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The Patrol Leader

Each Patrol chooses a boy as leader. He is called the Patrol Leader. The Scoutmaster expects a great deal from the Patrol Leader and leaves him a free hand in carrying out the work in the Patrol. The Patrol Leader selects another boy to be second in command. This boy is called

Second (or Assistant Patrol Leader). The Patrol Leader is responsible for the efficiency and smartness of his Patrol. The Scouts in his Patrol obey his orders, not from fear of punishment, as is often the case in military discipline, but because they are a team playing together and backing up their leader for the honour and success of the Patrol.

A Word to Patrol Leaders

I want you Patrol Leaders to go on and train your Patrols entirely yourselves, because it is possible for you to get hold of each boy in your Patrol and make a good fellow of him. It is no use having one or two brilliant boys and the rest no good at all. You should try to make them all fairly good.

The most important step to this is your own example, because what you do yourselves, your Scouts will do also.

Show them that you can obey orders whether they are given by word of mouth or are printed or written rules, and that you carry them out whether your Scoutmaster is present or not. Show them that you can earn Badges for Proficiency, and your boys will follow with very little persuasion. But remember that you must give them the lead and not the push.

And the Patrol Leader, in training and leading his Patrol, is gaining practice and experience for being a fellow who can take responsibility.

Also, besides training his Patrol, the Patrol Leader has to lead it, that is, he must be at least as good as any of his Scouts at the different jobs they have to do. He must never ask a fellow to do anything he would not do himself. And he must never be “down” on anyone but must get the enthusiasm and willing work of everyone by cheerily encouraging their efforts.

In every line of life young men are wanted who can be trusted to take responsibility and leadership. So the Patrol Leader who as made a success with his Patrol has every chance of making a success of his life when he goes out into the world.

Most of your work in the Patrol consists in playing Scouting games and practices by which you gain experience as Scouts.

The Court of Honour

The Court of Honour is an important part of the Patrol System. It is a standing committee which settles the affairs of the Troop. A Court of Honour is formed of the Scoutmaster and the Patrol Leaders, or, in the case of a small Troop, of the Patrol Leaders and Seconds. In many Courts the Scoutmaster attends the meetings but does not vote. Patrol Leaders in a Court of Honour have in many cases carried on the Troop in the absence of the Scoutmaster.

The Court of Honour decides programmes of work, camps, rewards and other questions affecting Troop management. The members of the Court are pledged to secrecy. Only those decisions which affect the whole Troop, that is, competitions, appointments, and so on, would be made public.

Patrol Names and Signs

Each Troop is named after the place to which it belongs. Each Patrol in the Troop is named after an animal. It is a good plan to choose only animals and birds found in your district. Thus the 33rd London Troop may have five Patrols which are respectively the “Curlews”, the “Bulldogs”, the “Owls”, the “Bats” and the “Cats.

Each Patrol Leader has a small flag on his staff with his Patrol animal shown on it on both sides.

Each Scout in a Patrol has his regular number. The Patrol Leader is No. 1, the Second No. 2. The other Scouts have the consecutive numbers after these. Scouts usually work in pairs as comrades, Nos. 3 and 4 together, Nos. 5 and 6 together, and Nos. 7 and 8.

This is the Patrol flag of the Wolf

Patrol of the 1st London Troop

Patrol Motto

Each Patrol chooses its own motto, which generally applies in some way to the Patrol animal. For instance, the Eagles could take as their guiding words “Soar High”, or the Beavers could say “Work Hard”, the Hounds “True till Death”, and so on.

Patrol Call

Each Scout in the Patrol has to be able to make the call of his Patrol animal—thus every Scout in the “Bulldogs” must be able to imitate the growl of the bulldog. This is the signal by which Scouts of a Patrol can communicate with each other when hiding or at night. No Scout is allowed

to use the call of any Patrol except his own. The Patrol Leader calls his Patrol at any time by sounding his whistle and giving the Patrol call.

[Five pages of patrol animals, signs, calls and colours omitted from this edition]

Woodcraft Trail Signs

Scout trail signs are made on the ground, close to the right-hand side of the road. They should never be made where they will damage or disfigure private property.

When a Scout makes signs on the ground for others to read he also draws the head of the Patrol animal. Thus if he wants to show that a certain road should not be followed he draws a Sign across it that means “Not to be followed”, and adds the head of his Patrol animal to show which

Patrol discovered that the road was no good, and his own number to show which Scout discovered it, thus:

At night sticks with a wisp of grass round them or stones should be laid on the road in similar forms so that they can be felt with the hand.

PATROL PRACTICES

Each Scout should learn the call of his Patrol animal. He should be encouraged to know all he can about its habits, etc. This can be a first step in nature lore.

Each Scout should know how to make a simple drawing of his Patrol animal. The Scouts should use this as their Patrol signature.

The special Scout signs should be used out-of-doors. They can be made in the dust, or by using sticks, and so on. A good tracking game can be arranged by using signs only.

Acting in all forms should be encouraged: Mock trials and impromptu plays are excellent training and useful for evenings around the camp fire or when you have to be indoors.

GAMES

Scout Meets Scout

Single Scouts, or pairs of Scouts or complete Patrols, are taken out about two miles apart. They are then made to move towards each other, either alongside a road, or by giving each side a landmark to move toward, such as a steep hill or big tree which is directly behind the other party and will thus ensure their coming together. The Patrol which first sees the other wins. This is signified by the Patrol Leader holding up his Patrol flag for the umpire to see, and sounding his whistle. A Patrol need not keep together, but that Patrol wins which first holds up its flag; so it is well for the Scouts to keep in touch with their Patrol Leaders by signal, voice, or message.

Scouts may employ any ruse they like, such as climbing into trees, hiding in carts, etc., but they must not dress up in disguise unless specially permitted.