Patrol Leaders' Council

What Is The Patrol Leaders' Council (PLC)
Junior leaders make up the patrol leaders' council - the board of directors, so to speak. It's the decision-making team. The patrol leaders' council plans the annual program, then the weekly meetings leading up to the monthly outdoor adventure.

Together, members of the patrol leaders' council address the needs of each patrol and the general problems that involve the patrols and the troop. As a member of the patrol leaders' council, you represent the whole troop. When the patrol leaders' council meets, you get a chance to express your desires (and those of your patrol members).

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PLC Leader
The senior patrol leader is the top junior leader in the troop. With the advice of the scoutmaster or designated person, he leads the patrol leaders' council and chairs its meetings, usually once each month.

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Who Are The Members
Naturally, as the leader of the patrol leaders' council, the senior patrol leader is a member. It's easy to see, just by looking at the name of the group - patrol leaders' council - that the patrol leaders should be members. There are others, too. When your troop has a scout filling any one of the following positions, he is part of the patrol leaders' council:

• Assistant senior patrol leader
• Troop guide
• Crew chief

The troop scribe should attend patrol leaders' council meetings and keep a log of the meeting, even though he doesn't vote. You may also have occasion to involve other troop members filling non-leadership roles in the troop. The assistant senior patrol leader is responsible for training and giving direction to these non-leadership positions: quartermaster, scribe, historian, librarian, instructor, and chaplain aide. He also represents them at the patrol leaders' council meeting.

If the patrol leaders' council is discussing troop equipment needs, the quartermaster will need to be included. Other scouts can be included as needed.

Following the patrol leaders' council meeting, the assistant senior patrol leader meets with the troop members filling the non-leadership positions to keep them informed of decisions affecting them.

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PLC Road Map
The patrol leaders' council meeting isn't any different from any other meeting or activity. The PLC will chart a course so the troop will know what they're going to do and how they're going to go about it. This is called a plan or an agenda.

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PLC And The Scoutmaster
The scoutmaster hasn't been mentioned yet. Well, he (or his designated person) attends every patrol leaders' council meeting. He is there just to observe. If a question comes up that the patrol leaders' council members cannot answer, he's there ready to help. If a suggestion is needed, it's a good bet he'll be ready with one. Otherwise, he really doesn't need to do too much at a patrol leaders' council meeting.

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Quickie Meetings
Quickie meetings are more than a good idea. They are very important. The senior patrol leader may call a quickie meeting of the patrol leaders' council at any time. For example if a problem comes up during a campout or the weather changes and the program needs to change a quickie meeting can get the program back on track.

There should also be a quickie meeting that the patrol leaders' council holds at the end of each regular troop meeting. This meeting lets you review how things are going, remind yourselves about what you need for the next meeting, and agree on any minor changes in plans that may be needed.

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