Patrol In Camp

Patrol In Camp

"In Scouts' camps the tents are not pitched in lines and streets as in military camps, but are dotted about, 50 or 100 yards or more, in a big circle round the Scoutmaster's tent. This keeps each Patrol separate as a unit."

"Each Patrol usually has a tent to itself well away from any others, but within call of the Scoutmaster's tent."

"The Patrol Leader may make his own little tent or shelter outside his Patrol tent, but close to it."

There is during the whole of the scouting year no more marked and certain opportunity of making the Patrol realize its importance as a self-contained unit than during the summer camp. The Patrol Leader is absolutely responsible for the order and discipline of his tent, and at the end of the camp the Patrol which has kept its tent the smartest usually receives some kind of recognition. If possible, it is an excellent thing to make each Patrol always responsible for its own cooking arrangements. This may be impracticable in big camps or in camps of a week's duration, but it usually works well where the Troop goes under canvas for a week-end or for one night. In such cases it may save the trouble of taking out unnecessary cooking appurtenances.
When the whistle or bugle has sounded for meals, for service, or for any parades, the Patrol Leader will "fall in" his Patrol in front of the Patrol tent, and will afterwards march his Patrol in file to the marquee, if there is one, or will double them to the Scoutmaster for the Circular Rally. (In an ordinary Scout camp a whistle is perhaps more Scout-like than a bugle, as being less noisy and less calculated to disturb the people living in the neighborhood.) The Circular Rally may be constantly used in the daily camp routine.
If the Patrols are not doing their own cooking, a different Patrol should do the cook's work every day. Another Patrol may be responsible for the waiting at table, and another again may be put on to the work of keeping the camp clean. All the camp work, in fact, will be carried out by each of the Patrols in turn, so that they may each get as much varied experience during the week as it is possible to give them. In the case of some Troops which have been in existence for four or five years the Scoutmaster may allow the Leaders to take their own Patrols into separate week-end camps. This is sometimes an excellent thing, but should be regarded as a special privilege rather than as a common practice. It is a privilege which a Patrol Leader may get by several years' earnest and honorable Scouting.