camaraderie is built up, especially when competeing against other patrols in races or regattas. In addition, patrol leaders and assistant patrol leaders gain valuable leadership experience.
Patrols are encouraged to problem solve on their own. If a scout has a problem regarding a particular situation or another scout, it should be brought to the attention of the Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader. The Patrol Leader may decide to bring the problem to the Troop Leader depending on the severity of the problem, who may then get the Scout Leader and other adult Leaders involved.
1st Trinidad Sea Scouts Patrols
There are four patrols in our troop. They are:
- Seagull Tadpoles
- Otter Shrimps
- Curlew Dophins
- Beaver Seals
The first word in the patrol name refers to the senior scouts in the patrol, while the second word refers to the juniors. For example, in the Seagulls Tadpoles patrol, the senior scouts would be referred to as Seagulls and the juniors would be referred to as Tadpoles. There is also sometimes a Junior Patrol Leader, and Assistant Junior Patrol Leader depending on the size of the Patrol.
For national of international events, scouts may be reassigned to new patrols to account for scouts who are unable to attend or merging with other troops. There is also a temporary troop called Squids, where new Recruits are placed before they are assigned to a Patrol. Patrols members can be viewed on the Patrols page here.
Discussion Questions
Here are some questions that can help you understand this topic better:
- Explain how the Patrol Method works
- What are the different patrols in our troop?
- Explain the chain of command in the troop.
