| Show g BOY SCOUTS J Conducted Conducted by Council of tb th Do Boy cf f America PATROL UNIT IN SCOUTING So frequently It Is stated by scout executives In reply to the question why wily more churches In the community do donot donot donot not have Boy noy scout troops that many of the churches arc are too small to have havea a troop writes John M M. Gore Scout Executive Knoxville Tenn They haven't enough boys bos of scout age Is la lanot not such a reply based upon the conception conception conception con con- of a troop of from 24 2 to 32 bo boys s 's True thore are many pf the smaller churches church which find It bard hard to muster that many bo boys s 's above twelve years ears of age and because of this some scout leaders lenders consider such sucha a church as lacking the opportunity for for troop organization many suggestIng suggesting suggesting suggest suggest- ing that several such churches combine and form a troop The latter plan however seldom works out satisfactorily satisfactorily satisfactorily satis satis- because the troop lacks the Identity It ft should have In the church of which the boy Is a member or with which he Is Identified The Tile error In assuming that the church which cannot supply a n sufficient sufficient sufficient suf suf- sufi i number of boys bos to make up a full troop cannot organize for scoutIng scoutIng scout- scout Ing lag Is due In part at least to a failure to emphasize the patrol as the tho real unit of organization A patrol of eight constitutes a large enough group to provide excellent opportunity for good scouting In fact the smaller number has particular advantages There Ismore ismore Is la lamore more likelihood of Gt success In securing a leader and more chances of f an efficient efficient efficient effi effi- program There are men willing will will- willing willIng ing and competent to lead eight boys who ar are not willing and who are not competent to handlo a larger number With this point of vi view w can there not be organized groups groups of boys In many churches where they are not now organized or or- and where It has been thought Impossible to organize them This leads us to declare that In other ways the tho patrol has not been adequately emphasized A troop is if no stronger than the patrols which compose It The patrols offer excellent excellent excel excel- lent opportunities for grading within the troops They afford the maximum opportunity op for developing older boy leadership The patrol leader Is a n avery avery very Important factor In the management management manage manage- ment of pf a troop We Ye should be more concerned with his selection and provide provide provide pro pro- vide special opportunities for tor his train train- Ing The They are ale as fiS a rule older boys The cultivation and utilization of the patrol leader constitutes one of our largest opportunities for holding the older bo boy The real appeal to the older boy Is not along the line of selfishness selfishness sel through the proffer of privileges privileges lIeges but through the appeal to servo ice He lIe Is Impressed by being given responsibilities He loves to be a lead lead- er ere Patrol leaders' leaders conferences patrol leaders' leaders training courses organization of prospect prospective hoe patrol leaders should receive receive re re- receive much greater greatel attention than they now receive Here Is a way at least In part to meet the older boy boyf f problem And further has enough attention been given to the actual program of ot the patrols Here Is where we may learn much from irom our English scout friends Powell Baden Is alwa always s 's referring referring referring re re- re- re ferring to the patrol Its leadership and program He lie seeks constantly to eulogize eulogize eu eu- eu Its work to emphasize Its program program pro pro- program gram to humanize Its objectives to deClare de de- declare clare Its Importance I Is the real unit of s scout scout- out out- Ing lag It brings the program program of scoutIng scouting scout scout- Ing close to the boy As go the patrols patrols patrols pa pa- so goes scouting May we Im Improve Improve Improve Im- Im prove the quality of their program |
