Organization

Every BSA Troop is organized into a leadership hierarchy made up of various roles.  The highest ranking adult leader is the Scoutmaster who delegates responsibility to one or more Assistant Scoutmasters, Junior Assistant Scoutmasters, and the Senior Patrol Leader.  The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is the highest ranking youth leadership role in the Troop.  In a boy-lead troop the SPL organizes the troop and delegates responsibility to the patrols under his command.  Patrol Leaders (PL) report to the SPL and are in charge of their patrol.  The SPL can delegate responsibility to one or more Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (ASPL) who help organize and guide the other youth leadership positions in the troop.  

Along with the SPL, ASPL, and Patrol Leaders, the Troop Guides, Quartermasters, and Scribe make up the Patrol Leader Council (PLC).  This subcommittee is responsible for planning Troop meetings, outings, and other events throughout the year.  There are other youth positions that can be filled within the Troop, many of which fulfill requirements for rank advancement.  The diagram below captures these positions, and the leadership hierarchy within the Troop. For more information about the duties and responsibilities of each of these positions you can refer to the position responsibility cards, or the troop position duties and responsibilities document which outlines the expectations of each position.