A Patrol Leader’s Guide
Part 1 — Responsibilities
The patrol leader is the patrol’s key leader. They represent their patrol at monthly meetings of the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) and our annual program planning conference, and keep patrol members informed of the decisions made at these meetings. Patrol leaders carry out planning, leading, and evaluating patrol meetings and activities; it is the responsibility of the patrol leader to ensure their patrol is prepared to participate in all troop activities.
Patrol leaders keep their patrol motivated and focused on their common goals so they can work together to get things done. Most importantly, they set a good example for the members of their patrol and the rest of the troop.
Key Responsibilities:
Ensure all patrol members are heard, included, and respected
Plan and lead patrol meetings and activities
Represent your patrol at PLC meetings and the annual program planning conference
Come prepared with Patrol members’ needs, interests, and feedback
Keep patrol members informed of decisions
Delegate responsibilities
Make sure your assistant patrol leader has meaningful responsibilities
Assign each patrol member a specific duty on outings
Work with other troop leaders to help the troop run well
Ensure your patrol as fully RSVPed to all activities
Prepare your patrol to participate in all troop activities
Know the abilities of each patrol member
Set a good example
Attend at least 70% of meetings and activities
Wear the Scout uniform correctly
Live by the Scout Oath and Law
Show and develop patrol spirit
Part 2 — The Three Relationships
It can be tough to remember all those responsibilities while also being an active participant in a meeting or outing. After all, you’re here to learn and have fun too! One way to make sure you’re being an effective patrol leader is to always be thinking about The Three Relationships. This simple framework for supporting your patrol was devised by a Scout named Cole, the Eagle Scout behind the Scoutsmarts blog. They are:
Patrol to Troop. Ask yourself: Is there anything going on in your patrol that your SPL or Scoutmaster needs to be aware of? Do you need to help your patrol prepare for any troop activities? Is your patrol making it easier or harder for the troop to run effectively?
Patrol to You. Ask yourself: Are the Scouts in your patrol comfortable speaking with you? Does your patrol pay attention when you speak?
Patrol to Themselves: Ask yourself: How is your patrol getting along? Is everyone contributing and meeting their responsibilities? Are they having fun?
Tending to The Three Relationships doesn’t mean things will always go smoothly, it means you’ll discover challenges early so you can address them before they become a problem.
Being First Means Being Last
Notice that each of those relationships starts with the word “patrol.” That’s because your patrol always comes first. As a leader, you stand at the front of your patrol. You receive some information before they do. You have a voice in decisions that effect the troop. It can be easy to mistake these and other privileges as meaning that you’re more important than your fellow Scouts or that your needs and ambitions come first. Just the opposite. A good leader puts the needs of the people they’re responsible for first. They see the “big picture” and make decisions that are best for the entire team (patrol and troop). If you remember the Scoutmaster minute about knives and forks and spoons, a good leader is a ladle: they serve others.
Part 3 — Challenges
Some of the biggest challenges you’ll face are time, communication,and people. Here are some thoughts to help you with each.
Not Enough Time
Being a patrol leader is a lot of work. It’s not just showing up at meetings and telling people what to do because you have a patch on your sleeve. You’ll attend an additional monthly meeting that you’ll need to prepare for. You’ll also need to prepare before each troop meeting and communicate with your SPL between meetings. As your patrol’s leader, you should attend most troop meetings and events. You’ll have more responsibility planning for campouts and making sure they run smoothly.
You also have school, a family, and friends outside of Scouts. Maybe you play a sport or are involved in other extracurricular activities. Balancing all that and keeping it all fun isn’t easy. Planning ahead will help. So will delegating some responsibility—not getting other people to do your job, but working together to get the job done. The most important thing is to communicate with people well in advance when you need help or if the demands of the job are too much for the time you have available. You have an assistant patrol leader who can help lighten your load. Your SPL is there to support you when you need guidance. Your Scoutmaster, ASMs, and Leadership Corps are all there to support you as well.
Communication
One of the most important qualities a leader can have is good communication. This means keeping your patrol informed of the things they need to know and communicating to your SPL and adult leaders when you need help. Communicating early is key. Emailing your patrol the day of a meeting or activity with important information doesn’t give them enough time to prepare, leaves them wondering for too long, and makes them feel like they’re not a priority. If you take good notes, organize your thoughts, and communicate early and predictably you’ll become a trusted source of information for your patrol.
How you communicate is also important. Be clear. Be concise. Be complete. Try to use language that invites people to work together toward a common goal:
“Everyone get in a line”
This is a great way to give instructions if you want to sound bossy and make it all about you.
“Let’s make a single file line”
This is a great way to give instructions if you want to stress that you’re all in this together.
Simply using the word “we” instead of “I” goes a long way. Likewise, “need” is almost always a better choice than “want”:
“I want you all to stop talking so I can tell you what to do.”
“We all need to focus for a minute for some important information.”
These two sentences are basically the same instruction, but which one sounds more like the kind of leader you’d want to listen to?
People
Managing people is hard. That’s why we strongly recommend that Scouts serve in a non-leadership staff position before taking on a leadership role like patrol leader. You’re going to have patrol members that just don’t listen. There will be Scouts that goof around. Some may even talk back to you. As a patrol leader, it’s your responsibility to work with these challenging members and encourage them to become positive contributors to their patrol.
(Notice we said “their patrol” and not “your patrol.” Patrol spirit is about everyone feeling a sense of pride and identity in their patrol). Here are a few tips for working with challenging patrol members:
Listen: Listening is a leader’s most important skill. Start by asking questions so you can understand why they are acting the way they are. Having compassion and concern for who they are and what they’re experiencing will give you valuable information and help them understand that you have their interests and success at heart.
Support: Once you know what’s going on, offer them support. For a restless Scout, for example, you might come up with a plan together for scheduled breaks, or let them use a fidget toy. A patrol member that feels bored might need more responsibility. A Scout that neglects their duties might benefit by being paired with one who is especially diligent, etc. Finding the right solution is tricky; it’s always a good idea to get advice from your SPL or an adult leader before committing to a solution.
Reward: There’s a tried and true rule that goes something like like this: correct in private, praise in public. No one likes to be made to feel “wrong” in front of a group. Do your correcting in private. Conversely, when a patrol member does something well, compliment them in front of the patrol. Rewarding good behavior with praise and recognition will encourage more of that behavior.
Model: Nothing you say or do will make any difference if you’re not holding yourself to the same (or higher) standard. It’s your job to model the behavior and attitude you want to see from your patrol. They will follow your lead.
As a patrol leader, new challenges will arise every week. If you’re doing your job well, you’ll anticipate many of them. If you’re doing your job exceptionally well, you’ll take advantage of all the resources and people at your disposal to help you and your patrol succeed. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Your SPL and adult leaders want you to succeed. We want your patrol to be one that makes the troop stronger, and we want you to learn how to be a more effective leader in the process—and we want everyone to have fun in the process.
Patrol Leader Resources
