Training or Experience?

Conduct youth leader training for ALL the boys, not just the “leaders”, have them work through the experience as patrols, don’t create “training patrols”.

Remind them that patrols are about interdependence; shared leadership and shared responsiility. Let them chose their own patrols, and don’t meddle in it. In our troop of 20 the patrols are 4, 4, 5, and 7, yes I’d like to see one less patrol but that’s not my place. Once they have their patrols help them create and maintain their identities. It may be cheaper and easier to combine the troop for meals, don’t do it, meals are the most basic building block of the patrol method, and don’t let adults “help” the scouts by making sure they make a decent meal. Are they going to burn food? Yes, we have a patrol that still talks about their “e-coli burgers” from 4 years ago.

Beyond meals have them do things as patrols, but when things go wrong don’t step in, find your SPL and together watch to see what happens and how they handle it.

Afterwards, along with the SPL, review the activity and what happened, but don’t give answers, ask questions, let them find the answers.

Finally, give your leaders real responsibility; for troop issues talk to the SPL, don’t go around him and deal with things yourself. Work with him when coaching the troop level leaders and Patrol Leaders, discuss ideas and outcomes first, then let him take the point in the conversation.

Youth leadership is not easy to watch, my inner Marine Staff NCO keeps telling me to step in and get it done right, thankfully he seldom wins.

Learn to reinforce the positive results, build upon the leadership you do see, and keep telling yourself it a process and not a product. Step back and coach through the troop level leaders, don’t lead yourself. Who cares if they didn’t finish the pioneering project, they still learned and used the lashings AND if they lead the project learned some lessons on how to lead.