Girls do not automatically know how to be a Patrol Leader or how to run a Patrol Meeting. These are things that must be learned. Training can be one-on-one with the leader or can be included as a group training in Court of Honor meetings. However it is accomplished, girls need to know their responsibilites and they need to build their own people skills to be able to fullfil those responsibilities. Only then, does the Patrol System function to its full potential.
The following are but a few of the benefits of a well-run patrol system:
- It encourages responsibility and leadership
- More girls can express their opinions in a shorter amount of time.
- It reduces the work load for the leader.
- It is an easy and fair way to delegate tasks.
- It helps maintain the girls' interest.
- It teaches girls cooperation
- And because Juliette said so!!
Patrols work well when:
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Everyone has ideas.
- Everyone helps plan.
- Everyone does her part.
- Everyone follows the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
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There are many ways to divide into patrols and these may be determined by the purpose of the particular patrol being formed. Following are several examples of ways to divide the group up:
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By age
- By interest
- By lot
- By adult selection (especially, if there are girls who tend to be a problem when placed together)
- By a combination of the above methods
Discourage choosing sides. Make sure that any division is fair to all.
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The Patrol Leader is chosen to preside over the patrol and guide it to carry out tasks as agreed in the Court of Honor. Terms of office should be determined before the selection. Changing Patrol Leaders too frequently does not allow each girl to benefit from this leadership experience. Not changing Patrol Leaders frequently enough leads to Patrol Leaders who get tired of their job. This varies with the individual girls. A good term is approximately 3-6 months. Following are some qualities that a good patrol leader needs to have:
- A good patrol leader is prepared.
- She has pencil and paper handy at all times.
- She brings calendar and patrol suggested items for discussion to Court of Honor meetings
- She prepares her own written agenda for each Patrol meeting
- A good patrol leader is fair
- She treats each individual the way she would wish to be treated.
- She never shows favoritism
- She rotates kapers.
- A good patrol leader is considerate
- She listens to those in her patrol and presents everybody's ideas.
- She is never judgemental of others.
- A good patrol leader sets a good example
- She keeps her patrol on task.
- She is punctual and if she finds she will be late, she calls the Assistant Patrol Leader
- She demonstrates that she lives by the Promise and Law.
- She speaks for her patrol and not for herself at Court of Honor meetings.
Selection of the Patrol Leader may be done by:
- Election
- Age/rank/grade
- Adult selection
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The Assistant Patrol Leader needs to possess the same qualities that you want in your Patrol Leader. Her responsibilties include:
- Taking charge of the patrol when the Patrol Leader is absent
- Being present at Court of Honor meetings when Patrol Leader is absent or by invitation
- Working with the Patrol Leader in planning
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Completing those tasks delegated to her by the Patrol Leader.
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Patrol Meetings are held on a regular basis. During weekly troop meetings, patrols can meet for a portion of the time or they can stay together for the entire meeting to complete a task, whatever is needed. Because they work closely together, team spirit often develops. Choosing patrol names, making patrol flags or signs, or developing a patrol cheers often helps foster this team spirit. Patrol Meetings are presided over by the Patrol Leader who keeps them on task. There should be a definite agenda of things to accomplsih for each Patrol Meeting. Troop business such as dues and attendance may be handled as part of the patrol's responsibility. A large project can be broken down into smaller tasks with each patrol being responsible for a certain task in order for the entire project to be completed easier. When appropriate, patrols may come together to accomplish a larger task.
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In order for the Patrol Meeting to flow smoothly, the Patrol Leader needs to make a written agenda of what needs to be accomplished.
- First, the Patrol Leader needs a binder or spiral notebook set aside for patrol business. All notes taken by the Patrol Leader at the Court of Honor as well as at the Patrol Meetings need to be in one place so they can be easily found. Loose scraps of paper tend to get lost.
- The Patrol Leader needs to develop her own system of keeping track ofher notes and which items need to be acted upon. Perhaps she can place a star next to the items that need action.
- A list needs to be made of all those items that need action
- If discussion is needed, the Patrol Leader can list questions to facilitate that discussion.
- The Patrol Leader needs to prioritize the items on her list
and place similar topics together. More important items should be at the top of the list.
- Estimate how long each item on the list should take to accomplish and write it next to each item.
- Prepare a written agenda to distribute (or write on the board) and follow the agenda. When items take more time than estimated, a decision will need to be made as to whether to move on or to cut something else from the agenda in order to make room for the longer topic.
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Remember that not all patrol meetings will have all of these items.
