Attire at EBOR

Not the Scout but the Board members.

The way or EBOR works in our District is that once a month 3 to 6 members of the Eagle board meet and approve projects and do EBORS.

When attending an EBOR what do your Board members wear?

Hes why I am asking.

Any Scout that goes in front of the Eagle Board is required to be in full uniform including the MB sash.

The EBOR will not meet with them if they are not.

After going in front of the board to get his project approved my son made a comment to me about how the board was dressed.

Only one of the six members had a uniform shirt on.

A couple of them were wearing some pretty ratty jeans.

If a Scout showed up the way the way the board dressed that night the Scout would have been sent home.

I have seen and my son has seen all but the head of the Eagle board in uniform at one time or the other so I know they have them.

I dont think the head of our Eagle board owns a uniform as I have never seen him wear one at any event.

All are registered Scouters.

On the way home my son said he felt disrespected by the way the broad was dressed.

He said that if he was required to wear his full uniform, he would expect that they should also (or at least be in more than casual street cloths).

Was he right to feel this way? and what would you have said to him?

I've been only to two EBORs, my own and one lcoally. At my EBOR, everyone was in complete uniform EXCEPT the new Adv. Chair. reping council.

At the one I've been to locally, everyone was in complete uniform.

At one time, not all folks who sat on the EBOR had to be registered scouters, rather they could have been local distinguished citizens invited to sit on a EBOR. When that has happened i woudl expect the person to be dressed appropriately.

I always wear my uniform when I sit on any BOR.

Let's not forget, there is no requirement for the Eagle candidate or any other person involved in an EBOR to wear the uniform. Requiring one is adding to the requirements.

These are special moments in a young man's life. The least the adults can do is recognize that and dress decently.

At our Eagle boards, all the members have always been in full uniform when I've observed them. They are specifically requested to dress in uniform or in proper business attire, the same instructions as are given to the Scout.

You don't have to be a registered volunteer to serve on an EBOR; thus requiring adults to wear a uniform seems a bit much to me.

Oaky, I'm only a second year parent, but I want to throw my two cents in:

Isn't achieveing the rank of eagle something that is to be highly respected ?

I mean, It's not just getting a belt loop for cleaning your room or reciting the alphabet.

I understand that Eagle is the highest rank achieved, and less than half of all scouts earn this. And I say earn, not receieve or "get".

Now, If I was to attend a Bar Mitzvah, a Christening, Or any other formal and solomn/ occasion, I most certainly would dress the part.

As a former officer on a Volunteer fire dept, I dressed in full uniform just to attend monthly town meetings, any public events, and especially any awards functions at the end of the year.

Even if the Scout wasn't required to be in full dress, the EBOR should, Other wise they do send the message: Sure, this ia a rare and coveted event, but I'd rather be at home or the local watering hole.

Seems to me that the EBOR wants the full reespect of the scout, but doesn't want to make any effort in the simplest of ways to show they deserve it.

Seriously, how hard is it to put that uniform on?

AQgain, just my two cents worth.

Next time you see the chairman, strike up a friendly conversation. As some point I would let him know how his committee is perceived by THE EAGLE CANDIDATES. And leave it at that. Hopefully the fellow has enough self respect that he (or she) will take it from there.

I'd give it some time so it's not so obvious that it came from your son.

Yah, I think it's important to remember that in their role as Board of Review members for the Eagle rank, adults are either serving as representatives of the community, or as district officials. If the former, they should dress as representatives of the community at a reasonably formal occasion. I don't think white tie is necessary, but at least business casual. If the latter, then they should dress as district officials in uniform.

I'm a firm believer that the adults should meet the same expectations as the lads, at least. So if they'd accept a lad who just came from a service project in dirty jeans, then it's OK if they just came from a service project in dirty jeans and vice versa. If they're insisting that a lad be in the full field uniform, then they should be in the full field uniform or business attire.

Of course if they're doin' the EBOR in the field, then whatever makes sense .

