Leaders from Trail Life Troop AL-0236 recently attended Trail Life Peak 3, a training event for adult leaders to be equipped with the knowledge and ability to teach outdoor skills to youth.
Men camped in patrols and followed the “patrol method” that youth will be expected to follow on troop campouts. This helped adult leaders gain a perspective of what the boys will experience when they are expected to become youth leaders.
The patrol method is ideally suited for 8-10 boys to take small excursions they have planned, where they set up tents, cook and eat together, and practice how to lead (and follow) effectively.
The major benefits of the patrol method are:
- Responsible Democracy – Learning that the most popular candidates for leadership may not be the best leaders.
- Esprit de Corps – Experiencing things in groups that they cannot experience alone, such as friendship, encouragement, and cooperation. Made in the image of a triune God, there are parts of that image we must experience through companionship.
- Interdependence – Knowing when and how to trust others and how to be worthy of their trust. Society, family, and the patrol are built upon bonds of trust that have been earned honestly and protected diligently.
- Friendly Competition – Desiring to showcase your best work and measure it against the best work of others. When competition encourages everyone to improve and excel, everyone wins.
- Synergy – Leveraging strengths of people working together better than the strengths of people working alone.
- Apprenticeship – The transmission of winning skills and attitudes from teacher to apprentice goes even better with boys learning from their peers. In the environment of the Trail Life and its patrol method, the skills passed on will be worthwhile and wholesome.
Learn more about Trail Life USA at https://www.traillifeusa.com/
