Patrol Leader - More Than Just a Title

B-P wrote in ‘Scouting for Boys’: “The main object of the Patrol System is to give real responsibility to as many boys as possible. It leads each boy to see that he has some individual responsibility for the good of his Patrol. It leads each Patrol to see that it has definite responsibility for the good of the Troop. Through the Patrol System the Scouts learn that they have considerable say in what the Troop does.”

I just posted the following on the “Guiders of Canada Unofficial “ Facebook page:
“Patrol system: I was a unit Guider for a couple of decades, then took some time away from units, being just a Trefoil Guild member. I have been back as a unit Guider for a few years now, and have mostly adjusted to the changes that have happened in the intervening years. But some things are still unclear to me.... Does anyone still use the Patrol System? I don't mean do you have Patrols, I mean, do you give your PLs responsibility to communicate with their members outside of the meeting, do you engage PLs and Seconds to teach Promise and Law to their new members, do you spend time with just PLs to help them learn and hone leadership skills? I haven't seen nor heard evidence of this around me, so wanted to ask a wider audience........”
The responses were very interesting to me, varying from “No but we should”, to “I’d like to learn more about it”, to “yes we did this with great success”. The job description for being a Patrol Leader (or a Circle Leader in Brownies) is very nebulous, it seems. Most PLs seem to collect the dues in their patrol, and walk in the front of the line when going into Horseshoe or Brownie Ring. Some collect materials or pass on instructions for an activity to their Patrol or circle, but that is it. Someone commented, rightly, that giving the PLs responsibility encourages and teaches them better leadership skills to take forward to the decision-making of Pathfinders, Rangers, and on into their adult lives. The comments I saw, and what I have been able to observe around me has inspired me to offer a picture of my past experience and methods for engaging and encouraging active, enthused and involved Patrol and Circle Leaders (and Seconds!).

When I was a Girl Guide, getting to be the Patrol Leader was a very big and somewhat prestigious deal. I loved my PL, and was a little in awe of her, too. Whether they were elected or appointed (that is a whole other discussion!), there was a little ceremony to install them officially and give them their stripes. PLs were held to a higher standard. They were role models to look up to, and were respected as leaders. They were given responsibility to not only take attendance of their Patrol and to record dues, but to help teach the new (Tenderfoot) Guides what they needed to know before enrollment, to help and encourage their Patrol to be prepared for Inspection (that’s a topic for another time!), to collect the Patrol’s opinions and ideas for group decisions or for upcoming projects or events, and to speak for the Patrol, reporting those opinions and ideas to the entire Unit later. Girls who were going to be absent from a meeting telephoned the PL to inform her. If there was important information or a reminder to be given before a meeting, the Guiders called the PLs, and the PLs called their members, relaying things like, “we are going outside this week – bring warm outerwear” or “don’t forget to bring your permission slip for our hike – this week is the deadline”. Every girl had phone numbers for their own Patrol, just so they COULD contact each other. Did Guiders still talk to parents? Yes, about things that needed parental input or permission, etc., but not for those reminders etc. – those became the girls’ responsibilities.

In my Unit, we tried to have a sleepover/Patrol Leader & Second training early in the year. We would
explore things like dealing with conflict in the Patrol, how to be courteous and tactful with Patrol members, what the responsibilities of the PL were, how she could involve the Second, and what the Second should know how to do if the PL had to be absent. We played team-building games, and gave the PLs resources to do similar things with their Patrols. We helped them put together Patrol Kits for their Corner, filled with the things they might need at Patrol Time – scissors, tape, glue, pencils, markers, paper, etc., but also knotting cord, knot cards, Promise and Law cards, and other resource materials. Songbooks too, were in the box, and were the responsibility of the Patrol to look after and return. Patrol Leaders and Seconds returned to Unit meetings after this sleepover with a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and privileges. They knew that being a PL or Second was an honour, not a right, and that not showing up or not trying their best to fulfill their responsibilities might mean they would be asked to step down and someone else would take the job.

We held a Patrol Leader “Court of Honour” every six weeks or so. That is another term I never see or hear any more, but was a traditional council meeting for PLs and Guiders and sometimes Seconds. It was agreed upon that “what’s said at CoH stays at CoH”, so that PLs could ask for help with problems or concerns regarding their members, knowing it would be treated confidentially and not gossiped about. They brought ideas and concerns from their Patrols, and helped decide what activities or events to discuss with their Patrols to get the whole Unit’s input. The Court of Honour also allowed the Guiders the opportunity to speak to any issues they had noticed, or to offer more leadership training. Usually one or two Guiders met with the PLs while other Guiders were busy with the rest of the Unit.

