The Patrol Leader's Notebook

7. Representing your Patrol

When you were appointed Patrol Leader, not only were you made responsible for the running of your Patrol, but you became part of the team which is responsible for the running of your Troop - the Court of Honour.

I do hope you have an active Court of Honour (COH) running your Troop. It is the only proper way.

The COH is made up of the Patrol Leaders - who have power to vote and make decisions - and your Troop Scouter who has a right to say No to any final decision (what is called a right of veto) but who normally does not vote.

The COH meets regularly - probably once a month in a formal meeting where all the big decisions are made, and then every two weeks, in between, for training. It is at the COH that your Troop Scouter teaches you the skills you will need to pass on to the Patrol members.

Baden-Powell said that the COH must decide on Troop awards and punishments, programmes of work, camps and other questions effecting Troop management. In practice the COH does five main things:

• Guards the honour of the Troop
• Sets and maintains standards
• Plans future Troop programmes, competitions and camps
• Deals with the training of Patrol Leaders
• Deals with Troop subscriptions

Do remember that when you attend the COH you will have to present to the other Patrol Leaders and your Troop Scouter, your Patrol's point of view. Normally when there is a decision to make you will hold a Patrol-in-Council just to find out the views of your Patrol. Then you must present that view to the COH even if it is not one you entirely agree with. That is your role as a representative of your Patrol.

The honour of being a member of a COH is a very real one - not to be taken lightly. The decisions are binding, but it will be sure to give the Scouts the kind of Troop they really want to belong to.

© 1997 South African Scout Association - South African Headquarters
PO Box 2434, Clareinch, 7725 South Africa
The contents of this book may not be reproduced without written permission from South African Headquarters.