Board of reviews and facebook

[Basementdweller]

The youth and parents are very active on facebook.

 

So is asking a scout about some posting fair game

 

pictures of him drinking on facebook

 

Or say him discussing a romantic encounter????

 

Or him being unkind?????

 

Lying about missing a campout or not buying the grub for the weekend???

 

 

thoughts

[moosetracker]

I don't know if you can or should use it against him for his advancement, I will let others better qualified weigh in on that. After all others in your troop may be doing the same thing on off-scouting hours, they are just not vocal about it.

 

I do think it can be used for a educational tool.. This boy should learn from others that others will look at this for evaluation, future colleges, future employers.. And that what he puts on his facebook may cost him big time..

 

We had to "educate" a scout who turned 18 and became an adult leader in watching what he wrote as the younger scouts were looking up to him.

 

BSA is the "safe" place to learn about the world around them.. It seems like a perfect time to educate.

[The Blancmange]

I agree with Moosetracker that this would be an excellent opportunity to educate the scout about the extent to which information he posts becomes public as well as the potential consequences of such postings on his future academic or employment possibilities. I also see no problem in discussing the un-scoutlike nature of what he posted.

[Spiney Norman]

If the young man chooses to have a public conversation on a electronic medium for all to see than why shouldn't he be held accountable. I find it curious how well this generation separates their online life from their physical life. They seem to think that one has no bearing on the other.

I would not go on a fishing expedition to find dirt on anyone but if some mention is made publicly of such an instance it certainly bears investigation.

 

Myself and another ASM are friends with many of the scouts on facebook. I very rarely ever comment or engage in conversation with them either private (never) or publicly. I do use it to remind them of upcoming events or tasks they may need to complete as well as a way of connecting and to a certain extent to monitor their conduct. The other ASM will and does call them out for inappropriate language etc. Surprisingly, they have not blocked him, I think that says a lot about the character of the scouts. I will usually pull them aside when I see them and remind them of what is and isn't scout like behavior.

 

I view this medium as a good opportunity for adults to model good online behavior as well as real world behavior.

[SSScout]

The idea that the Scout Promise and Law applies in all parts of a Scout's life is, indeed, foreign to some. There's no such thing as "Scout time" and every other time.

The Facebook realm is used by some as a "brag" forum. Whether or not the stuff he posts there ("gee, I was only fooling!") are meant to be taken seriously, it WILL be. Lots of people do not realize how far reaching facebook can be. It is NOT a private diary. It also is a very poor place to establish reputation and renown,altho some may assume that it will establish themselves as a *lover, *stylish fop, *expert (pick a subject), *someone not to be trifled with.

Then too, for what does one wish to be known? Ability to consume large amounts of alcohol? Funny behavior while not in full control of one's faculties? or perhaps something else?

I think it is never too early to tell boys (and girls?), that one's word is one's bond, and a reputation as a "Trustworthy" person is one of the best things a person can carry with them thru life. See Mathew 5:33.

I'm not sure how I would approach a Scout's BoR, having knowledge of something on his facebook page. Perhaps take him aside before the official BoR to ask him about the significance of something you "heard " about?

 

I definitely see a SM Minute in this subject. Remember the macho braggadacio of youth, and the need , some more than others, to "make a name" for themselves.

 

Good Scouting to you.(This message has been edited by SSScout)

[Buffalo Skipper]

Another important consideration is what where this may (or may not) connect to the troop. Does the troop have a Facebook? Does his FB page link back to a troop FB page? Troop webpage? Charter Organization page? If so, then such posting may be associated with the troop and CO. If it an "open" page, then it should be open to public discussion. (QQQ for scout at BOR: "How do you feel your illegal use of alcohol, as posted on your site reflects on you as a scout?" or "Do you feel your expression of your exploits is in keeping with the Scout Oath's commitment to keep you '...mentally awake and morally straight'?")

 

If on the other hand, these pages are "private" then there may be an obvious attempt to disassociate one activity from another, which may need to be treated differently.

 

We had an incident 2 years ago in which a scout had some substantially inappropriate material on his (open) FB and MySpace pages (porn, white supremacikst, etc). There was also a link back to the troop with references to the CO (none of the troop or CO references were portrayed in a negative manner). The decision was made by the COR (and the CO) to remove the scout from the troop.

[Eagle92]

Thing is, people WILL go on fishing trips about you. Employers will search for information about you. Potential significant others may search for information on you prior to agreeing to go out with you. Clubs you may be interested in may search for information on you, and I can go on and on.

 

This is a very big deal.

[bnelon44]

Scout Spirit is a requirement for advancement. If you know of a serious breach of Scout Spirit (living the oath and law in your daily life) then you should meet with the Scoutmaster and this issue should be addressed prior to the board of review.

 

A board can defer advancement for serious breaches of Scout Spirit. Use of illegal drugs or alcholol I think would be within that definition.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Indeed, Scout Spirit is all about living the Oath and Law in your eveyday life and a picture on facebook or other social media does indeed qualify as "everyday life".

 

A standard question when doing Eagle Boards of Review is "Do you have a Facebook Page" and followed by "If I looked at it, would I know you are a scout?"

