New Scouts and the Patrol Method?

In order to keep a Scout Troop established along the lines of the Patrol Method and being Boy-led, it is important that new Scouts in the Troop are taught about the Patrol Method and know its importance and the responsibilities it requires of each Scout.

Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as having an “Introduction to the Patrol Method” Class every year. The truth is, maintaining a Boy-led, Patrol-Method Troop is a lot of work, and that’s why some Scoutmasters have given up trying. However, I’ve always been glad it wasn’t that easy. The Patrol System isn’t easy, but neither is Scouting, for that matter. And that’s what makes it worth doing.

A properly functioning boy-led Troop is self-sustaining. Through the constant care and attention of the Scoutmaster and the boy leaders, new Scouts who enter the Troop learn by both emulating the older Scouts and being directly taught about the Scout method by them. There are five areas of the Patrol Method that are especially important when it comes to teaching it new Scouts:

Keystones of a Scout: The 10 Virtues that Make a Scout | Chivalry

 

“In the old days the Knights were the real Scouts and their rules were very much like the Scout Law which we have now. The Knights considered their honor their most sacred possession. They would not do a dishonorable thing, such as telling a lie or stealing. They would rather die than do it. They were always ready to fight and to be killed in upholding their king, or their religion, or their honor. Each Knight had a small following of a squire and some men-at-arms, just as our Patrol Leader has his Second (or Assistant) and four or five Scouts. …  You Scouts cannot do better than follow the example of the Knights.”

So said Robert Baden-Powell in the book that started the Scouting Movement, Scouting for Boys. In this book the Knights are held up as the ideal of Chivalry that Scouts should strive for. Chivalry was given very high importance by the founder of the Scouting Movement. In essence, Baden-Powell said that us Scouts should be modern-day Knights.

But that was one hundred years ago. These days, not only are many declaring that Chivalry is dead, histories are being written that many times portray the Knights in a much darker light than that in which our forefathers saw them.  If you read some ‘histories’, you would think that Knights were in reality nothing but robbers and bullies. And you will hear that the chivalrous attitude of our forefathers was ‘unenlightened’ and degrading to women.

So where does that leave us Scouts now? Are we leftovers from the evolution of society who are destined to be eventually forgotten? Or should we continue to adapt with the times and call chivalry a thing of the past? I profoundly disagree. I believe that chivalry isn’t just a part of the history of Scouting, I believe that chivalry is integral to the ideal of Scouting and is, in fact, a Scout Keystone. What does this look like?

Scout’s Scrapbook (9-12-12): The Spirit of Adventure

 

 

Here is yet another excellent quote from John Thurman, who was an influential British Scouter. I am just blown away by this quote as John Thurman is able to put in one paragraph what I’ve been trying to put into words for years. Sometimes simpler is better.

This is what Scouting is all about. We are Scouts; we are Pioneers; we are Explorers. Sure, lashing together small bridges and practicing First Aid doesn’t seem like much, but all great journeys start by taking the first step. As Scouts, we are committed to taking that first step when oftentimes no one else is willing to risk the commitment.

Yet sometimes we forget. Sometimes we don’t remember the big picture of why we do what we do. Sometimes, when we recite the words of the Scout Oath, they are only words.

No more! Let’s Rediscover Scouting for what it has always stood for! Take this quote from John Thurman and read it aloud at your next Troop Meeting. Post it on Facebook, Tweet it to your friends, share it with every Scout you know. Sometimes, it’s up to us to make sure that True Scouting isn’t forgotten. Sometimes, Scouting needs to be Rediscovered!

The Two Lives of a Hero II: Charterhouse Boy

 

Today, I’m going to continue the series I introduced earlier, where I will be going through the biography: “Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero” by William Hillcourt. In this post, I will be giving a brief synopsis and commentary of the second Chapter: “Charterhouse Boy”. Last chapter, we left off with Baden-Powell leaving for the ‘Charterhouse School’ at 13 years old.

Synopsis 

The second chapter starts immediately with Baden-Powell entering the Charterhouse school. The Charterhouse school was a very old institution with a lot history and tradition behind it.

The Two Lives of a Hero 1: The Seventh Son

Yesterday, I introduced a new series where I will be going through the biography: “Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero” by William Hillcourt. In this post, I will be giving a brief synopsis and commentary of the first Chapter: “The Seventh Son”.

