BORs every 6 months

[Lisabob]

In one of the other BOR threads, someone posted this snippet:

"Ideally, a Scout should sit for a board of review every six months, whether he is advancing or not."

 

Just curious here - does anybody out there actually do this?

[gwd-scouter]

We don't. I've actually never heard of doing that. Perhaps something I missed in the SM handbook? Anyway, I do take the opportunity to do SM conferences with the guys at times not necessarily for advancement. If I see a guy having a problem, maybe has been absent a lot, when a scout seems frustrated and needs encouragement, needs some guidance in his POR, or after seeing a scout work hard at something and give him an "atta boy"...stuff like that. What is it that a non-advancement BOR would do that would be better or more helpful than occasional SM conferences?

[scoutldr]

It gets feedback to the Troop committee, not just the SM. I know that a BOR can be had at any time for any reason, not just every 6 months. That being said, we don't do it and I don't know anyone who does.

[croushorn]

We hold montly BORs, and with 25+ boys, we haven't recently tried holding BORs for nonadvancing reasons. Would be nice, but we just don't have the time.

 

What is it that a non-advancement BOR would do that would be better or more helpful than occasional SM conferences?

Just different, different folks involved. The SM may be very busy, there may be things the AC or others are picking up on, could be a lot of things. Depending upon the size of your troop and the number of your conferences, non-adv SM conferences can be a challenge to get in; this could be a way to lighten the load on the SM. Again, not that we do it, but wouldn't be a bad idea if we did!

 

 

 

[Nike]

We have asked the AC to provide the Committee and SM a list of all boys who have not advanced in the past 12 months and are not actively working on an Eagle project. We then schedule a SM conference and BoR just to "check in."

[NJCubScouter]

When our SM identifies a boy as "not advancing", and an informal chat or two between the SM and the boy has not produced the desired result, the Advancement Chair will sometimes pull the boy aside at a troop meeting for a conversation (either right outside the meeting room or with another leader present, to avoid one-on-one.) It is not called a "Board of Review", and it is not formal or high-pressure, just to give the boy a pep talk, see if there are any problems, etc. I have never known this to take place for a boy who is at a rank below First Class; it is really only necessary for the ranks where a boy needs to show some initiative, i.e. Star and up.

[Stosh]

We do not do BORs unless it's for advancement or recommended by the SM in a SM conference. I told SM conferences all the time but most of them would not be considered a SM conference by most on the forum. I spend time getting to know each boy, his progress, his likes, dislikes, how he's doing in scouting, etc. etc. etc. I spend a lot of time talking with the boys and when they have finished their requirements for advancement, I recommend he talk with the CC to set up a BOR. I let the CC know the boy will be approaching him concerning advancement. I also let the boys know they can have a BOR any time they feel they need one, but none have ever taken me up on that suggestion.

 

Stosh

[Bob White]

While some unit somewhere might have scouts do a BoR every 6 months, and while it might be a personal "ideal" of the poster who stated that, it is not an ideal of the BSA's nor is it suggested or supported by any element of the BSA's Boy Scout program.

 

What the BSA says is that you do not have to wait until a scout is ready to advance before you do a BoR, and it suggests that you hold a BoR for scouts who do not show ANY progress toward advancement during a period of a few months.

 

So you could save yourself a lot of concern over this by ignoring the posters personal "ideal" and instead simply follow the BSa's recommended process.

 

The recommended process is to do BoRs as Scouts are ready to advance, and for scouts who show no signe of advancement for a few months.

 

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Use the following link

 

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/trainingmodules/board%20of%20review%20training.aspx

 

search for the word "ideally"

 

Its not an opinion, its a quote from the BSA website in the trainig module section. The source was provided and the quote clearly indicated.(This message has been edited by OldGreyeagle)

[Bob White]

I stand corrected as this is something new that does not appear in any other advancement training or resource on Boy Scouting. (the document is dated this year.)

 

So OGE do you take this as meaning that a Star Scout making proigress toward Life and who at the 6-month mark should go before a BoR even if he is on a track to finish in a few weeks from then?

 

So do you thing that the program is suggesting that even a scout who is actively advancing should be reviewed based on time rather than need, or that a Scout that is not showing progress should be reviewed at least every 6 months?

 

I think if you look at what is written on this topic in the BSA Advancement Committee Guide and in the SCoutmaster Handbook it makes more sense and accomplishes the goal.