 

Have gotten many strange looks, the best was the first time I asked the question, except that is was "MySpace" not Facebook. Poor child almost passed out, he couldnt beleive the old farts knew about MySpace

 

If you are aware of improper, illegal activity do you not have an obligation to bring it to the scout and parents long before a Board of Review or Scoutmaster Conference?

 

"Yeah, its too bad Johhny was drunk when he killed that old couple, I was gonna vote no next time he came up for the Board of Review based on the picures and comments on Facebook, guess that's a moot point now..."

[Basementdweller]

Just looking for some thoughts from my peers.

 

I believe that scouting isn't something like a scout shirt, you put it on at the door and take it off when you leave. A large number of our youth take the moral high road and are not mean, unkind or post pictures of themselves drinking or smoking or making out with there girl friends.

 

 

 

So generally the group does not feel this should be brought up in a board of review but by the SM in a SM conference.

 

OGE you are correct issues should be dealt with as soon as they come up.

 

With that said, as an ASM do I hand it off or direct the SM to take a look at it???(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[allangr1024]

As a Scoutmaster, I would take the facebook postings and definitely sit down with the scout in question. We should remember that conferences cover a bunch of different topics and circumstances. Boards of Review are about advancement. I sit down with my scouts at least once per year, whether they are advancing or not. SM Conferences are about all things Scouting, which someone here has rightly said, about everyday life.

 

So if I see a disagreeable posting on Facebook, or anywhere else, I think it is within my sphere of influence to have a SM conference with the scout to discuss and remedy the situation. The conference is about a relationship, not about advancement per se.

 

Who knows, I may be doing the boy a favor. If I, in my decrepit old age, (I am older than dirt, after all) can find this stuff, then the kid may be in trouble later with schools, employers, police, etc. I would be showing him that the eyes of the world are on him. I may be able to turn the boy around and prevent a youthful "error" from following him his whole life.

 

[Spiney Norman]

BD , I sure hope this would be handled by the SM well before any BOR. While I think it's a valid topic for a BOR it should never get that far. And while SM's appear to be omniscient they do need the support and input of those around them to issues like this.

 

So yeah, I vote SM conference.

Ken

[jtswestark]

Absolutely bring it up. Sooner the better. A SM conference would be preferable to me, but at a BOR would do as well. But they may not have the relationship the SM does and the effects of that could go either way. Depending upon the severity of it all, I'm not sure I would decline the BOR approval, or Scout spirit by the SM... maybe ask him to reflect upon his behavior being what he would think suits a Star/Life/Eagle Scout? That with much browbeating may be enough to make him reconsider advancing for a while. If he doesn't, then maybe I'd tell him to think about it for a few weeks and lets get together on XX date to discuss further.

 

Drinking is a whole nother topic and should be brought to the attention of his parents and may warrant not approving his advancing - as in not living the Oath and Law. Pretty hard for even a helicopter parent to argue...

 

I sent a message to one of our aspiring Life Scouts about a message he posted on FB and that he is friends with people that may sit on his Eagle board. He proceeded to lock out any adult friend from seeing his posts. Very tricky

 

[SR540Beaver]

I'm an avid facebook user. Our troop has a fb page as does or council, district, lodge and chapter. Many of our WB courses have a fb page. I have my own personal limitations on which boys in the troop I'll "friend" on fb. More than once I've had a discussion with a boy over the comment or content they have posted online. One was a boy angry at his parents and dropping the F bomb. Another was my Chapter Chief who was dropping the F bomb too. We didn't really have a discussion. I told him that MY Chapter Chief would not post words like that on fb and to get rid of it and I'd better never see it again......and oh yeah, don't you dare block me or unfriend me! Also had one of our committee members whose wife cheated on him and he got pretty angry and salty with her on fb. He had a good number of adults in the troop contact him and tell him to delete his comments immediately. fb has privacy controls where you can severly limit who can see your wall, friend or stranger. That being said, kids have grown up in a digital age and have lived their life online. They haven't fully learned that what they say or do can be seen by a lot of people and it colors their view of you. People have lost job prospects over what they didn't have the common sense to know not to post. Actions really do have consequences. I think what they post on fb is fair game when talking Scout Spirit and how you live your daily life by the Oath and Law. I'd prefer it to be a springboard for discussion and a teaching moment over a gotcha moment under most circumstances. It's a little different when it is your Chapter Chief acting like a twit for the world to see or a spurned spouse. Then you have to call them on it then and there.

[CalicoPenn]

Step 1: Scoutmaster's minute leading to the question "Do you know who's looking at your Facebook page?"

 

Step 2: Scoutmaster's conference with the lads with what you consider questionable material in them with reminders that you're not the only one looking at his Facebook page - college admissions boards, prospective employers, potential girlfriends, teachers, parents, other scouts, Troop leaders. Either the lad get's the message or doesn't.

 

That's about as far as I would go - you give them the information to make the right decisions, then let them make the decisions they're going to make.

 

Beyond that? What did we do for BOR's before My Space and Facebook? Is it really th best use of our time to be the "morality" police? Is that what the BSA is about? If the kid is swearing up a storm in front of the other Scouts, that's an issue to be dealt with at Scouts. If he's using the f-bomb on his Facebook page, I really don't care - I'm not pollyannish enough to believe that the lads aren't swearing outside of Scouts and that the f-bomb isn't a regular part of their language among friends. I want him to understand the future impact it can have on how people perceive him - but I'm not going to postpone advancement because if it.