Re: Board of review
Alan Houser (troop24@EMF.NET)
Tue, 13 Aug 1996 23:07:18 -0700
I think it should be clear now that a Board of Review should not be a
retesting. But the point was brought up about whether the SM conference
should include retesting.
Specifically, "Greg L. Gough" <ggough@MAIL.ORION.ORG> offered:
>The Scoutmaster's Conference is not a time to retest the scout. This
>conference is specifically designed to "develope over a period of time an
>increasing level of understanding and trust between the Scoutmaster and
>each scout."
I will ask a Scout about some of the skills he's learned for that rank,
but in a very gentle, non-threatening (I hope) way, particularly for
First Class. If he struggles with it a bit, I can coach him through it.
For most of my Scouts, it may have been a year since they first learned
that knot at summer camp. And they may not have used it since, especially
if they missed camporee. My point is to remind them that as First Class
Scouts, they are expected to know those skills and to be able to teach
them to the new Scouts.
I had a Life Scout who was heard boasting about how he "can't do knots."
I arranged a little sidebar with him, pointing out that since he was
planning to be an Eagle Scout, he should remember that an Eagle Scout
wouldn't present a negative example like that. Apparently, he got the
point, because a few weeks later his surprised father confided to me
that he had started working on the knots at home.
As for who is being tested in a SM conference, I would offer that it
is not the Scout sitting next to me, but the Scouts who taught him.
Just as the Board of Review is a review of how I am doing in managing
the troop and addressing the needs of the Scout in front of the
committee.
Alan R. Houser ** Scoutmaster, Berkeley Troop 24 ** troop24@emf.net
** WWW page ** http://www.emf.net/~troop24/t24.html **
Scoutmaster, Mt. Diablo Silverado Council Contingent Jamboree Troop #3
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
