Leaders
Leaders
The Adventrurers Program is designed to be run by the youth with adult oversight.
First Officer
The First Officer is the highest ranking youth in the Troop. He is also a Patrol Leader by virtue of his position and if there are not enough Patrol Leaders available he may also lead a patrol of his own or stand in for an absent Patrol Leader. He chairs the monthly Officers’ Conference and as a high profile member helps set the tone for the Troop. He works under the supervision of his Advisor and, during joint events with the Navigators Trailmaster.
While any Adventurers Trailman can become First Officer, those with experience as Second Officer will ease more gracefully into the position.
Second Officer
The Second Officer is the next-to-highest ranking youth in the Troop and an understudy of the First Officer, learning from him and filling in for him when he is absent. He has the same ability as a Patrol Leader, and if there are not enough Patrol Leaders available he may also lead a patrol of his own or stand in for an absent Patrol Leader. He is a member of the Officers’ Conference.
Often, the Second Officer is assigned by the First Officer to oversee specific functions for him while he attends to other duties. For example, while the First Officer is working with the Patrol Leaders to set up camp for the weekend, he may have the Second Officer take charge of overseeing some older Adventurers in training younger Navigators in how to set up their tents.
Quartermaster
The Quartermaster is in charge of Troop equipment and ensures that there is accountability in check-out and check-in of Troop resources, that damage to property is noted, and that proper equipment is set aside for outings. While he is in charge of objects rather than people, he is very important to the people who use the equipment and eat the food … which is to say, everyone. He is a member of the Officers’ Conference.
Patrol Leaders
These Trailmen help their patrols succeed by directing boys to different jobs on outings and ensuring that duty rosters are fairly drawn up and carried out. They are typically elected to their positions, and lead by example. They are like the leader of their own family. Patrol Leaders are members of the Officers’ Conference.
By the time a Trailman becomes a Patrol Leader in the Adventurers program, he typically has previous leadership experiences to build on. With more self-control and social skill, he is able to use his leadership to engage his patrol in higher level planning, and participation in events that they look forward to.
Adult Supervision
The role of Advisors and Trail Guides is primarily to ensure that youth leaders make the proper provisions for safety, budget, planning, and access before commitments are formed. In the Adventurers Unit, adult leaders retire to the back of the room while boys assume center stage around the “boardroom table.” Here is where the boys begin to engage in active citizenry in their community and planning activities and events that are of their own choosing and which often require higher level planning skills.
Because of the two-deep leadership principle, at least two registered leaders are required for supervision. If activities are done in cooperation with American Heritage Girls, AHG leadership requirements must also be met. This becomes problematic if activities are chosen for which the necessary complement of adults is unwilling or unable to participate.
Role of Adult Leaders
The smart Advisor recruits one or more good Trail Guides to assist with overseeing the leadership structure provided by the youth. How they are deployed depends a lot on circumstances.
If there is more than one Adventurers patrol, they will benefit from having Trail Guides assigned to each. Trail Guides may be used as resources to assist the boys in the planning and execution of the program.