This information is intended for new Scouts and their Families. Webelos Scouts that will be joining us will be taking Scouting to a whole new level. You are finally ready to start participating in adventures that will reward and challenge you, where you will have the responsibility and autonomy not available in Cub Scouts. Boy Scouts is run by you, the Scout, not the adults, using a method known as the Patrol Method. Don't worry parents there are still trained adults around to help prevent and deal with any issues that may arise. A complete guide to Scouting for new Scouts and parents can be found HERE. Additional information in the Parent and New Leaders Guide to a Boy Led Troop can be found HERE. ADULT LEADER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: Adult Volunteers in Scouting are required to go through comprehensive training programs, all volunteers are required to take Youth Protection Training (YPT) every two years and submit to a background check. After they have completed YPT they are required to take trainings geared towards any specific roles they will be performing within the Troop. For Example Scoutmasters and Assistant Scout Masters are required to take Leader Specific Training and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills in order to be considered Trained. Out of all youth organizations the BSA has one of the most comprehensive training programs available, with the most stringent requirements of it's adult leaders. You can click here to visit the BSA website for more on adult training requirements. THE PATROL METHOD: The Patrol is at the heart of the Patrol Method and the Patrol Leaders' Council. A Patrol is a group of Boy Scouts who belong to the same troop and who are probably similar in age, development, and interests. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in a small group outside the larger troop context, working together as a team and sharing the responsibility of making their patrol a success. A patrol takes pride in its identity, and the members strive to make their patrol the best it can be. Patrols will sometimes join with other patrols to learn skills and complete advancement requirements. At other times they will compete against those same patrols in Scout skills and athletic competitions. The members of each patrol elect one of their own to serve as Patrol Leader. The troop determines the requirements for patrol leaders, such as rank and age. To give more youths the opportunity to lead, most troops elect patrol leaders twice a year. Some may have elections more often. Patrol size depends upon a troop's enrollment and the needs of its members. The junior leader with the most responsibility in a troop is the Senior Patrol Leader. He is elected by all of the members of the troop. Each troop sets its' own requirements and schedule of elections, though senior patrol leaders are usually chosen at six- to 12-month intervals and can be reelected. Troop 137 currently has 6 Patrols; the Eagles, Owls, Panthers, Scorpions, and Raccoons. The Senior Patrol are the Honey Badgers.  “The object of the patrol method is not so much saving the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the boy.” — Robert Baden-Powell “...a Troop is not divided into Patrols. A Troop is the sum total of its Patrols.” — William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt |
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