While Guiding’s early years saw Patrol Leaders being 14 or 15 years old, the age for Girl Guides dropped when Pathfinders were inserted in the structure of Canadian Guiding in 1979. That meant that PLs were now around 11 years old, instead of 15. It was a big shift, but the system held true and the girls learned and carried out their roles with great success. Even Brownie Sixers (or Circle Leaders as they were later called) could understand and take on some responsibility, thus preparing them for the greater responsibilities of being a Girl Guide. Their Guide experience in the Patrol System prepared them for the still greater decision-making responsibilities of being a Pathfinder, and so on. I did not find age to be a barrier.

There is, of course, a lot more to this topic, and I would be happy to chat about it all day. In my stacks of Guiding resources I have a GGC booklet, long outdated, but still containing pertinent points, entitled “Training the Patrol Leader” and I did garner a lot of ideas from that in the activities I offered in my Unit. In my opinion, the Patrol System works, but only if we work it. With the new “Girls First” program looming on the horizon, with its promise of girl-driven, girl-led programming, the Patrol System seems like an ideal vehicle to take our Units, regardless of age level, on a successful

trip through the possibilities of all that Guiding has to offer.

Your comments are welcome!

I'm having difficulties placing photos in this post but will put a few at the bottom. Till next time...

North Owl

BIG Camp, BIG Comfort!

***** I started writing this post in 2014. What happened to the last three years??? Lots, including Guiding Mosaic in Sylvan Lake, AB in 2016 and SOAR 2017 in Smithers, BC.  Most of what I had already written is still pertinent and may be helpful to someone, so I will pass it along now! J *****

******************************* August 2014 *********************************

I am just recently back from a wonderful, exhausting Guiding adventure.  I spent 12 days living in camp, as Core Staff for B.C.’s “Spirit Of Adventure Rendezvous” (SOAR), a large international camp held every 3 years.  The last SOAR I attended was the very first one, held at Camp Hughes in Prince George in 1995.  Nineteen years ago!  Sheesh!  That time, I attended as a patrol Guider, bringing eight Mackenzie Guides and Pathfinders, and my penpal from Iowa, Joyce, was my co-leader.  It was the first SOAR ever held, as I said, and my first truly big camp, so I had no idea what to expect or how to prepare.  This was pre-internet and Facebook too, so there was little communication between participants before the event!

This time I traveled to Enderby, BC, along with 2615 other girls and women, and participated as Core Staff – a totally different experience!  My preparations to attend were made much easier by drawing on my past experience, of course, and also by all the tips, tricks, and advice offered on the SOAR Facebook group.  That was a game changer!

Going as Core Staff instead of as a Patrol Guider was a different experience of course, and while some things were still the same (uniform needed, some equipment, etc.), others were not.  Either way, I want to offer a look at what I took, what I didn’t take, and what I wish I’d taken!  That, hopefully, will prevent some “wheel-reinvention” for upcoming large events.

Top most valuable thing I took:  my cot and its mattress!  Yes, while I have never been a cot-camper, I knew that surviving 12 days in my tent would require more than a thermarest!  Oh my, best money spent!  My cot – Cabela’s  XL Outfitter – was almost as comfy as my bed at home, and I got up no more stiff or sore than I would have at home.  In addition, hubby surprised me with the hanging pockets accessory, so I had built in places to put my glasses (a padded slot!) and my cell phone/alarm clock (a pop out “tray”).  As well, all my clothes and gear fit under my bed, making for a very spacious situation in my 9x9 tent!

The thing that my friends and neighbours most appreciated me bringing:  my garden wagon.  It wasn’t pretty - all banged and chipped and a bit rusty, but its 500lb capacity meant it was called into service all camp, to haul gear, water, supplies, etc.  Because it has rubber tires, not plastic, it was quiet on the paved and graveled areas, and rolled smoothly over any surface.  It also made a good seat in a pinch.  Several patrols brought wagons as well, many of them collapsible ones that I have read about but never used.  I took mine without its sides, and didn’t regret that, as almost any size load could be piled on it.