- Take Attendance
- Collect Dues
- Announcements
- Patrol members report on assignments, if any
- Decide on plans (brainstorm ideas, vote)
- Assign tasks
Work on Patrol Assignments
- Teach Skills
-
Work on Badges, recongnitions
- Clean-Up
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Brainstorming is a common technique to accumulate many ideas in a short amount of time. One person is chosen as recorder (to record the items on paper or a board). One person is chosen as moderator (in a patrol, this is often the Patrol Leader). Once the topic is chosen to brainstorm (such as ideas of places to go), the moderator asks for ideas. Following are some guidelines
- One person speaks at a time
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All ideas are included and written down
- No judgemental statements are made about anyone's idea.
- Everyone has a chance to contribute one or more ideas.
- After all ideas have been offered, ideas are evaluated for their feasibility (such as, "We don't have enough money in our troop treasury at this time to go to Hawaii"
) but they are never judged ("That's a stupid idea!)
- After unfeasible suggestions are disqualified, a vote is taken on what is left.
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Generally consisting of the Troop Officers and the Patrol Leaders, the Court of Honor meets on a regular basis to plan troop activities. Monthly meetings can be used to plan events to occur the following month. A long meeting once or twice a year can be used for long term planning of troop events and planning the troop yearly calendar. If you have a troop Moderator or President, this person generally presides over the Court of Honor meetings.
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Remember that not all Court of Honor Meetings will have all of these items.
- Minutes of last Court of Honor read and approved
- Treasurer's Report read
- Patrol Leader reports
- Announcements
- Troop planning including discussion, voting, and assigning of jobs
- Leadership training for Patrol Leaders
- Teach skills for Patrol Leaders to teach patrols
- Make agenda for Patrol Meetings
- Discuss Patrol Problems
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Before each Patrol Meeting, the Patrol Leader needs to:
- Organize her notes from the Court of Honor
- She should have a special binder or spiral notebook for this purpose
- She should indicate which items need to be acted upon in her patrol
- Include the Assistant Patrol Leader in the Planning
- Leaders can a time set aside for the Patrol Leader and the Assistant Patrol Leader to accomplish this.
- Review items of unfinished business and activities already planned
- Use her notebook in her Patrol Meeting to record items and the action taken and which items were held over for further discussion or action
- Organize material and make an agenda
- Plan how to talk over what the patrol wants to do
- Ask girls what they want to do
- Learn about Brainstorming Guidelines
- Determine which ideas can be combined
- Find out how girls want to carry out the ideas
- Keep a record of these suggestions in her notebook.
- Gather supplies for the meeting
- Share the responsibility with other patrol members.
- Know when to call the troop leader
- Troop leader does not attend Patrol Meetings but is on hand in case she is needed.
- Troop leader should be consulted if problems occur with controlling behavior.
- Troop leader may need to be consulted for clearing a new idea (safety issues, etc.)
During the meeting, the Patrol Leader should:
- Set the tone of the meeting
- Meetings are affected by the physical comfort of its participants as well as by whether the person in charge is adequately prepared and has materials on hand.
- Present the material.
- Follow the agenda
- Outline questions to be answered in discussion
- Make sure material is presented in a clear and interesting manner.
- Lead discussions.
- Get opinions from all members by asking them what they think.
- List all opinions in notebook.
- Refrain from monopolizing the discussion.
- Interupt only to clarify a point or ask a question
- Ask how the patrol wants to make the decision.
- Call for a vote if needed.
- Know how to pick up on and develop ideas.
- Try to offer suggestions for expansion of ideas (perhaps activity relates to a Badge or other recognition)
- Keep records
- Record dues and attendance. If troop does not have its own method to keep track, develop Patrol record sheets.
- Delegate tasks
- Make sure everyone gets a job to do and that the jobs rotate.
- Patrol Leader does not take on every chore - this will only burn her out.
- Teach skills
- As directed by the Court of Honor to facilitate troop or patrol activities.
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Patrol Leaders in the Court of Honor should:
- Speak for the patrol and not for herself
- Patrol leaders make sure that all opinions are presented at Court of Honor
- Know how to help in making troop plans
- Offer patrol's ideas for activities
- Combine ideas into projects
- Fit activities into a time schedule
- Decide how the activity is to be done (where, how, cost, etc.)
- Divide the tasks to accomplish the activity
- Come up with alternate activities in case original one cannot be carried out.
- Know how to evaluate activities
- Constructively evaluate what was good and not so good about the activity
- Evaluate what should be changed next time or kept the same.
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- A good leader doesn't do things for her troop that the girls can do for themselves.
- Set a good example. Don't expect the girls to be prepared and be punctual if you, yourself, are not.
- Keep a notebook. Show the girls how to use the notebookby using it to jot down ideas to discuss or present at Court of Honor.
- Keep spare
activities in mind for when the unexpected happens.
- A discussion of the qualities of a good patrol member can help all girls accept the responsibility for building a cooperative troop which will accomplish the things they want to do.
- Before putting girls in a Patrol Leader position, train them in their responsibilities.
- Relax and let the girls take responsibility to do the "difficult" things.
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