The Patrol Leader Handbook by Boy Scouts of America (2005, Book, Illustrated)

This is a manual for youth leaders in the Boy Scout program. Boy Scout troops are divided into patrols of roughly 4-8 boys. The patrol was designed by Lord Baden-Powell, who created Scouting, as well as patrols, in 1907. Each patrol is suppose to be led by a patrol leader.

The book is divided into color-coded chapters, covering topics such as patrol spirit, meetings, activities, & leadership. The book is easy-to-read, in a colorful, updated layout. However, there is no index & the table of contents is minimal, so sometimes it can be difficult to refer to something quickly. The book is full of color photographs, with helpful forms & charts (a vast improvement over the black & white illustrations of previous editions). The manual is spiral bound, making it easy to lay the book open flat.

The 2005 version comes from a long line of editions, printings, & revisions of this manual. The 1st edition of "Handbook for Patrol Leaders" came out in 1929 (BSA catalog #3638). This went through several different cover designs & many printing until the 2nd edition in 1967 (BSA catalog #3239. Next was the Patrol and Troop Leadership manual (BSA catalog #6502), which was followed by the 3rd edition of the Patrol Leader Handbook in 1980 (BSA catalog #6512). That was replaced by the Junior Leader Handbook in 1990 (BSA catalog #33500), which also went through several different cover designs & printings, as well as some revisions in 1998 (BSA catalog #33500A) & 2000 (also #33500A). The 1990 version was eventually split out in 2002, with The Patrol Leader Handbook (#32502) & The Senior Patrol Leader Handbook (#32501).

This manual should easily find a home in any Boy Scout youth leader, troop library, or Scouting literature collector.