********************************* September 2017 *********************************

Now I am coming back to this post with the experience of two more large camps under my belt. I would stand by my previous statements as to the value of my excellent cot and my large garden wagon. Unfortunately I have not always been able to afford the space to bring my garden wagon, so have invested in a folding version that, while it is not as heavy duty nor versatile as my big one, has still been invaluable in hauling gear and chairs around camp, and generally saving my back. I bought Walmart’s $80 wagon and it has been pretty good. I recently had the opportunity to camp with Costco’s similarly priced wagon, and given the choice, would pick it over the Walmart one. A) It folds flat, instead of columnar, making it easier to slide into small spaces. B) It has a “D” handle instead of a “T”, so a strap or belt can be added to lengthen the reach (important to tall people!). C) The handle “magnets” to the frame when you stop, instead of into the rubbery bracket that the Walmart one has, making it much easier to deal with one-handed. By the way, these items seem to be available very seasonally, so plan ahead if you want to purchase one for an upcoming event!

I will finish this post off by adding the list of tips I wrote in the Fine Arts newsletters for SOAR 2017. I hope you find them useful on your next adventure!

§ I loved my locking, waterproof footlocker. It gave me a place to secure valuables when away from my tent, kept my belongings dry, and doubled as a bedside table or a footstool!

§ I got tired of wearing my nametag around my neck. Sometimes I wore it diagonally instead.

§ Humour diffuses and lightens almost any situation. I am so glad I brought my sense of humour!

§ I was glad I brought some little “creature comfort” things—individually wrapped wipes, little packets of foot soak., some wrapped mints. I could give them away as thank you gifts or pick me ups, and brighten my Guiding sisters’ time at camp too!

§ Lip balm! More than one. With SPF. Nuff said.

§ I loved having my solar lights clipped to my tent—so easy to find it in the sea of them. Also glow sticks on sticking out guy lines saved a lot of tripping!

§ A full sized foot basin made my feet sooo happy at night.  And a bucket with a lid to bring water to it, and carry the dirty water away!

§ While drinking water is provided, sometimes it wasn’t as pleasant tasting as I am used to. I was very grateful for my Brita water bottle that filtered out some of the tastes & for a bottle of “Mio/Dasani” type flavour drops to use in my other bottles to disguise tastes & help me stay hydrated!

§ I wish I had brought rubber boots. I thought my gortex shoes were enough, but the boots would have been better.

§ I’m glad I brought blister treatments with me! Even though my shoes weren’t new, the combination of sweat and constant walking got me at GM. There are blister prevention balms, in containers like mini deodorant sticks that may stop the rub that causes blistering…..

§ You, of course, know that changing your socks and even your shoes part way through the day can be a marvelous relief for tired feet. I didn’t know that Avon Foot Wipes are apparently a wonderful thing, easy to pack along, and refresh one’s feet before slipping on those clean socks!

§ Still on the topic of feet, do test the soles of the shoes you plan to wear to ensure that if you are walking on gravel they will not cause you to feel every single pebble!

There you have it. I hope you have an adventure in mind for the future, and that these tips will help you have a more comfortable and enjoyable time! Go for it! (See you at SOAR in 2020??)

North Owl

A Lone, But Not ALONE!

Hi there,

It's been a while since I last posted, and I promise I will be posting more when I have the energy - there's lots to talk about! But for now.....

I would really really like to encourage you to do the attached challenge with your girls this year and here is why (it's really a long story):

When I first moved to Mackenzie, I was 21, had already been a Guider for a couple of years, and soon became District Commissioner in Mackenzie. I met a Ranger there, Elaine Hodgson, and it wasn't too long before we became friends, and then good friends, and then close friends. I got to know her family well. My kids grew up calling her parents Granny Beth and Grandpa John. Her little sister, Jill, was one of my Guides, then one of my Pathfinders. Her older sister, Lynn, was my co-leader in some of the units I led and a Guider in other units through the years as well. We became family to each other. 

Elaine and I shared interests of all kinds (in and out of Guiding) and even when we didn't live near each other we were in close contact. This was someone I could phone at 11pm and say "I just thought of a camp theme - what do you think?" and we'd talk for a couple of hours. Through the years she and I both held various positions in Guiding, in various places, and took part in many camps and adventures together. I was a Lone Brown Owl for a while and Elaine, always interested in my projects and who had once been a Lone Ranger and then a Lone Cadet, learned about and supported my Lones. In time, I became a founding member of the 1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild, and convinced Elaine to join me there - within a year she was President and I was her VP! By this time I lived in Alberta while Elaine - and all her family (parents and two sisters) still lived in BC. 

