(Hold up two ropes of different sizes)
Which one of these ropes do you think is stronger? You're right. Common sense tells us that the thicker rope must be stronger.
But how much stronger? Is a half-inch rope twice as strong as a quarter-inch rope? Sound as if it should be, doesn't it? It's not though. In fact, a half-inch rope is four times stronger than a quarter-inch rope of the same material.
Why is that? It's because there are more strands in the bigger rope, and each strand helps to make the others stronger. When the strand is laid together in a rope their strength is much, much greater than when they are separate.
Our troop works the same way. If the members of your patrol help each other, then your patrol will be much stronger than if each patrol member does his own thing. And if all the patrols work together when they're doing things as a troop, the whole troop becomes much stronger than if each patrol goes its own way.
So let's share our skills and knowledge as we share the fun of Scouting. everybody - you, your patrol, and our whole troop - will benefit if we pull together.