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:

Scouting: The Images of a Movement | Thursday Spotlight

If you have followed this blog for a little bit, you probably know that I love collecting old photographs from the history of the Scouting Movement. Besides the simple nostalgia appeal, these images often capture some really cool things and serve as a reminder to me of the high standards that the young men of the past held themselves to.

Today, I’m going to start a series that I hope to continue weekly every Thursday in addition to the other series running on Scouting Rediscovered. Over the years, I have gathered quite a collection of great photographs from the past, some of which are featured on this page. But there are a lot to look through, and as I continue to collect these photos, I don’t have time to keep that page constantly updated.

So, in this series, I’m going to highlight seven of the photos each week that stood out to me. I hope you enjoy looking at this glimpse into the past, and I hope the photos inspire you as much as they do me.

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 (9-21-12): The Importance of Preparedness

“Be Prepared!” is an excellent motto for Scouts. Unfortunately, as a motto, it is used over and over again to the extent that many people take what it means for granted. This quote from William Hillcourt provides a reminder of the weight and importance of this motto that we need to hear once in a while.

High Standards

As Scouts, we bear the name and are responsible for the reputation of  millions of Scouts and what they have stood for since the beginning of the Scouting Movement. As Hillcourt reminds us, Scouts have proven themselves over time. The name of a Scout means something, and it is up to us to make sure that reputation is not lost.

Early Scouts held themselves to a very high standard, and it showed. They were trusted by and assisted law enforcement officers, disaster relief workers, and many other institutions. The military gives special privileges to Eagle Scouts if they enlist. Many times, in reading through Scouting History, I have been surprised by instances of Scouts being entrusted with tasks just as much as adults, if not more so in some cases.

A Warning

Be warned, however, that this reputation isn’t invincible. It can be lost completely if just one generation of Scouts fail in upholding it. But the danger doesn’t lie in some single generation that destroys the reputation of Scouting.  The danger lies in a slow and gradual lowering of standards. I have observed this happening through my experience in Scouting.

If Scouting is to survive and thrive in the next century as it has in this one, standards need to be raised, not lowered. And it is ultimately up to us, the Scouts, to make sure this happens. We need to raise the standards of what we expect of our fellow Scouts, but most importantly, of what we expect of ourselves. Technology changes, the culture around us changes and modernizes, but the principles that we stand for as Scouts are timeless. Let’s give the Scouts a hundred years from now the same high standards to try to live up to as the first Scouts left for us.

So, let us take this reminder of William Hillcourt, and let it inspire us to renew our commitment to Be Prepared! Next time you say the motto, do not say it out of memorization, say it and mean it as if you were saying it for the very first time. Challenge yourself to live up to it more and more everyday!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook, but most importantly, I hope that these wise words of William Hillcourt were as inspiring to you as they were to me when I read them. Please help me to spread this to as many Scouts as possible by sharing this post with your friends. Thanks for reading!

Scout On!

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: 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 (8-15-12): The Life of the Patrol

Today’s edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook is a quotation from John Thurman on the relationship between the Patrol and the Troop:

The picture that John Thurman gives here is quite different from the one that I have seen in many Troops. He paints the Patrols as small, almost independent units. Scouting, he says, is not Troop centered, but Patrol centered. This doesn’t mean that the Troop isn’t important, far from it! But nevertheless, this is a different paradigm than many of us may be used to.  

Rediscovering the Secret Japanese Square Lashing

One of the very first times, if not the first time that the Japanese Square lashing appeared in print was in John Thurman’s Pioneering Principles in 1962. John Thurman was an influential British Scouter who discovered the lashing while on a tour of Japan, hence the name.

This lashing deserves rediscovering! It can shave minutes of time off your normal square lashing tying time. It is easy to to tie, easy to learn, and very secure. In fact, although I still practice and use the traditional square lashing, I have found myself using the Japanese square lashing more and more in place of it.

This is just a fantastic and robust lashing, and I am excited to share it with you today. The pictures and instructions come out of John Thurman’s book.

In order to follow the directions and learn this lashing, you will need to know how to tie the traditional square lashing first and know what the terms ‘wrapping’, ‘frapping’, and etc. mean. So, without further ado, the Japanese Square Lashing! 

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. 

When it hits, will you be prepared?

Today, Tuesday the 31st of July, the power grids in India failed, leaving 670 million, half of the country’s population, without power. This includes transportation and hospitals. (source: Reuters) Now, India isn’t known for being the most technologically sophisticated country in the world, but it’s been no secret that for some time now the United States’ infrastructure is showing a few gray hairs. It may not take out half the country, but I don’t think it is a stretch to say that sometime in the future there is a good chance that you will be caught in a bad blackout.

It could last hours, or days. If this were to happen, we would be deprived of so many things that have become part of our life: running water, refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, TV’s, electric lights, computers, Internet. Even if you can make that battery on your cell phone last as long as possible, it won’t do you much good if the cell towers are rendered nonoperational.

I hope that the extent of what you are able to do isn’t just to hunker down and wait for someone to rescue you. Rescue might come, but then again…

Wait a minutes! Who is used to going days in the wilderness without modern conveniences? Who has gone through drills and training and is ready to administer first aid at a moment’s notice? Who has grown accustomed to lending a helping hand to the community? Who has gone the extra mile and taken risks to make sure he is prepared to tackle any emergency?

If you are a Scout, then your answer should be yes to these questions. The very motto of Scouting is to “Be Prepared!” That is why we go through the drills and the lessons. That is why we make it hard to earn ranks and to be a Boy Scout! It is only by training hard that we are prepared to face disaster. Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, said this:

I deplore the modern tendency to place “Safety first,” before all else. A certain amount of risk is necessary to life, a certain amount of practice in taking risks is necessary to the prolongation of life. Scouts have to be prepared to encounter difficulties and dangers in
life. We do not, therefore, want to make their training too soft.

It is certain that Scouts are not fool-hearty, but we must take some risks in order to Be Prepared. Who ever said hiking out in the wilderness or climbing a mountain was ‘safe’? It isn’t, but as Scouts we are armed and prepared with the knowledge and skill to handle any situation that arises. Let me leave you with this thought from Baden-Powell:

Remember your motto, BE PREPARED. Be prepared for accidents by learning beforehand what you ought to do in the different kinds that are likely to occur. Be prepared to do that thing the moment the accident does occur. I will explain to you what ought to be done in the different kinds of accidents, and you must practice them as far as possible. But the great thing for you Scouts to bear in mind is that wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, you should think to yourself, “What accident might occur here?” and, “What is my duty if it occurs?”
You are then prepared to act.
And when an accident does occur remember always that as a Scout it is your business to be the first man to go to the rescue. Don’t let an outsider be ahead of you.