Scout Leadership Course Session Activity Notes

Session activity

Solutions and Decisions: Task 3 (Scenarios)

Time to allocate for this activity

4 x 15 minute bases, following introduction

Resources required

Cue cards.

Activity Notes

These activities are designed to give opportunities to identify tasks, individuals and groups in a problem solving environment. At each activity, the Patrol must nominate a leader before they are handed the cue card. The cue card gives all the information they need to get started on the task. An adult leader acts as observer to monitor the group, offering advice and guidance if the leader appears out of their depth or off-task. The observer will note the progress of the leader through the stages of solving the problem to report back later. All tasks are based on a Patrol Council style meeting:

Crossing the creek

The task
You are leading the Patrol on a hike and you come to a creek. The campsite is on the others side of the creek. The Patrol is expected to arrive at the campsite in 30 minutes. The creek is 60cm deep and quite fast flowing. What do you do?

Discussion points
All wade across? Give them all a piggy-back across? Walk upstream and downstream to find a safe place to cross? Build a dam of rocks then walk over the dry creek? Build a raft or boat? Do nothing and just wait?

Video vulgarity

The task
There has been a complaint about your Patrol's video night and sleepover after the Scouts were sent home by the host's parents. It appears that Simon pushed Julie into the pool and she split her head open. Julie's parents don't want her to return to Scouts as it is too rough. Simon isn't normally like that, but he may have OD'd on red cordial. Simon has apologised to the Patrol. How can you sort out the mess?

Discussion points
Do nothing and hope it goes away? Apologise for Simon and ask if Julie can come back? Ask Skip to talk sense to Julie's parents? Get Simon to do some community service as a punishment? Stand by Simon as it was not his fault?

Job week bonanza

The task
Success! The Patrol got a $100 donation when they did a great job cleaning the windows of a houselast week. What should we do with the money?

Discussion points
Split the money between us? Donate the money to charity? Offer the money to the Troop to buy a new hike tent? Return the money to the lady who donated it?

Homesick Harry

The task
Harry is homesick at Patrol camp. He has been sitting on his own in the tent crying. When anyone asks him what is wrong, he cries that he wants to go home. It is his first camp - what can you do to help?

Discussion points
Do nothing - he will come round? Call his parents to pick him up? Force him to take part in activities? Spend time talking to him?