Scouting, Volume 61, Number 8, November-December 1973 Page: 8
52, [12] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Confusion! That's what it
was. Sheer confusion.
Personal gear lying sloppily
around the campsite. Scouts
stumbling over each other
and getting in each other's
way. A poorly-tended fire try-
ing to blaze into a size big
enough to cook over.
I was visiting the Raven
Patrol for Sunday night sup-
per at Camp Wapello in
southeastern Iowa, and it
was easy to see that I'd ei-
ther get half-cooked vittles
or no meal at all. There seem-
ed to be no purpose to what
little was going on. Nobody
seemed to be in charge.
ZERO
TO
ZOOM
IN ONE
WEEK
BY MAC GARDNER
K I "
— /r K. - . _ . ?
Were the Ravens a con-
fused bunch of Tenderfoot
Scouts, or perhaps a newly
organized troop on its first
overnight camp? No, sirree.
The Ravens were all patrol
leaders, senior patrol lead-
ers or leadership corps
members, each supposedly
crammed with plenty of abil-
ity and Scout spirit.
Then why such a motley
performance? Why weren't
the Ravens doing better?
Because they were taking
Scouting's new Troop Lead-
er Development course, this
one being conducted by the
Mid-Iowa Council, head-
quartered in Des Moines.
And, believe it or not, the
Scout foul-ups were expect-
ed, at least by members of
the staff.
Now if such an experience
was a shock to the Ravens,
and to six other patrols like
them, let me admit that it was
equally so to me. Let me also
admit that I had my doubts
MWfe
■
about the newfangled meth-
ods used in the course.
After all, hadn't the old
green bar or junior leader
training been good enough
for me as a Scout 25 years
ago? Hadn't it worked with
thousands like me until the
improved Scouting program
began in September 1972?
The answer, I thought,
was "yes" to both questions.
(I would get converted be-
fore the week ended.) So,
when I visited Camp Wapello
for Scouting magazine and
saw the Ravens tripping over
their own feet, I was ready to
say, "I told you so." Trying
to be an objective reporter,
however, I just bit my tongue
and fought an inclination to
raise a fuss and straighten
those kids out on the spot.
As it turned out, the
Scouts were in the middle of
what is called a "leaderless
experience." It actually be-
gan when the fellows arrived
at Camp Wapello. Nobody
(Left and clockwise) The
tall and short of the
Whippoorwills as Rich-
ard Perry passes on the
patrol leader's badge to
Marc Shrader. Suppertime
nears. The staff setting
an example at morning
assembly. Mike Larson,
TLD Scoutmaster.
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 61, Number 8, November-December 1973, periodical, November 1973; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353646/m1/8/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.