The method adopted on this Course will be to have, frequent changes of "status" within the Patrol, so that the boys are faced with the necessity of adjusting themselves quickly to varying degrees of responsibility. By this device a boy who has at one moment been in a position of authority, enthusiastically directing the skill and energy of his fellows in some small activity, will a moment later be called upon to devote the same enthusiasm to the task of backing up his new leader, or vice versa.
This device, as well as its purpose, should be revealed to the boys about one third of the way through the Course, by which time most of them will presumably have had at least one short spell as Patrol Leader. One might hope that when the trick is explained to them the individual Scout will instinctively turn a critical eye upon his own performance, both as leader and follower, and perhaps learn a valuable lesson from it!
To keep the spirit of the Course lively and in the right key, these changes of leadership can be effected in a variety of ways, as for instance, by announcing without warning that the Patrol Leader for the next activity is :
 | The Scout with the best sun burn, |
| The Scout who possesses the cleanest handkerchief, |
| The youngest in the Patrol, |
| The chap who can stand on one leg longest with both eyes closed, |
| The first to run round the flagstaff and back again, and so on. |
No matter how lightly the appointment is made, however, the Scouter in charge of the activity should make it clear by his attitude that he expects leadership from the new leader and co-operation from the rest of the Patrol.
Care should be taken that every boy gets some chance of leading. The practice of a "permanent" Patrol Leader, however attractive superficially on the score of size or of education or of age or of personality must be resisted. It is invaluable for natural leaders to be led from time to time, equally it is not always obvious whether a boy can exercise leadership until he has the opportunity to show his paces.
Great surprises, usually, but not inevitably pleasant ones, frequently are experienced when the new Patrol Leaders take over. Equally "cooking" the changes so that the best boy (if he can be identified, which is doubtful) gets the hardest task will certainly be spotted by the boys themselves and is unnecessarily daunting to them.
