Troop 135 Franklin - Going Places

The Patrol Method
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Senior Patrol Leader - Grubmaster - Patrol Leader - US Scout Merit badge

Patrol Method

Troop Patrols
The patrol is a group of Scouts who belong to a troop. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in a small group outside the larger troop context, working together as a team and sharing the responsibility of making their patrol a success. A patrol takes pride in its identity, and the members strive to make their patrol the best it can be. Patrols will sometimes join with other patrols to learn skills and complete advancement requirements. At other times they will compete against those same patrols in Scout skills and athletic competitions.

The members of each patrol elect one of their own to serve as patrol leader. The troop determines the requirements for patrol leaders, such as rank and age. To give more youths the opportunity to lead, the troop will elect patrol leaders twice a year.

Patrol size depends upon a troop's enrollment and the needs of its members, though an ideal patrol size is eight Scouts. Patrols with fewer than eight Scouts should try to recruit new members to get their patrol size up to the ideal number.

Leadership for Rank Advancement
A Scout must hold an approved troop office and execute it in an acceptable manner for at least the minimum period of active service required. Holding the position, does not automatically qualify as having completed the leadership requirement. The scout must perform the duties of the specific leadership position, as noted below, during their term of office, and then have the approval of the Scoutmaster during the Scoutmaster Conference, or the Chair of the Advancement Committee, that they have successfully fulfilled their duties in order for the leadership position to qualify for meeting rank advancement requirements.

The following will link you to the various scout troop and patrol positions and provide a definitions of each.

Patrol Method Positions

The Patrol Leaders' Council
The Patrol Leaders' Council (PLC) is made up of the Senior Patrol Leader, who presides over the meetings; the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, all Patrol Leaders, Troop Guide and the Scribe who takes minutes of the meeting. The PLC plans the yearly troop program at the annual troop program planning session. It then meets monthly to fine-tune the plans for the upcoming months.

Prior to the beginning of each program year, normally during summer camp, the PLC meets to plan the Troop's annual program. The planning session should include monthly theme ideas, dates/places/themes for outings, and special events.

The PLC meets once a month, for about an hour. At the meeting, the PLC reviews current month's plan, and then establishes next month's plan for the troop meetings and defines outing details. Recommended meeting time would be after RiverWalk, the first Saturday of each month. Attendance is restricted to PLC members and Scoutmaster, or designated Assistant Scoutmaster.