Synopsis

This first chapter covers the years 1857-1870, the first 13 years of Robert Baden-Powell’s (B-P) life. William Hillcourt opens this chapter with the focus on the newly widowed Henrietta Powell, B-P’s mother. B-P was three years old when his father died, leaving B-P’s mother a widow at thirty-five. 

The Two Lives of a Hero: Introduction

Today I’m going to start a new series here on “Scouting Rediscovered” that will run in parallel to the other series that I’m currently writing. Over a year ago, I borrowed a book from my local library called: Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero. This book is a biography of the founder of the Scouting movement: Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Although somewhat long, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and gaining insight into the life of this man who us Scouts owe so much to.

Another thing that intrigued me about the book was who it was written by. It was authored by a close friend of Baden-Powell’s, a man named William Hillcourt. William Hillcourt was a very influential Scout Leader in America during most of the last century. He authored several editions of the Scout Handbook and the Scoutmaster’s Handbook. He also ran a very popular column in Boy’s Life called “Hiking with Green Bar Bill.”

For this new series, I’m going to completely re-read this biography and post summaries and commentary for each chapter here on “Scouting Rediscovered”. Baden-Powell and his life is a piece of history that all Scouts should know very well. In addition, there is much we can learn about the life of a Scout from his history that we can also apply to our own lives.

I’m excited at this chance to thoroughly explore this great chapter of history with you. If you want to be sure not to miss any of this series or any of the other great series running here, just subscribe via email using the little box to the right. If you’ve got a little extra time, I encourage you to go buy the book for yourself or borrow it from the library and read along with me. If you do decide to do that, or have already read the book, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Just leave a comment in the box below.

Scout on, my friends!

Scout’s Scrapbook (8-20-12): Success

Today’s edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook is a quotation from Sir Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting) on how a Scout looks on Success:

This quote excellently captures the spirit in which a Scout takes on life and looks on success. Scouts know that nothing worth having in the world comes for free. As I once heard a wise man put it: “Anything worth anything, costs you something.”

Keystones of a Scout: The 10 Virtues That Make a Scout | Deduction

Today, I’m going to continue the series, Keystones of a Scout: The 10 Virtues that Make a Scout, which I introduced: here. Previously in this series, I talked about Endurance, Self-Discipline, Exploration, and Observation. Each of these are traits or virtues that I have shown to have been with Scouting from the beginning, and each of these traits are necessary for a Scout to do what he should do and to carry out his Oath that he swore as a Scout. Today, I am half-way through the series of 10 virtues, and am going to talk about number five: Deduction.

What do you mean by ‘Deduction’? 

Well, if you read the last post in this series on observation, then you know that observation is very important. However, observing is just the beginning. You see, but do you really understand what you’re seeing? Everything is made the way it is by a particular set of circumstances. 

Keystones of a Scout: The 10 Virtues That Make a Scout | Observation

For this installment of the Keystones of a Scout series, I will be talking about a skill that has been emphasized greatly ever since Scouting was founded. This virtue and skill is very valuable and the mastery of which is one of the marks of a true Scout. What I am talking about is, of course, observation.

Observation of what? Observation of everything! A true Scout is constantly alert wherever he goes and pays attention to the smallest details. This is one of those things that will always be one of the distinguishing marks that shows the difference between a true Scout and the average person.

Keystones of a Scout: The 10 Virtues That Make a Scout | Exploration

“To meet their spirit of adventure I held up for their ideal the doings of backwoodsmen and knights, adventurers and explorers, as the heroes for them to follow.” ~ Baden-Powell

I have particularly enjoyed doing the research for this third installment of the Keystones of a Scout series: Exploration.

“Very few fellows learn these things when they are living in civilized places, because they have comfortable houses, and soft beds to sleep in. Their food is prepared for them, and when they want to know the way, they just ask a policeman.

Well, when those fellows try to go scouting or exploring, they find themselves quite helpless. Take even your sports “hero” and put him down in the wilderness, alongside a fellow trained in camping, and see which can look after himself. High batting averages are not much good to him there. He is only a “tenderfoot”.” ~ Baden-Powell

You don’t need to dig far into the history of Scouting to see how much pioneers, adventurers, and explorers have influenced the Scouting movement. This is perhaps the real reason that most of us joined the Scouting movement, is it not? Scouting promised us adventure. Scouting promised us camping trips, canoe trips, hiking, rafting. Scouting promised us the exploration of the wilderness.