 

 

 

[Beavah]

The notion of holding regular, non-advancement boards of review for all scouts has always been a part of the Scouting program. Nowhere in the materials is it ever suggested that BORs should be only for those advancing, or for boys who aren't making any progress toward advancement.

 

It's always been that each boy should sit for a regular BOR. At some BOR's he achieves a new rank. At some he just talks with the board and they review his progress and encourage him. That should happen whatever his progress is, eh? If he's halfway through his next rank, yeh talk about his experiences, praise his accomplishments so far, and encourage him.

 

Yah, the notion of a Board of Review only gettin' together for consideration of advancement is part of what gets people into notions of "passing" and "failing" and testing, eh? If yeh hold regular BORs it's part of the committee's work keepin' an eye on the program, part of other adults carin' for and encouraging boys, and not such a fearful, officious thing, eh?

 

Problem is it takes adult time and commitment, eh? Lots of folks just get lazy about it, and only hold BORs when they have to for advancement.

 

Beavah

 

[Bob White]

"Nowhere in the materials is it ever suggested that BORs should be only for those advancing, or for boys who aren't making any progress toward advancement. "

 

Yes it is! In fact I can offer you three offical resources that say that.

 

Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures Manual page 28

 

Scoutmaster Handbook page 126

 

The Troop Committee Guide Page 30 and 31

 

Yet none the "ideal" period of time mentioned in the on-line document.

 

 

[Lisabob]

Oy, BW, rather than get hung up on exactly where or when this is written, let's just talk about the notion of it, hmm? I find it an interesting, though perhaps not terribly practical, idea. One reason I find it interesting is because I am not impressed with how many BORs operate in many typical troops. No need to quash the actual conversation here, please.

 

 

[Beavah]

Yah, I reckon this is one of those areas where understandin' the history and development of the program helps yeh to read materials in their proper context, eh?

 

A periodic review of the progress of a Scout is vital in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Scouting program in the unit. The unit committee can judge how well the Scout being reviewed is benefiting from the program. The unit leader can measure the effectiveness of his or her leadership. The Scout can sense that he is, or is not, advancing properly and can be encouraged to make the most of his Scouting experience. - ACP&P (p. 28)

 

Scouts who are not advancing should also come before the board of review. The board should show interest in these Scouts' rank progress... Let the Scout know that he has the support of the board of review members and that there is no doubt he can achieve the next rank. The board's concern and supportive manner will both help the Scout's confidence and impress upon him the importance of advancement - Committee Handbook (p. 31)

 

Similar statements run through other materials, eh? While in each case a reference is made to making extra effort to focus on a boy who is not making any progress, that's not the same thing as only holding non-advancement BORs for such boys. In fact, if yeh did it that way, it wouldn't work nearly as well. The poor lad would feel singled out or "in trouble" rather than feelin' like it was a regular thing where people showed interest in him and encouraged him. We don't call BORs to embarrass a lad like that.

 

As OGE points out, a BOR should be a regular thing that a scout looks forward to. That lookin' forward helps him focus and push himself to advance, because he has a target. He knows the folks who care about him are goin' to be checkin' in, and we all know that boys often don't focus until they know someone is goin' to be checkin' in, eh? It sets the right tone for everybody. The committee is learnin' how each boy is doing and therefore how the program is doin' overall (not just how the "best" boys are advancing). The purpose is to learn how each boy is doin', not to pass or fail or examine. When a boy is ready for a new rank, the board acknowledges it; when a boy isn't ready but has made some progress the board acknowledges that and encourages.

 

Can't say that it really takes all that much time either, eh? In a troop of 30, yeh can schedule a monthly BOR and see 5 boys each month. Plenty of time to do that, eh? Even with a few extra lads to advance along the way.

 

Much healthier tone overall, IMO. Part of da problem may be that some folks really like to scare the lads with a big, bad BOR. Makes 'em feel more important. Can't see it myself.

 

Beavah

 

[Bob White]

Lisa bob

The last post was just to correct Beavah. The BSA in all the other training and resources except fo the one on-line document say nothing about an ideal time period only about review scouts as they are ready to advance or those not advancing.

 

If you think about it a scout who is making progress toward a rank is not in need of a BoR just because it is a 6 month anniversary.

 

What the BSA has always promoted is regular boards. Many units I have worked with or visited have boards once a month. They would meet with scouts ready to advance and would meet with scouts selected by the SM or the advancement committee chair.