Scout Leadership Course Handout

Session area

The Patrol System

Outline of the session

At the core of the success of Scouting is The Patrol System. This organisation and management system is tried and tested. Here we explore the details behind the method.

Session Notes

The Patrol System

The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting can be carried on. It is the only method.
- Lord Baden-Powell

Patrol system (or patrol method), the individual in a group. Scouts are organised in small groups (about 5-7 Scouts) because this is the natural way young people work together. These patrols are therefore more important than the Troop. Patrols must be kept intact under all circumstances, which means working, tenting, learning, cooking, so surviving together. In a Patrol the Scouts learn to work with others, while the Patrol leader learns responsibility for others. Both have to give in a part of their personal interest for this. Still Scouting deals with the individual, not with the Company. A Scout has his own identity within the group and learns as an individual. The Patrol serves as the characterschool for the individual.

What is a Patrol?

A Patrol is a group of Scouts who belong to a Troop, are similar in age, development and interests. The Patrol system allows Scouts to interact in a small group outside the larger Troop, working together as a team, and sharing the responsibility of making their Patrol a success. Patrol size depends on a Troop's membership, the ideal being a maximum of eight Scouts.

Patrol Spirit

Patrol spirit is the glue that holds the patrol together and keeps it going. Building patrol spirit takes time, because it is shaped by the patrol's experiences - good or bad. Often misadventures, like getting lost on a night hike, will contribute much in pulling a patrol together. The weekend it rained and flooded your camp is the one you will never forget. Some patrols build up traditions, and these help build each patrol member's sense of belonging.

Kind of Patrol

Patrols work best when there is a mix of ages, skills, interests and abilities. But that is not the only way to group the Scouts in your Troop. You might also try:

1) New Scout patrols are for those who recently joined or moved up from the Cub Pack, maybe led by an experience Patrol Leader.
2) Regular patrols for those who have completed their Scout Membership awards and initial challenges.
3) Older patrols for those shortly heading for the Explorer Section.
Troop Councils decide on their own strategy, and what works best for them.