Scout Leadership Course Session Activity Notes

Session activity

The Troop Council: Role Play

Time to allocate for this activity

45 minutes

Resources required

Meeting room set up, minute taking paper and pen, mock agenda.

Activity Notes

During this session, the Scouts will learn about Troop Councils and have an opportunity to stage a mock Troop Council.

Prelude (3 minutes)

Ask the course if they would like to sit inside or out for this session (or to make some other fairly meaningless decision). Allow them a very brief time to discuss and decide. Once a decision has been made and the course is settled for the session, annouce that they have just held a very successful Troop Council! By simply making a decision on how the whole Group should proceed is exactly what a Troop Council is for.

Introduction (2 mins)

What is The Troop Council? Ask for some ideas from the course. Encourage ideas that talk about Patrol Leaders sharing ideas, making decisions, programming, approving award scheme progress, etc.

Why is The Troop Council important for a Troop? Again, briefly encourage comments from the group which include making it relevant for the youth members, developing leadership skills, more efficient, etc.

The task 25 mins)

Select one representative from each Patrol and invite them to join the centre table for a Troop Council. The presenter is in attendance as the Scout Leader. One of the representatives (preferrably somebody who has some animation and confidence) is nominated by the presenter to chair the meeting. Briefly discuss with the course the following points before starting the mock meeting:

• Who should be in attendance? PLs, APLs, the SL, the ASL, the GL? No right answer!
• Who should be the chair? A PL, An APL, the SL, the ASL, the GL? One of the PLs!
• Who should be take notes? A PL, An APL, the SL, the ASL, the GL? No right answer!

The meeting

Using the mock agenda and participant cue cards provided, the presenter will guide the meeting, allowing the Chair to run the proceedings, but occasionally stopping to address the course where clarification or comment is needed.

Discussion (10 minutes)

At the conclusion of the meeting, hold an open forum discussion with the course, the presenter leading the discussion with the following thought points:

• Does a Troop Council always have to be the same format?
• Who has been to a Troop Council, or heard of their Troop having one?
• Why is the Troop Council important?
• Is it always the PLs, or can it vary?
• How long should a Troop Council last?
• What can you do if your Troop does not have a Troop Council?

Conclusion (5 minutes)

Finish by confirming the outcomes of the session.