Special Positions of Responsibility in Troop ONE
There are challenges in running a large troop and keeping it boy run. One way that we have addressed that over time is the creation of special positions that allow the boys to concentrate on certain things. Some of these are below, listed with the real BSA recognized positions
BSA Position: Assistant Senior Patrol Leader
Troop 1 Variants
- ASPL (Operations) – this is our ASPL#1 and is the back up for the SPL and is the one most like in the BSA literature with oversight of almost all of the troop officers.
- ASPL-V this is an assistant senior patrol leader in charge of our older scouts who are in the Venture Patrols. He is the primary program advocate working with the Venture Patrol Leaders and with the Assistant Scoutmaster Venture. Scouts must be 14 to enter our Venture Patrols and Venture does some special things apart from the troop a few times a year. These are not to be confused with our excellent relationship with our Venturing Crew 2001. Not all of the Venture Scouts have chosen to join the Venturing Crew.
- ASPL-Exp is the assistant senior patrol leader for the experienced scouts and is the primary program advocate with the Experienced Patrol Leaders and with the Assistant Scoutmaster for Experienced Scouts.
- ASPL-New is an assistant senior patrol leader also known as our Senior Troop Guide. He is the primary program advocate for the new scouts, the first year scouts. He coordinates the Troop Guides that are part of the New Scout Patrols, the troop guides who are roving Troop Guides, and our Troop Guide who is our Summer Camp Course Director for our scouting fundamentals course for the first year scouts. He works closely with our Assistant Scoutmaster for new scouts. This Senior Troop Guide also certify all of the TGs and instructors to sign handbooks.
BSA Position: Troop Guide
Troop 1 Variants
- Senior Troop Guide – The number one guy as a Troop Guide and is the ASPL-New as discussed above.
- Troop Guide – these are assigned as members of the new scout patrol to make the rotating new patrol leaders successful and to help instruct the new scouts.
- Roving Troop Guides – From time to time we have a number of experienced and older scouts that have not yet achieved First Class, sometimes it is because they have missed out on instruction, sometimes they are not yet motivated. The roving Troop Guides assignment is to get each of these to First Class.
- Troop Guide / Summer Camp Course Director – this scout begins at the March elections when he is appointed to plan and prepare for the week long first year emphasis course for our first year scouts. He directs the librarians to make sure we mobilize all the teaching resources that we need for the year. (Yes in our troop the librarians are responsible for all “program” gear. Quartermasters are responsible for all “camping” gear.)
BSA Position: Instructor
Troop 1 Variants
- Patrol Instructor – This is an instructor who is assigned to a troop guide and a new scout patrol. They are not part of the patrol as is the Troop Guide, but offer assistance as needed and can fill in for the TG when he is gone.
- Instructor – Same as in BSA definition.
- LNT Trainer – Instructor in LNT who has taken the weekend course offered by a master LNT educator,