All that having been said, it is of course not the boy's place to comment. If the boss does somethin' yeh disagree with, yeh just live with it because he's the boss. In this case, the BOR is the boss. But I reckon it's just fine if you as an adult leader drop the DAC a polite query about whether they meant to come across the way they did to the boys.

As for EBORs that get their underwear all in a knot about the boy's uniform, I wish they'd get a grip on themselves. The uniform is just a method, and by the time a lad is comin' up for Eagle it's either worked or it hasn't. Spend your time listening to the kid talk about his adventures and his values and what he's learned, not what he's wearin'. You'll all enjoy it a lot more and learn a lot more.

Beavah

True, the boss is the boss...the board members will dress as they please. Yes, they should have more respect for the candidate and dress appropriately, but this is a reflection of society as a whole. We live in an era where people dress too casually at the wrong times. Used to drive me nuts when my oldest daughter would go to a formal high school dance, and I'd see the contrast in formal dress. The girls dressed to the nines, but the boys dressed in jeans, sneakers and opened collared shirts. People travel and shop in clothes that should be in a rag bin. Put on a tie? The horror, the horror!

See it in the military too. Granted, we are at war but there are times stateside to wear formal clothing...but the pushback is noticable at times, not only from the younger troops, but senior folks as well. Why can't we wear ABUs/BDUs/flight suits to event X instead of service dress, is a frequent question. Answer: At certain times--ceremonies, boards, and the like--the right thing to do is to put on a tie and look sharp.

Sounds like the soon-to-be-Eagle understands the value of dressing appropriately...I wish him the best, and believe that he will instill the dress and appearance values in his troop someday when he's a SM.

I agree, whenever I have served on an EBOR I have always been in complete uniform. It shows that I respect the occasion as much as the young man being reviewed should. If an EBOR member is not a registered scouter, I would expect professional dress.

I am not sure we should be chiding other Council's volunteers on the matter of their dress at an EBOR. We don't have enough information on the topic and shame on anyone who is willing to pass judgement on a fellow volunteer who is donating their time to the program. Volunteers are in short supply and should be commended for the work they do, regardless of dress.

It's almost as if you guys have actual expectations concerning a volunteers behavior and that is just not right

OldGreyEagle;

While I cannot speak for anybody else, my comments about the "volunteers" is this:

If they demand the respect of a scout by requiring him to have full uniform, then as leaders who are trying to instill respect, they should do so likewise. If not, they are sending a "Do as I say, Not as I do" message to the kids. A "The rules apply to everybody but me" attitude is the worst thing for any organazation...period!

Plus, that very attitude says :" Once you grow up, everything we taught you doesn't matter anymore."

So the scout may wonder why do they need to even bother at all.

Now, if the EBOR doesn't require the scout to wear any particular attire, then they themselves should not worry either! Let them all wear shorts and T's for all I care.

But so totally ignore or disregard a Scout due to their attire...well, you need to follow your own rules and lead by example!

OGE,

I have to agree with the others on this one. If it is expected that the Eagle Candidate(EC) come to his EBOR in uniform, then the Scouters on the board need to set the example by wearing theirs if they have one. I do know of EBORs that have community reps on them who are not Scouters, and would expect them to show up in appropriate attire. Againthe key for me is setting the example.

All of the EBORs I know about have been formal affairs, akin to a job interview. ECs show up wityh MB sashes and medals. Now I've heard of less formal ones, but the uniform is still expected, albeit without the MB sash and medals.

"After going in front of the board to get his project approved my son made a comment to me about how the board was dressed."

All - read the post more carefully. One does not go in front of an Eagle Board to get one's project approved. One goes in front of an Eagle Board to receive their Eagle Board of Review.

Now, as Scoutmaster, I've encouraged my Scouts be in uniform when seeking project approval or attending ANY BOR. I've also encouraged all committee members, all have to be registered Scouters, to wear their uniform at all (most) Scouting events. Let me just say I got about 95% compliance with the youth and about 5% compliance from the adults.