Qualifications and Duties June 1972 until 1992

The boy leader with the greatest responsibility in the troop is the senior patrol leader. He reports directly to the Scoutmaster.

Qualifications. The troop leaders’ council develops theses qualifications to fit the situation. Boys in a new troop are not likely to have progress awards, camping or leadership experience, so these should not be a requirement for this office. As the troop grows in size and experience, the qualifications should be revised. The following qualifications are recommended for an established troop:

• Age: 13 to 15
• Progress Award: First Class or higher
• School Grade: In keeping with age
• Time in Troop: 1-year minimum
• Leadership Experience in Troop: Have served as patrol leader or assistant senior patrol leader
• Camping Experience: Both long-term and short-term participation

Elected by. All the Scouts in the troop.

Term of office. This is decided by the troop leaders’ council. It is recommended that it not be laess than 6 months.

Responsible to. The Scoutmaster

Duties. The senior patrol leader:

• Presides at all troop meetings, events, and activities.
• Leads the troop leaders’ council.
• Appoints assistant senior patrol leader with the Scoutmaster’s counsel.
• Assign duties and responsibilities to other leaders.
• Appoints a scribe, quartermaster, and librarian with the counsel of the Scoutmaster.
• The senior patrol leader must learn how to cooperate with and relate to others.
• To the Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster helps in the development of the senior patrol leader by training, coaching, and counseling. They work closely together in every part of the troop program. TheScoutmaster works through the senior patrol leader to keep the troop leaders’ council informed of his goals and ideas with the possible exception of matters concerning discipline and safety.
• To the assistant and junior assistant Scoutmasters. If an assistant Scoutmaster is substituting for the Scoutmaster, the SPL works with him the same as with the Scoutmaster.
• When the Scoutmaster delegates part of his authority to an assistant Scoutmaster, he must make this clear to the senior patrol leader (SPL).
• When the SPL has a question of authority, he asks the Scoutmaster.
• Assistant Scoutmasters should not cut the line of authority from the SPL to the troop. Instead, they should work through the SPL.

There are obvious exceptions to this. For example, if a junior assistant Scoutmaster (JASM) is responsible to work with the leadership corps on a project, he simply does so. If an assistant Scoutmaster coaches the quartermaster, they just go at their work.

To the troop committee. The SPL does not work directly with the troop committee. If there is communication between them, it is through the Scoutmaster.

To assistant senior patrol leaders. He appoints one or more with the approval of the Scoutmaster. He then assign their duties and they report to him. An assistant senior patrol leader (ASPL) serves in the SPL’s absence.

To patrol leaders. The SPL trains and counsels them. He is their charman in the troop leaders’ council. They look to him for leadership at all troop functions.

To troop staff. This refers to the quartermaster, scribe, librarian, and instructors. The SPL appoints Scouts to fill these positions. They are trained and coached by troop committee members having related responsibilities. They report to the SPL, but they retain membership in a patrol or the leadership corps.

To the leadership corps. If the troop has a leadership corps, the SPL is its leader. (He may delegate this job to an ASPL) He assigns their duties and counsels members of the corps as necessary. The corps’ standards of operation and conduct come from the SPL.

To the troop members. Scouts in the troop should recognize the SPL as the highest boy leader in the troop. He should demonstrate the highest order of Scout spirit, conduct, and leadership. In turn, the SPL must have the highest regard for each Scout as an individual.