7. Patrol Meetings

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1 Course Routine
2. First Troop Meeting
3. Court of Honor (1)
4. Limbering Up Exercises
5. Inspection, Flagbreak
6. Games
7. Patrol Meetings
8. Progress Report
9. Team Game
10. Patrol Competition
11 Course Till Now
12 Troop in Council
13. Patrol Competition (2)
14. Observation, Deduction
15. Court of Honor (2)
16. Second Troop Meeting
17 Patrols in Council
18 Campfire
19 Court of Honor (3)
20 Early Services
21 Scouts' Own
22. Scout Law & Promise
23. Patrol Meeting Games
24 Patrol Expeditions
25. Patrol Leader Reports
26. Point to Point
27. Final Talk

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VII PATROL MEETINGS

The purpose of these (non competitive) Patrol Meetings will be :

1. To give the Patrol Leaders experience in organizing their own activities round. a central theme.,

2. To draw their attention to sources of information and ideas (charts, THE SCOUT and THE SCOUTER, THE PATROL LEADERS' HANDBOOK and other books).

3. To enable them to apply basic Scouting practices (knotting, lashing, direction finding, mapping, etc.) with which they are familiar.

4. ~ To give them an opportunity to master some new (simple) skills through the technique of " learning through doing."

5. To give the Patrol Leader experience in verbal reporting.

At the previous Court of Honor Meeting the Patrol Leaders will have been offered a selection of " Patrol Meeting Specifications from which they will pick at random.

'The nature of the Patrol Meeting

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will depend largely on circumstances and conditions, and the activities given below are merely indicative. There is no. reason, however, why even after dark a few simple outdoor activities should not be included.

I All necessary gear should be readily available, including books of reference, copies of THE SCOUT and THE SCOUTER, etc.

The Patrol Leaders should be warned in advance that they will be required to display their handiwork or put on a brief demonstration, and to make a verbal report at the conclusion of the activity.

PATROL MEETING SPECIFICATIONS

OUTDOOR

1. " The Lumberjack Patrol ": Use a hand axe and bushman saw to make, a picket and cut up cordwood for the camp fire. Set up an exhibition in the Patrol Corner to demonstrate the principle of the Spanish windlass and parbuckle (see FUN WITH ROPES AND SPARS), Demonstrate the use of the timber hitch and killick hitch for dragging a heavy spar. Test

at least one member of the Patrol in Second Class axemanship.

(Note : The " killick hitch " is merely an extra half hitch round the spar between the timber hitch and the hauler. The fact that few boys 'could be expected to know this is immaterial : it is included merely to give one cf the Scouters a chance to demonstrate to the Troop during the " inquest

at the end of the period.)

2. "The Pioneer Patrol": Build a Monkey bridge with Scout staffs using a different type of anchorage at each end.

3. " The Backwoods Patrol Set up a latrine for a weekend Patrol Camp, including a waterproof toilet paper container and an improvised trowel. (See " THE SCOUT'S BOOK OF GADGETS AND DODGES.")

4. " The Explorer Patrol Follow compass bearing to given objective, carry out rough survey of . . . . . and draw ground plan to the scale of 100 yards to the inch.

Estimate height of and check result by an alternative

method. (See PATROL LEADERS' HANDBOOK.) Report on firewood and water supply and on your sketch-map indicate best position for Patrol camp.

INDOOR

1. Every Scout in the Patrol to tabulate his own personal measurements (including pace, etc.) as suggested in SCOUTING FOR BOYS C.F. Yarn 8. Two members of the Patrol to be tested for Scout's Pace (one mile in 12 minutes) proceeding in contrary

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directions roun d a circular course laid out by the Patrol Leader beginning and ending at Troop Room (one mile exactly). Rest of Patrol to be tested in time guessing (using pulse beats), and to use self measures to determine various lengths and sizes. Every member of Patrol to make print of his own boot-mark and make accurate scale drawing using self measures. (See PATROL LEADERS' HANDBOOK.)

2. With the materials and tools provided and anything else you can find, make a set of camp gadgets including a patent'bulldog pot lifter, toasting fork, and a " safety (self extinguishing) candlestick.

(Note Provide gadget wood, axe,. chopping block, saw, wire, sisal, empty cocoa tins, etc.)

3. Invent, a five minute stunt under the general heading of " Be Prepared " and stage it for the rest of the Troop at the conclusion of the exercise. The stunt should be as humorous as possible, and should include dragging an insensible person by the method illustrated in SCOUTING FOR BOYS C.F. Yarn 24., At the conclusion of the stunt the Patrol Leader should ask the audience a series of prepared questions including some trick questions to test their powers of observation. As for instance :

In which hand was the man carrying his gladstone bag when he was coshed ? " (But perhaps he was carrying a dispatch case under his arm, and perhaps he was struck down in some other fashion.)

What did the old lady say the, name of her pussy was ? " (But perhaps she actually referred to her granddaughter Prissy's puppy !)

4. Carry out as many as possible of the following, tasks : (a) From the materials provided, make a twelve minute hourglass. to time Scout's Pace aspirants over the measured mile. (b) Make a plaster cast of the Patrol Leaders hand. (c) Practice putting the Highwayman's Hitch on an overhead beam working from ground level, and be prepared to demonstrate to the Troop at the end of the period. (d) Invent an instrument for drawing a large egg on the floor. (e) Design a suitable coat of arms (with motto) for your own Patrol, with heraldic explanation.

(Note : Materials required would include dry sand, jam jar, drawing paper, gum strip, plaster of paris, rope, string or sisal, drawing pins, colored chalks.)