bnelon44 17 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Just saw this tweet from the BSA Advancement Team. Thoughts? "BSA discourages mock boards of review. Instead, you want unrehearsed spontaneous answers revealing character, citizenship & personal fitness" Link to post Share on other sites
SeattlePioneer 144 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Now we are to be governed by Tweets? I'd consider that someone's unofficial opinion. Still, that would conform with my methods and biases.(This message has been edited by seattlepioneer) Link to post Share on other sites
Twocubdad 665 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 I'm with SP. Tweets? Seriously? What is the purpose of that? An organization which can't effectively communicate the date on which New Year's Day will fall and their solution is to Tweet obscure points of advancement policy. The heck with campouts, maybe we should ban electronics from National. Link to post Share on other sites
NJCubScouter 1389 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Maybe we need a new policy, anybody who mentions a "tweet" in the forums has to donate $1 to scouter.com. ::Digging into pocket for $1:: Link to post Share on other sites
shortridge 184 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 No, it's one of the BSA's methods of communicating with its membership. For realz. http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=344753&p=1 As for the content of bnelon's post, I would agree. But there's a difference between holding a mock BOR and the PL, SPL or SM giving some friendly advice to a soon-to-be Tenderfoot who's really nervous about these committee people he's never met. I do wonder, though, how answers to questions can reveal personal fitness ... Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle92 110 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Alas, I know of one unit that does that for their Eagle candidates. The committee gives them a mock BOR to see if they are ready for the real thing. They do not wan the scouts going without their say. Remember at one RT talking EBORs, just when the polcicies changed, and one mentioned how he does nto understand why other units do not do a committee mock EBOR like the old book said to do. Tried to tell them he was misinterpreting the book, but would not listen. Link to post Share on other sites
Beavah 205 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Yah, I reckon this gets back to da previous thread on unit EBORs vs. district EBORs. I've never seen an area that uses unit level EBORs to do "mock" reviews. They come up because da units feel an obligation to prepare boys for district EBORs, which are somethin' new that a boy has never experienced before. Just like yeh wouldn't send a lad down a whitewater river with no experience, yeh wouldn't send 'em into a new situation without some prep. Often units start doin' this after one or more of their kids had a less-than-great experience with a district EBOR that ran a bit off the rails. That happens often enough, if only because da district folks don't know the personality of the boy and sometimes are populated by "personalities." And because some lads are shy/nervous. I'm not fond of da practice, but to my mind it's an ordinary and natural response to da district EBOR setup. Beavah Link to post Share on other sites
bnelon44 17 Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 A district EBOR should in no way be as stressful as a white water rafting trip, and if it is, something needs to change. You don't fix a broken district EBOR by prepping the Scout to face an inquisition. Link to post Share on other sites
qwazse 4342 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Whitewater stressful? Hmmm. That may explain why some of my committee never again want to be in a raft with me. Link to post Share on other sites
Beavah 205 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Whitewater raft trips are fun, not stressful. I think just about every real scout out there would much rather do a whitewater raft trip than a BOR! You don't fix a broken district EBOR by prepping the Scout to face an inquisition. Yah, sure yeh do, because that's usually da only option that's available to the unit, or it's easier than tryin' to get their COR to wage an uphill war against da current district leadership. Very few units and CORs have the knowledge and commitment to be able to tackle problematic district leadership. These things can be self-fulfilling over time, eh? Each negative report from a scout causes a stronger, more pro-active unit to add a feature to its mock BOR, so those things keep growin'. Then yeh get folks from that stronger unit on the district, and they start expectin' that all Eagle candidates should be present themselves in da same "polished" way that the boys from their troop do. Which leads to more mock reviews. It's not that uncommon a cycle. Beavah Link to post Share on other sites
Tampa Turtle 1011 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Beavah is right. I think a practice run is OK but these things get institutionalized and just grow and grow and become too much of a focus. Link to post Share on other sites
bnelon44 17 Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 The EBOR is not a job interview, at least it isn't intended to be one. Don't make it into one. If the Scout is walking into the room for a EBOR he should have for all intent and purposes already earned the rank.(This message has been edited by bnelon44) Link to post Share on other sites
Beavah 205 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Yah, bnelon44, whatever. You sayin' it doesn't mean that's the reality on the ground, eh? In the previous thread, most of the respondents said they liked district-level EBORs because they were more formal, felt more serious (like a job interview ), felt like a bigger hurdle to the scout, etc. I think you did as well, eh? When yeh set things up like that, the natural response from da unit is to make sure their lads are well prepared for a more formal, more serious, bigger hurdle! That's why of da two, I lean toward the unit-level BOR, where it stays more of a friendly capstone conversation between a young man and folks who know him and have invested a lot in him. It doesn't have that "job interview" feel of havin' a limited amount of time to present yourself to strangers in the hope of gettin' a new position. Beavah Link to post Share on other sites
bnelon44 17 Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Beavah, I am pretty sure you know the difference between a BOR that is a bit more formal and a job interview. And I really don't like the idea of fixing anything that is wrong with the adult end by teaching the Scouts how to adapt to it. Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh 3452 Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 I "prep" all my Eagle candidates before their BOR. It is not a mock BOR nor do I offer any suggestions as to what to say to be effective. My last two candidates got the same comments from me and both BORs were as different as night and day. One boy followed my suggestions to a tee and was asked 4 questions by the BOR, the other boy chose to do his own thing and ended up with 23 questions. Both boys had acceptable BORs. What it boils down to in the long run is that each boy does his own thing and just relaxes he shouldn't have a problem. With the EAGLE BOR hanging over boys, it's a wonder that they don't all have anxiety attacks before they get into the room. It shouldn't have to be this way. Stosh Link to post Share on other sites
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