From 1st Tadcaster Scout Troop (UK)

PL's Training

A Patrol Leader. What do you do ?. The TOP TEN list.


1. On your own, draw up a list of the Top Ten things you think a Patrol Leader should be doing. (Don't worry if you can't think of Ten Things at this stage.)

TOP TEN LIST of THINGS A PL SHOULD DO.

1.

2.

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8.

9.

10.


2. Then together with other PLs in your troop, working out a joint Top Ten list. Write the list up on a big sheet of paper so you can present it to the troop and see what they think. But before you do that, reflect on the following.


3. Think back to when you were a little, new Scout. Can you remember what you thought the PL did ?. Do you want to add anything ?.


4. Finally, here we have a Scout Leader's Top Ten List of what a PL should be doing. Are there any differences from your list ?. Do you agree with them ?. Are any worth adding to your list ?.


A SCOUT LEADER's TOP TEN LIST of WHAT A PL SHOULD DO.

1. Enjoy themselves. There should be a good programme for older scouts that keeps them interested in scouts. Being a PL should be a fun job that is interesting and enjoyable.

2. Help run the troop. As a PL, you should see yourself as a key member of the troop. If your troop is a good, friendly troop following a good programme, then that will be down to you doing a good job as a Patrol Leader.

3. Organise some activities. At troop night you could deal with flagbreak, organise games, choose prayers, inspect or set-up inter-patrol challenges. At the weekend or at camp, you can organise activities such as wide games, hikes, bike rides or social events such as ice skating. Doing that really is helping to run the troop.

4. Help plan the programme. Find out from your patrol the activities your scouts want to do. Discuss these ideas, and your own, with the Leaders and other PLs at the Patrol Leaders Council. Together, build a programme and plan in detail the activities you want the troop to do.

5. Set a good example. The SL's lament, "It's hard enough keeping the scouts under control without having an unhelpful set of PLs." This is a joke, but you, the PLs, need to decide what type of troop behaviour you want, set a good example and expect your patrol to follow it. Use the PLC to make rules and then enforce them.

6. Lead the patrol in patrol activities. Your patrol is a key part of the troop, for example at Summer Camp when you are camping in patrols. Your patrol needs you to guide them to do the right thing: cooking, chopping wood, washing up, lighting fires, going to bed, keeping the camp tidy and lots of other things. Leading your patrol means explaining what needs to be done, answering questions, watching, helping, encouraging, instructing and setting standards for your patrol. Don't keep the interesting work yourself, spread it around so all your patrol get some fun. And make sure it is fun. Don't take scouting too seriously, it is a game. So allow space and time for your patrol to enjoy themsleves.

7. Look after and train younger scouts. You will be closer than your leaders to the new scouts that join your troop. Sometimes it is quite difficult for them to take orders from an older scout. They are inexperienced and probably nervous, so treat them kindly. If the scouts in your patrol are well trained, you will be able to rely on them to get jobs done. Until then, they are useless plebs. So train them rather than blaming them if they get something wrong.

8. Run patrol activities. You will do a lot more as scouts if you do activities as a patrol. It need not always be your patrol on their own, you can go with other patrols if you wish. A weekend patrol camp or social activity that you plan and run yourselves will help your patrol work better as a team.

9. Choose an APL. You need to choose an assistant who will work with you. Share your role with them. This gives them experience that will be useful when they make PL. It will also give you a rest,

10. Work with your leaders. Together, you are going to make your patrol and troop really something. If you are at war, your troop will be a disaster.


CONCLUSION

So by now you should have a good idea of what a Patrol Leader should be doing. Share it with the rest of the troop so they understand what you are trying to do.