Drill and Cooking

Drill Instructors should represent a wide range of diversity. Every instructor should have their own special brand of drill. It's what makes the area in Pathfinders such a rich experience. While there are some pretty basic rules that are hard to bend, the rest is up to the instructor. Hopefully, he/she will refine the best practices and combine them with their personal style and character to be unique.

Think of it like cooking: There are foundations that apply across the board. Things like how baking works, the process of baking bread doesn't change much from baker to baker. It will always take water at 212 degrees F to boil. Now, think about cuisine.... it's as varied as there are people in the world. From country to country, region to region, each has a different way of applying the cooking techniques to achieve the flavor and dish they like. It's not like there's undiscovered types of vegetables arriving at the store every day. Most of us cook with the pretty standard items found at the grocery store.

Drill should be no different. Each instructor should have a similar foundation in the basics. The things that will not change and should not change. These are things like uniform standards, the position of attention, etc. Beyond that, I believe each instructor should strive to create their own "flavor" of drill. Most effective drill instructors will develop it automatically by putting their heart, soul, and character into their lessons. Two types of drill can be very different but still be excellent.

This diversity is what can make Pathfinder drill so special. It's the fact that each person should cause to add just a little more variation to the pot. In the end, we show up with not just one dish prepared by a hundred different people but a hundred different dishes influenced by the entire spectrum of styles.

Strive to form the way you drill. Add the elements of who you are to the way you drill and teach drill. Always make sure it's efficient and effective, but experiment and refine. Your impact can be tremendous if you know who you are and how you drill and are not afraid to show it. Let's all be Drill "chefs" - sampling each others cuisine, appreciating it for what it is, and learning from one another.

And, as always: In step with Christ.