Last Monday our troop had an election for Senior Patrol Leader, a six-month term. Scout troops, as much as possible, are boy-run organizations, and the adult leaders do not select Senior Patrol Leaders (SPLs). We set some requirements--First Class rank, attendance at meetings and camping trips--but the boys nominate and elect their leaders. Our troop nominated over 12 candidates, and each made a short campaign speech.
I take it that extemporaneous speaking is not much taught in schools these days, judging by the performance of the candidates. After the first two spoke, most of the others delivered more or less the same speech, with a few variations. Some potentially good SPLs did not do their best on the oratorical front, and one reduced his chances mightily by promising to replace dodge ball, a staple of almost every meeting, with something "more productive."
There are few youth activities where a boy is given as much power as a Senior Patrol Leader--not in high school clubs, and certainly not on sports teams. Senior Patrol Leaders and their assistants plan and run meetings, plan outdoor activities, and when in at camp or a Klondike Derby find themselves responsible for supervising the activities of 50-plus boys--not an easy task.
Over the years, I've seen some troops elect ineffective leaders, and when they do, six months can seem like a long time. When it came to voting last week, however, our Scouts made a good choice, and the troop will be in good hands for the next six months.
