From: stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger)
Subject: Re: Boards of Review
Organization: Summit NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 21:30:13 GMT

>I've been told that when participating in a board of review, the reviewers
>should not spend any time grilling the scout on scout knowledge, but should
>more or less talk to him about his plans and goals.  I was wondering what other
>troops do.  What do you think the board of review is supposed to accomplish?
>Should we be preparing the scout for the Eagle board of review (whatever that
>is)?  How do you decide if the scout is ready or not for advancement?
>Thanks for any help you may have.

For Star and Life, we are most interested in finding out how the boy
is benefiting from the Scouting program.  We try to see what he's learned
from his leadership job, from activities in general, and how he thinks
he does, or should, apply the Scout Oath and Law to his everyday life.
We also try to have him discuss whether he feels there's anything he
should've done, or the Troop should've done, differently in certain
situations, so that we can improve the program and he can learn from
his mistakes.

Especially for the leadership requirement, where it's a subjective
analysis as to whether he's met the 4 or 6 month leadership requirement,
the Advancement Chairman and other Troop Committee members who normally
sit on the BofR will discuss individual boys with the Scoutmaster to
make sure that he doesn't send us an unqualified candidate.  The main
reason for this, very simply, is to put a beauracratic obstacle
between parents pressuring the Scoutmaster to move their son up
and the Scoutmaster;  the Scoutmaster doesn't have to say "no",
outright and risk the backlash; instead, he can simply claim that he's
not going to send a boy up whom he knows will be rejected (we formalized
this policy after a Life candidate managed to slip through the
cracks around 3 years ago).

We require all boys appearing for First Class and above to be in
so-called "Class A" uniforms, which we've defined as a Scout shirt
with proper insignia, neckerchief and clasp, Scout slacks, and
for Star and above, a sash with all awarded merit badges.  This
became an issue as new Scouts, who were told that a shirt was all
that was required at meetings, came to COURTS OF HONOR in Scout
shirt and blue jeans.  We wanted to make sure that they do have
a full-dress uniform for those occasions where it is required.
Our policy is that we won't even talk to them if they are not
in proper uniform.

For the Eagle Board of Review, which the District Advancement
Chairman chairs, we also have the boys discuss their accomplishments,
and discuss in greater detail what he learned from carrying out
his project, his leadership jobs, and his participation in
Scouting.  We also have him discuss his plans, and how Scouting
affected his choice or how he plans to carry them out.  Some
of the boys are really surprised to see how much they really
benefitted from Scouting.
-- 
Stan Krieger                     All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
AT&T UNIX System Laboratories    if related to my employment, are my own.
Summit, NJ
smk@usl.com
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