Email questions! I’ll answer email questions concerning patrols and planning in this week’s podcast. I think what most of us want is patrols with long storied histories, stable membership, and high functioning Scouts. It’s my suspicion these kinds of patrols only exist in the pages of handbook. I had a dog eared copy the 1940’s […]
The Boys Ask Green Bar Bill About the Patrol Method
A virtual question and answer session with Green Bar Bill about the patrol method from the December 1943 Edition of Scouting magazine. If you aren’t familiar with Bill “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt check out these articles to learn more. Download this article as a PDF document below. The Boys Ask Green Bar Bill About the Patrol Method GENTLEMEN, […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 344 – Patrols and Schedules
Personal schedules are just one of the things that affect a Scout patrol … … and we can’t do things as if it were 10 years ago, much less 100. One of our challenges as Scouters (and human beings) is adapting to change while maintaining our goals and principles. It’s not impossible, but it can be hard […]
Podcast 305 – Thurman on Patrols
What Did John Thurman say to Patrol leaders? Richard Francis “John” Thurman (4 April 1911 – April 1985) became the third Camp Chief at Gilwell Park in 1943 and ably developed Gilwell Park and leader training for 26 years. Author of 15 books on Scouting He made a considerable impact on World Scouting and his […]
Podcast 304 – Founder’s Day
What do you know about Scouting’s founder? February 22nd is founder’s day, the birthday of Scouting’s founder, born in 1857, 159 years ago, in Paddington, London, England World Thinking Day is celebrated annually on 22 February by all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world. It is a day when they think about their fellow […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 303 – Patrols
How do you decide who ends up in what patrol? Patrols are not about managing Scouts, they are not an artificial construct. If you look at patrols from the perspective of your Scouts there’s the only thing that’s actually important – and that’s what we’ll talk about on this podcast. The real secret is that you don’t […]
What is a “Youth-Led Troop”?
Many Scouters claim; “We have a youth-led Troop,” but what does that really mean? Official literature mentions this sort of thing often, but how is do we really define “youth-led”? We’d like to think what the Scouts do and how they do it defines “youth-led”, but it doesn’t. Young people lead themselves all the time, it comes quite naturally to them. […]
Leadership, Power, Responsibility, and Service
Anyone who takes on a position of responsibility as a leader will feel pretty self-important at first. After all, you have been chosen, or you stepped in when no one else did. It’s a big ego boost to have a title, to have people follow your directions. That’s a pretty heady feeling isn’t it… all that power? Power scratches an itch, […]
Podcast 287 – Small Troops
When is a group of Scouts a Troop, and when are they a patrol? We begin answering that question by forgetting everything we think we know and building a logical approach, by serving the interests of the individual Scout rather than the interest of an organizational chart. Small troops are going to function a little differently […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 269 – Parents and Summer Camp
We prepare our Scouts, but how about their parents? How can we help parents make it though the first week of summer camp? Entrusting the full-time care of your child to someone for such a long time, for the first time, can be challenging for parents. In this podcast I offer some ideas you can share […]
A Troop Revolution
Vilhelm Hans Bjerregaard Jensen was a Danish Scout who became a Scoutmaster during the early years of the Scouting Movement. He decided to see something of Scouting around the world, worked his way through Europe and England, arrived in the United States in February 1926 and took a job with the national headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America. James West (the BSA’s […]
Podcast 262 – The Scale of Scouting
What’s the difference between a patrol and a herd? In this week’s podcast we’ll look at what the founder had to say about the scale of Scouting and I’ll answer email questions about patrols choices and presenting badges. LINKS The Big Three Resources every Scouter should read Music A Boy Scout in Switzerland Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com […]
B.P.’s Blog – Development of the Patrol System
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. FROM different sources I have had interesting reports of very satisfactory results of developing […]
Plan-Do-Review
Scouts Canada has created a clear, uncluttered, engaging process in the “Plan-Do-Review” component of the Canadian Path. Scouting is made up of intuitive principles that are intended to be taken at face value. Simplicity can be elusive; we tend to prefer complications. At first blush there’s nothing groundbreaking or new about this approach. It’s so intuitive and simple I think most […]
Podcast 258 – Scouting’s Most Important Volunteers
Is it the Council President, commissioner, or Scoutmaster? Nope, listen to find out which volunteers Scouting can’t do without, and to answers to email questions about a new Scoutmaster, Scouts who won’t lead, and new Scout patrols. LINKS Bedwetting and Scouts Kandersteg 2016 MUSIC in this podcast By a Campfire on the Trail Sponsored By […]
Podcast 257- Who Leads Who?
… if we have youth leading Scouts who do we lead? Find out who the Scoutmaster leads and directs in this podcast as well as answers to questions about merit badges, Webelos wearing sashes, and adult supervision of patrol meetings or activities. Links in this podcast Blue Card Infographic The Big Three Resources every Scouter […]
Podcast 249 – So Far, So Good!
So Far, So Good! Lot’s of catching up to do! It’s nice to be back after a two week hiatus! In this podcast I’ll tell you about my new book, So Far, So Good! and answer email questions about how to keep a vision for all age divisions of Scouting, the program changes coming this year, […]
B.P.’s Blog – Citizenship
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. As nearly every man will now have political voting power, one of the aims […]
A New Scoutmaster in the Volcano
I received this email from a new Scoutmaster a day or two ago: I was presented with the opportunity to take over as our new Scoutmaster some months ago and asked your advice. I had some concerns about the level of adult involvement in what should be a boy-led troop. In your response you suggested I define […]
Origins of the Patrol System
The Patrol System was published by the General Council Boy Scouts of Canada in 1960 and is available in PDF format here (do make sure to check out The Dump). The principles of the Patrol System were first introduced by the Founder, Baden-Powell, when he was with the British Army in India. The system he devised enabled […]
Podcast 238 – Patrol Method 4
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 the fourth of four installments that discusses how basic ideas to practically apply the patrol method. I also answer email questions on how to have Scouts form patrols, how to address bad […]
Patrol Method in Practice – Objections
This is post number three in this four part series on the patrol method 1. The Character School, 2. The Adult Role, 4. Making it happen Our first post in this series establishes the patrol method as the character school of Scouting, that real self-government makes the Scout Oath and law more relevant than a bunch of concepts preached by adults. That Scouts find meaning […]
Troubleshooting the Patrol Method
This is a self assessment tool to help gauge how well a troop applies the patrol method. It may be a good idea to have several adults and youth troop members complete the assessment and discuss the results. This is not very scientific but it will at least give you an idea of where you […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 40 – Patrol Method Book
Scoutmaster Podcast 40 Interview with the authors of a fantastic patrol method book – Working the Patrol Method. Applying the patrol method is a perennial challenge for all of us, indeed it is the subject of much of the Scoutmaster blog and podcast. I cannot recommend Working the Patrol Method strongly enough – an essential tool for […]
