the advice was still coming in, get rid of those Scouts, put them on suspension, stop this do that, at this stage I must give you a bit more background information on the Troop, without which, it's hard to appreciate, the problems the Scouts and myself had to overcome.

For some two years, the Troop, had been run primarily, as a youth group, with two patrols, but no proper structure and most of the Scouts out of Uniform, with little or no pride, or respect for the troop, and with no records of what progressive training they had done. At the time I took charge, there was not one record of a Scout having a proficiency badge, or Scout Award, in fact there were no records, or should I say if there was the Scouts and myself never got them.

I attended a number of meetings run by the appointed Scout Leader in Charge at the time, as a helper but they were primarily games etc. Later the GSL tried to run the Scout Troop, but not long after out of what I think must have been pure frustration, among other things (although he never told me) he resigned.

So as stated before I became the new Scout Leader, and two former Cub leaders my assistants, this was not going to be easy from the start. Because shortly after leaving, the former Appointed Leader continued for some time running his own activities on the same night,  just down the road from the Scout hut, from the back of his van for boys that had been, or were still going to Scouts.

My first night as a Leader

By this time my Assistant Leaders and I had got to know most of the Scouts, their strengths and weakness, the ones who were interested or not, and those we were looking after for mum, and dad for two hours, ‘advice’ accept it as well meant and relevant to the person giving it, but not all the advice you are given will be relevant to you, (example be firm and strong ‘be the boss’ all Leaders must be obeyed) because some of the Scouts were unruly, I was told ‘you must discipline them, make them do as they are told, set them as examples and ban them ‘start as you mean to go on’ etc.

If that’s the type off person you are? Then it may work for you, 'but if not' all the shouting and bossing won't work, the same way letting them do what they want regardless of the Scout method will not work, the proof of which I had before me.

No! The way ahead was by the “book” provide an enjoyable and attractive scheme of “progressive training” (at that time I didn’t realise how important that word was PROGRESSIVE) based on the Scout Promise, and Law, but with flexible Leadership, listen to advice, but do what you think is best for the Scouts in your Troop, and develop your own ideas, and imagination along with that of your assistants,

As Baden-Powell said slowly slowly catch a monkey.

This may seem difficult but in fact it was quite easy, after looking through the Scout Association Policy Organization & Rules, POR for short, I came across Rule 113 the Patrol Activity Award (relevant to me at that time) be in a Patrol of your liking, this they had just done, explain the Patrol system yes, show a knowledge of your Patrol name, take part in three meetings of the Patrol-in-Council this one needed some organizing but was well worth it, the first meeting was a bit of a shambles, but things got better thus the Patrol Leaders council was born, (meeting on the first Friday of each month, half an hour before Scouts started) Take parting in a Patrol good turn this got me in some trouble with the mums, there was an old bus shelter in the village where we meet, and at the time it was badly in need of painting, so after consultation with the Parish Council, it was decided the Scouts would paint it, “so far so good,” but when the night came to do the painting, some of the Scouts had not brought old clothes to change into, 'problem' do you stop them from painting, thus stopping them from doing their good turn, no we found them some bin bags to wear, but the inevitable happened, and two got paint on their nice new uniforms, three years later and I could still see the paint to remind me.