Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-02-03
| BOY
SCOUTS
--e1-
Conducted by National Council OF the Boy
Scouts OF Amerlcs.)
PATROL UNIT IN SCOUTING

So frequently II is stated by scout
a executives in reply TO the question why
/ more churches in the community do
= not have Boy scoA troops, that many
Of the churches are too small to have
a troop writes John NJ. Gore, Scout
Executive, Knoxville, Tenn. They
haven't enough boys of scout age. Is
not such reply based upon the con-
cepton OF troop of from "a to 32
DoysF True, there are many of the
smaller churches which find it hard
TO muster that many boys above
twelve years Of Aae, and because of
this some scout leaders consider such
a church as lacking the opportunity
Tor troop organization, many suggest
ing that several such churches combine
and form troop. The latter plan
however, seldom works out salts.
ractorily because the troop lacks the
Identity 1t should have In the church |
OF which the boy is member or with |
which he Is identified.
The error in assuming that the
church which cannot supply a suf-
hcient number of boys to make up
fuil troop cannot organize for scout
Ing Is due In part ut least to a failure
to emphasize the patrol as the real
unit Of organization patrol of eight
constitutes large enough group to
provide excellent opportunity for good
scouting In fact, the smaller number
has particular advantages. There is
more likelihood OF success In securing
leader and more chances of an eff.
cient program. There are men will
Ing and competent to lead eight BOYS
VINO are not willing and who are not
competent 10 handle larger number.
with this point Of view can there not
be organized groups of boys in many
churches where they are not now or
ganlzed and where it has been thought
Impossible to organize them?
This leads us to declare that In J
other ways the patrol has not been '
Adequately emphasized A troop is @
10 stronger than the patrols which Il
compose 1t. The patrols offer excel
ent opportunities for grading within the S
roops. They afford the maximum OBJ b
'ortunlty for developing older boy n
leadership. The patrol leader is a D
'ery important factor in the manage. al
nent of troop. We should be more fl
with his selection and pro
'lde special opportunities for his train e
ng. They are, as a rule, older bows. fl
ne cultivation and utilization of the a
atrol leader constitutes one of our "
argest opportunities for holding the O
lder boy. The real appeal to the &
lder boy Is not along the line of sci. b
shness through the proffer of priv. Il
leges, but through the appeal to serv. S
ce. He Is impressed by being given t
responsibilities, He loves to be a lead, Y
r. Patrol leaders conferences patrol h
eaders' training courses, organization II
4 prospective patrol leaders should re- n
Give much greater attention than II
hey now receive. Here is a way. al a
east In part, 10 meet the older boy Il
'roblem. 81
And further, has enough attention
'een given to the actual program Of pl
he patrols7 Here is where we may CT
earn much from our English scout &C
riends. Baden-Powell is always re. In
erring to the patrol. its leadership and Ell
Program. He seeks constantly to eu. m
ogize It's work, to emphasize its pro
ram, to humanize its detectives, to de eg
lare its Importance In
The patrol is the real unit of scout LEI
n.y. II brings the program of scout to
ng close to the boy. AS go the pa. III
rolls so goes scouting. May we i'm. Gle
'rove the quality of their program. ma
ais
,., es,