Non-physical training camp...

Its been a tiring week...
In fact, that should be considered quite an understatement, when you take into account the fact that I had two camps back to back, with no chance to even catch a nap on my bed at home before I ran off to the next camp.
But anyway...

PA camp was excellent. I think its great to spend time with PA, and everything there. I finally got to learn everything else that I've heard about but have yet have a chance to touch. 3 days and 2 nights later, PA camp was over...
Ok, I'm deliberately cutting the part on the PA camp short because I have quite a bit of things to comment on the PLTC that I had just went through.

Ok, so what exactly is PLTC?
PLTC stands for Patrol Leaders Training Camp. It is essentially a training camp for scouts who are aspiring to become leaders of their patrol. Now then, many people would associate the idea of a training camp with physical training and mental training all at the same time, and personally, I agree with that definition.

Having been through a few june camps and one major PLTC, I know how powerful a physical training camp is when it comes to training you mentally to lead your patrol and to bond yourself with other people who are in your troupe and patrol. This year's PLTC however was different, it was different in that the emphasis is not on physical training, but was rather on just mental thinking...

I felt that this departure from the traditional formula of PLTC was a great idea at the beginning, but you still have to get back to the fact that it is a training camp. Lets have a basic overview of discipline in the PLTC this year...
Walking 99% of the time...
Firedrill, no one bothered to run and no one bothered to wake anyone else up
Final parade had really lousy showcase of footdrill
Serious lack of initiative on many parts of the campers.

Lets face it, many of this things are the exact opposite of most leaders. Leaders are the ones with the initiatives, the ones who are able to inspire and lead and pull his patrol through in the worse of times. Leaders aren't those people created through theory, but through practice and practical application. It is this people that are able to lead patrols.

In most PLTCs, physical training is heavily emphasised, with punishment dished out on a particulary normal basis. This PLTC, punishment was minimal, and even slow movement was quite tolerated. For many of us who went through PLTC, it was the thought that if one person never made it, it is equal to everyone not making it that drove us all to gain this initiative. It was when the training was really tough both physically and mentaly, do we start helping all the other patrols and helping each other to pull through.

When a camp is tough, you see the good and bad side of people. Some people are willing to help people pull through all the obstacles in the camp as one team, others are able to inspire and motivate the entire camp to endure all the crap that the planners throw at them. These are the things that makes the PLTC a viable training camp because its puts the "would-be" leaders in a situation where they have to take charge as much as possible to get everyone through it.

To me, PLTC wasn't about all the lectures and stuff, it was about the things that you learn as you are helping each other out to avoid additional punishment and to give help to those who are not really up to the standard. This are when leaders are made, they are able to work together with their patrol and care for the young ones, in this case, the people who are not physically able to make it.

For a quick example, in most PLTCs, the first fire drill, though usually not that good, would be quite average. People would be running around waking up as many other people as possible, shouts of "fall in" could be heard and even cries of where the patrol is located can be heard. People were running around, helping others to get there.
For this one, the first fire drill.....
30 seconds after the siren, 2 person woke up, bypassed all the other classrooms and just walked down the staircase at a leisurely pace...

You call that a leader??!

To me, each person has their own leadership style which they should discover themselves as they progress through their life. Some people would demand full and total control while others might try to get as close as possible but when things are bad, will have a sudden mood change...

Leadership isn't so much of a theory thing, but more of a practical application in the times.
I mean, when has there ever been a fixed set of rule for leadership??

Discmon