When Adam Grau, Scoutmaster of Troop 007 in Blaine, Minn., went to his senior patrol leader and patrol leaders’ council with the opportunity to conduct a rather daunting service project in exchange for a donation, the Scouts had just one objection: They wouldn’t accept the donation.
“I like to refer to it like learning a dance with the Scouts and parents and leaders, and in this particular case, the camp staff, too. Everybody has to be in communication with each other.”
“It’s good to have a lot of people out there who can help if they have to,” says Jay Fox, Scoutmaster and Red Cross-certified instructor. “Scouts should always Be Prepared, because, you know, stuff like this happens.”
Many adults find it difficult parting with their iPhones for almost a week. For these Scouts and Scouters, though, just a single item would occupy their minds for the next five days: a 40-mile rafting trip down the rugged Rogue River in southwest Oregon.
What’s so special about new-Scout patrols? Why should a troop keep its new Scouts together in their own patrol during their first year instead of mixing them in with older Scouts of all ranks?