Now, Elaine had (barely) survived having aplastic anemia when she was 15-16 - it took more than a year to combat and overcome, and her faith and fighting spirit, and the strong support of her family got her through what was then very experimental and difficult treatment. Elaine was cancer free for 27 years. She never married. She devoted herself to serving others, through Guiding, as a teacher's aide, as a first aid instructor, as an EMT, and as a Navy League officer, among other things. But then the cancer came back - she found a lump in her breast. In typical Elaine fashion, she was matter-of-fact and fought it full tilt, surprising hospital staff with her resilience and determination - sitting up knitting hours after her lumpectomy, and joking through the chemo and radiation treatment. In due time she was deemed cancer free, and she pursued the next phase of her life with joy. Her plan was to move to Vancouver and take all the necessary training to become an emergency dispatcher for BC Ambulance, and while she was working toward this goal, the cancer returned - a breast cancer cell had escaped and lodged in her brain. It was inoperable, and in 2008 the world lost an amazing woman to heaven.

Our Trefoild Guild (1stCITG) decided that since we are, in effect, the equivalent to a Lone Guiding unit, we would like to create a memorial for Elaine in such a way that it would support Lone Guiding members to go to camps and events, as Elaine was always such an amazingly active advocate for girls being able to attend camps and activities regardless of financial situation. (She'd been known to run hotdog sales outside the local grocery store by herself, just to make sure a girl she'd heard was having trouble affording a provincial camp would have the funds to attend.) After many hurdles and much red tape and the dedication of some tenacious women, the Elaine Hodgson Memorial Lone Campership was created, and some donations came in to get it started, and it did start and help some girls go to camp that would not otherwise have afforded it. Our guild is working to keep the Campership funded by selling a compilation of crafts and recipes from our members in the form of a dvd, ($12) and more recently held a crest contest to feature our mascot, Miss Truffles, with the idea that sales of the crest would also fund the campership. Then we created an optional challenge to go with the crest -- meaning that that crest can be purchased without doing the challenge, but the challenge would add interest to the crest. I have attached the challenge here, and a pic of the crest is on that sheet. The crests are $4 each, I believe, which may be little pricey, but for a worthwhile cause, helping a Lone Guiding member go on an adventure.

Thanks for reading through this long essay -- and I challenge you to try out this challenge! And, to order crests, email 1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild; subject line - Campership FundRaisers. For more information on our Guild, check out our website.  Thank you for your support!

Until next time....

North Owl

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Old Can Be Gold

The most exciting thing in my life last year (besides a new grand daughter - nothing much could top that!) was going back to active Guiding.... as a Spark leader.  Oh, those sticky hugs and shrill giggles -- truly every meeting was the best hour of my week.  I've never left Guiding, but have spent several years just as a Trefoil Guild member (I'll tell you about them another day), so coming back to an active unit has come with a bit of a learning curve.  I was amused at our District's Christmas party to find I am just bout the oldest Guider around .... and one of the most experienced.  Far from being chagrined by this, I am delighted, as it means young, enthusiastic, energetic women are leading girls toward continuing the traditions, empowerment and community building that Guiding is all about.

What it does mean, though, is that I know stuff. I know stuff that I think of as "what every Guider knows".... but I am finding that is not the case!  So maybe, just maybe, I can put some of it out there by writing on here, and more of this stuff WILL be "what every Guider knows".  Want to come along for the ride?

----------------------------------------------------

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed recently when I saw a post by one of my young Guider friends on the local buy and sell.  What she was selling made me pause, because it was something that could be really useful to her Guide unit and when I asked her about it, she had no idea.... That started my train of thought, and I decided to offer a list of

 "10 Things a Guider Should Watch For at Garage Sales".  

In no particular order:

1)  Old Metal Breadboxes -- why?  Because they make terrific box ovens to use at camp!  Cake, pizza, cookies, all things are possible!  One can make a box oven using a cardboard box and tinfoil, it's true, but the metal breadbox saves us from having to use such massive quantities of aluminium foil, and while it takes up more storage space, its interior can be utilized to store campfire cooking tools and such.  The door of the breadbox is often wood, but that can be covered with tin, or a foil oven liner cut to size.  Perhaps the tin shelf that most of them have can be tacked tot he door instead, if it is the right size!  A mesh rack in the shelf's place becomes the oven rack, and an old metal pie tin becomes the "burner", filled with barbecue briquettes.  Watch for old toaster oven racks - they are about the right size, and are made to get really hot, unlike cake cooling racks and such.

