How to Run a Scout Patrol Meeting UK

A Scout Patrol meeting is a chance for the Patrol to plan, practise, make decisions and work together without relying on an adult to organise every detail.

A good Patrol meeting is usually led by the Patrol Leader, with the Assistant Patrol Leader helping. The Patrol should decide what needs to be discussed, agree jobs and make a clear plan for upcoming activities.

A simple Patrol meeting can follow this structure:

1. Get everyone together.
2. Check what’s happening in the Troop.
3. Review previous jobs or activities.
4. Discuss upcoming plans.
5. Make decisions together.
6. Allocate jobs.
7. Do a short practical activity.
8. Check everyone knows what happens next.
9. Finish with a clear summary.

The meeting doesn’t need to feel like a formal business meeting. Keep it active, useful and Scout-led.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to:

Equipment

Essential

Useful

A Patrol doesn’t need lots of equipment. The important thing is having somewhere to record decisions and jobs.

Prerequisites

Before running a Patrol meeting, the Patrol Leader should know:

The PL doesn’t need to prepare a complicated presentation.

A few notes and a clear idea of what needs to be achieved are normally enough.

Instructions

1. Decide What the Meeting Is For

Don’t hold a Patrol meeting simply because it’s on the calendar.

Start by asking:

“What do we need to achieve?”

For example:

Having a purpose keeps the meeting focused.

2. Get the Patrol Together

Bring everyone into the same space.

For a small Patrol, sitting in a circle or around a table works well because everyone can see each other.

If you’re outdoors, choose a safe area away from distractions.

The Patrol Leader can start with a simple explanation:

“We’ve got 45 minutes. We’re going to plan the camp, sort out equipment and decide who’s doing each job.”

Everyone now knows what they’re there to accomplish.

3. Check Previous Jobs

Before starting something new, check what happened to the jobs agreed at the previous meeting.

Ask:

Don’t turn this into an opportunity to blame people.

If something wasn’t done, work out why and decide what happens next.

4. Check Upcoming Troop Activities

Make sure the Patrol knows what’s coming up.

This could include:

The PL can pass on information from the Troop leadership and answer questions where possible.

If something isn’t clear, make a note to ask an adult leader rather than guessing.

5. Let the Patrol Suggest Ideas

This is one of the most important parts of the meeting.

Don’t let the PL do all the talking.

Ask:

“What should we do?”

Ideas could include:

Write down ideas rather than immediately rejecting them.

6. Make Decisions Together

Once ideas have been suggested, decide what is practical.

Consider:

Not every decision needs a vote.

For straightforward decisions, the Patrol can agree on a plan through discussion.

If there are several competing ideas, a simple vote can be useful.

The important thing is that Scouts understand why the decision was made.

7. Break Big Jobs Into Smaller Jobs

Suppose the Patrol is planning a camp.

Instead of writing:

“Plan the camp.”

break it down into:

Now individual Scouts can take responsibility for manageable tasks.

8. Allocate Jobs Fairly

Give everyone something useful to do where practical.

Avoid giving every job to the Scouts who volunteer first.

Think about:

A Patrol should help Scouts develop a range of skills.

9. Include a Practical Activity

Not every Patrol meeting should involve sitting around talking.

If time allows, spend part of the meeting doing something practical.

Examples include:

Even 10 minutes of practical activity can make a meeting much more engaging.

10. Let the Assistant Patrol Leader Take Responsibility

The Assistant Patrol Leader shouldn’t simply stand beside the PL.

Give them a genuine job.

They could:

This gives the APL useful leadership experience and makes the Patrol less dependent on one person.

11. Keep the Meeting Moving

If the conversation gets stuck, the PL should bring it back to the purpose of the meeting.

Try questions such as:

“What do we actually need to decide?”

“Who can take this job?”

“What do we need to do next?”

Don’t allow one subject to consume the entire meeting unless it’s genuinely important.

12. Summarise the Decisions

Before finishing, go through everything that has been agreed.

For example:

Camp cooking: Alex and Sam

Equipment: Jamie

Route planning: Mia and Taylor

Food shopping: Patrol Leader

Next meeting: Thursday

Everyone should know:

13. Finish Properly

Don’t simply let everyone wander off once the discussion ends.

The Patrol Leader should give a short final summary.

For example:

“We’ve planned the camp menu, Jamie is checking the equipment and Mia and Taylor are sorting the route. Bring your kit list next week and we’ll check everything.”

Then finish the meeting.

A clear ending makes it much more likely that the agreed jobs will actually happen.

Example 45-Minute Patrol Meeting

This is only a guide. A Patrol should adjust the timings to suit what it needs to accomplish.

Running a Patrol Meeting Outdoors

A Patrol meeting doesn’t have to happen around a table.

Outdoor meetings can be particularly useful when planning:

For example, instead of discussing navigation entirely indoors, take the Patrol outside and plan a short route using a map.

This turns the meeting into both a planning session and a skills session.

What Makes a Good Patrol Meeting?

A successful Patrol meeting should leave Scouts knowing:

What are we doing?

Why are we doing it?

Who’s responsible?

When does it need to happen?

What happens next?

If everyone understands those five things, the meeting has probably achieved its purpose.

Final Tip

A good Patrol meeting doesn’t need to be complicated.

Plan → Discuss → Decide → Delegate → Do → Review.

The real purpose is to give Scouts genuine responsibility. If the Patrol Leader organises everything and everyone else simply follows instructions, you’re missing one of the biggest benefits of the Patrol system.

Let the Scouts make decisions, make mistakes, solve problems and lead — with adult support where it is needed.