A Patrol Mentor is an Assistant Scoutmaster assigned to a patrol to help develop the patrol leader’s skill and help the patrol learn and grow. See Position Mentoring for more information about mentoring the Patrol Leader specifically.
- Coach and mentor the patrol leader
- Give the patrol plenty of opportunities to try leading on their own
- Help them develop patrol spirit:
- Purchase a patrol-selected patrol patch
- Purchase materials for them to make a patrol flag
- Encourage the use of a patrol yell or cheer
- Inside jokes, traditions, or references
- Encourage the patrol leader to develop a vision and goals for the patrol
- Help the patrol and patrol leader understand patrol members' advancement needs
- Teach the patrol leader how to run a patrol meeting
- Answer most questions with "Ask your patrol leader"
- Answer most questions with "Ask your Senior Patrol Leader" if it's the patrol leader asking
- Help answer parent questions
- Encourage parents to have their scouts start communicating on their own
- Don't override the patrol leader except in cases of safety or propriety