Re: Gold Award Application

Susan,

I will try to answer a few of your questions, not from the perspective of
my committee, but from the knowledge that I gained when I eared my
G.O.L.D. Award last year.

First of all, the G.O.L.D. Award program was designed to fit the needs of
most every post. Because of this, there is a lot of room for
interpretation in the guidelines.

The G.O.L.D. Award is presented and administered by the local council, so
your best bet is to see who in your council handles these things and
check with him/her about specific issues. My nderstanding is that the
post advisor has final approval on the application--if the advisor fels
that the Explorer has met the requirements as they relate to the program
of the post, then that works.

Now on to specific things:

Events: It sounds like your Explorer needs to use his leadership
abilities and start a district event! Paid Scout camp service certainly
does not count. The other events are a little iffy--it depends on if
other explorers were there, if the explorer utilized or promoted the post
specialty, etc. Once again--the advisor has the final call. On my
application, I counted two things--one was an explorer reunion that I
helped put together at Philmont, and the other was a trip to an Indian
pow wow that involved several posts from my council.

Personal Growth: Once again, its the advisor's call. The application is
for you, not for national. If you want the Explorer to include all of the
personal growth information on a separate sheet, then require it (I think
that it is a good idea). As for how many activities count, I thought that
it had been clarified on the new application--you may have the old one. I
will have to check on that. As advisor, do you want to allow activities
from other groups to count?

Letters: I have a portfolio thing that my entire G.O.L.D. Award
application is kept in, including the letters of recommendation. I wou;d
suggest sending copies of the letters with the application and letting
the Explorer keep the originals.

Signatures: I don't have an application with me, so I am assuming that t
is correct that the advisor and committee chairman are the only ones who
sign the form, but that doesn't mean that others shouldn't be there. I
would suggest that the Explorer give a presentation to the committee as
if it were a research project. Have him talk about each requirement, how
he planned for acheiving it, and what he learned from it.

I hope this helps,

Scott Smith

"This electronic mail account is a public service of Washington & Lee
University in Lexington, Virginia solely for the use of the Virginia
Line Association, Inc. and its board members."

W. Scott Smith valine@wlu.edu http://www.wlu.edu/~valine

On Mon, 29 Sep 1997, Susan Wilcox wrote:

> Questions about the Gold Award application:
>
> Part II - is Requirements:
> C. participation in Exploring events at District Council, area, Regional,
> etc. ?? since the council has been lacking in such events - what to do?
> Would the events done through the post such as service to the council
> count? Candidate served as volunteer staff at district cub day camp, scout
> camporee
> district klondike derby, plus paid staff at BSA council camp.
> The few events that the district did plan early last year our post
> was excluded (wrong geographic region). We have just recently heard
> of the National events - there have been no council events to speak of!
>
> D. Personal Growth??? It gives 6 short lines to describe how the
> candidate developed a personal program that related to the 6 Explorer
> Experience areas - Now can one activity is enough and can another
> club's program count (it did deal with leadership, socialization,
> outdoors, physical fitness, service)? The examples they give are CPR
> certification, reading the scriptures at church, 4 month physical fitness
> plan!
> And do you need to submit a separate sheet explaining the personal growth -
> because there is just not enough space to describe.
>
> G. Letters of Recommendation to the Post advisor confirming he/she lives in
> accordance with the principles of the Explorer Code - letters must come
> from adults outside the post - must be from school or church leaders,
> employer or community leaders, and acquaintance or neighbors. It says the
> letters are given to the advisor - I am assuming you send the letters with
> the application, but it doesn't state that. What happens to the letters?
>
> H. There is to be a written and oral presentation with the post advisor
> and committee chair - and four to six people, however the only signatures
> needed is of the advisor's and committee chair. Can someone give examples
> of previous presentations?
>
> When I send in this application for the Gold Award - I want it to be
> complete, I don't want to be submitting an incomplete application - so I
> just want to be clear! Thanks for your help
>
> Susan Wilcox
> Post 111, Davis, California
> Committee chair
>
>
>

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