Podcast 235 - Patrol Method 1 | Scoutmastercg.com

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What, exactly, is the Patrol Method?

Why did our founder emphasize the importance of the patrol method over all else in Scouting? In this week’s podcast I’ll begin a series of four installments that establishes the patrol method as the character school for our Scouts and relate a story about how things can go wrong if you don’t understand patrol method principles.

The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting for boys can be carried on. It is the only method.

It is not the slightest use to preach the Scout Law or to give it out as orders to a crowd of boys: each mind requires its special exposition of them and the ambition to carry them out.

– Baden Powell

Two things drive character development in Scouting; the example of role models and interaction with peers.

Being told how they ought to act or having good conduct modeled for them is only the first step. The real work happens when Scouts develop mutual respect for each other and foster coöperation within a group of equals. This coöperation is where the really radical idea of Scouting, self-government through the patrol method, takes place.

Here’s the link I mentioned to purchase multiple copies of my books at a discount for your fellow Scouters.

Listen to Scoutmaster Podcast 235