Trails to Testimony: Bringing Young Men to Christ Through Scouting

by Bradley D. Harris

Patrol Method Empowering boys to be leaders is the core of Scouting, and the patrol method is a form of shadow leadership (discussed in Chapter 5). The patrol method is the foundation to a successful troop, as these quotes illustrate: The patrol method is not ONE method in which Scouting can be carried on. It is the ONLY method (Roland Phillips, as quoted in Handbook for Scoutmasters: A Manual for Leadership, Vol. 1, 3rd edition [Boy Scouts of America, 1938], 161). Within the larger community of the troop, the patrol is a Scout’s “family circle.” . . . Each patrol helps its members develop a sense of pride and identity. The boys . . . divide up the jobs to be done, and share in the satisfaction of accepting and fulfilling group responsibilities (The Scoutmaster Handbook [Boy Scouts of America, 2007], 8). Train ‘em, trust ‘em, and let ‘em lead! (Handbook for Scoutmasters: A Manual for Leadership, Vol. 1, 3rd edition Boy Scouts of America, 1938), 224). Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, stated that the main object of the patrol system is: . . . to give real responsibility to as many boys as possible with a view to developing their characters. If the Scoutmaster gives his Patrol Leader real power, expects a great deal from him and leaves him a free hand in carrying out his work, he will have done more for that boy’s character expansion than any amount of school training could ever do (Robert Baden-Powell, Baden-Powell’s Scouting For Boys [London: C. Arthur Pea...