2)  Duotangs -- also sometimes known as report covers, these have those three prong fastenings to put the paper on, slide through the back cover grommets, and open to hold the papers in place.  Even used covers can be quite useful, just "redecorate" them by gluing sheets of paper or cardstock on the outsides and decorate as desired.  These are very useful as Patrol or Circle log books, Unit songbooks, resource packages, project packages, challenge booklets, or fill them with pencil puzzles and activities for the Circles and Patrols to use while waiting for everyone to arrive and your meeting to start.


3)  Curtain Sheers -- or sheer curtains or whatever you want to call them.  Make dish dip bags, or a pot'n'pan hammock to air-dry the big stuff.




4)  Carpet Samples -- One of these in front of the door to every patrol tent will help keep a little of the forest on the outside of the tent! Another on the inside will make that tent even cleaner.  A few on the inside may mean a better place for those shoes to land, too.  And they are great in your trunk if you need a kneeling-pad while changing a tire, or put it under a wheel for extra traction when you get stuck in the snow at your winter camp.  Carpet samples are great!

5)  Tent Poles -- seems like a no-brainer.  If you have a place to store them, spare tent poles can be used not only to replace your own broken ones (if they fit), and, if they are the rigid type, often can help put up that doggone tarp in the spot that that doggone tree didn't have the courtesy to grow!

6)  Gigantic Stock Pot -- Oh if you see one of these in a garage sale or thrift store it is g.o.l.d.!!! You have a wonderful hot water tank for your campfire!  Find someone handy who can cut two holes and attach a couple of fittings, put hoses onto the fittings and a coil of copper pipe onto the hoses.  The copper coil stays under your campfire, water stays in the pot, and while the fire burns, you have a circulating HOT water source. And I do mean HOT!  Use caution! Hot water spits out of the top fitting hole, while cooler water is drawn down to the coil from the bottom fitting hole.  If your handy-person is so inclined, ask them to attach a spigot to the front of your pot for easier access to the hot water without having to take off the lid.  Oh, for the record, we tried using a plastic bucket for this - it lasted one weekend, and the plastic around the fittings slowly melted away.  Not so good.

7)  Curtain Rods -- especially the light telescoping kind.  They will be light and not too long to pack for camp, but will make great gadget sticks, with the added advantage of being able to increase/decrease in length as needed.  Of course their strength is limited, but most gadgets don't require all its components be especially strong, and in many locations, gadget wood is hard to come by.

8)  Flat Sheets -- and clothespins (although these are easily available at a dollar store).  The uses at camp are many:  privacy screen; movable, lightweight sun shade; skit prop; hot weather sleeping cover; "fancy" tablecloth; or in an emergency cut it up to make splint ties, slings, bandages.... Oh, and the clothespins?  They hold up the movable sun shade, of course, as well as helping with most of the other uses.... They are also useful for games of all sorts - as are the sheets!

9) Game Equipment -- if you have the storage space for it, it is great to have one or more medium to big bouncing balls, a few skipping ropes, nerf balls, maybe some badminton rackets, or even some dress up clothes (have you ever played the Mars Bar Game??).

10)  Ugly Bucket Hat -- because everyone should wear a hat that protects her head and ears from the sun.  If participants know that they will have to wear the Ugly Hat if they forget their hat, or only bring a ball cap, it may be the incentive they need to bring their own nice one.  Unless the Ugly Hat becomes "a thing"... who knows. :-)  Or take a plain garage sale bucket hat and creatively make it "ugly"...  Just be sure and wash it well between wearers. Check this one out - at least it would give good sun protection!! LOL!  And here is one I drew for fun....

This list is by no mean exhaustive, and sometimes you can find really great Guiding-specific treasures, like Girl Guide songbooks, story books, Brownie Annuals, old program books or Canadian Guider magazines, or old uniform pieces.  You may come upon flag belts or flag stands, or camping equipment like lanterns or stoves or folding tables... Guiding supplies from garage sales and thrift shops really can prove that "old IS gold"!!

Till next time....
North Owl