Scout Leadership Course Session Activity Notes

Session activity

Self Discipline: Patrol Leaders Creed

Time to allocate for this activity

30 minutes

Resources required

Patrol Leaders Creed, butcher's paper, marker pens.

Activity Notes

This short activity is designed to encourage Scouts to think through the different interpretations of Self Discipline. Calling on their ability to think and create, they are asked to reproduce their own, modern version of the Patrol Leader's Creed.

Introduction (2 mins)

What is self discipline? Ask for some ideas from the course. Encourage ideas that talk about living within your own moral and social code such as arriving on time, dressing appropriately, remembering to do things you have promised to do, good moral values, socially acceptable behaviour, etc.

Why is self discipline important for a leader? Again, briefly encourage comments from the group which include leading by example, setting expectations, practising what you preach, etc.

The task (15 mins)

Read The Patrol Leader's Creed handout and briefly discuss each point. Work as a Patrol to choose and re-write the three most important parts of the Patrol Leader's Creed. Patrols can work on butcher's paper to draft and write up their final ideas. Ideally, three sentences that sum up their expectations of a Patrol Leader.

Presentations (4 x 2 mins max)

Each Patrol presents their top 3 ideas to the rest of the course. Presenter will summarise each presentation, paying particular attention to statements about leading by example, following social codes, setting expectations, etc.

Conclusion (3 minutes)

Summarise the creed's and Conclude with the statement from BP:
"You can only get discipline in the mass by discipline in the individual."