moosetracker

Poor Seattle.. Few are against the language translation (if your neighborhood has the need for it).. Except for a few who feel the book translation is costly.. (Except for the intial translation cost, one book will cost the same to mass produce as the other, and the cost will be made up for in the purchase price, so personally.. I have no complaints.. solely on language translation alone.. Your thread unfortunately got highjacket due to one small phrase on your original post.. The presenter will be the Council's District Eexecutive for our Soccer and Scouting Program aimed at Hispanic youth. I know it was not your intent to discuss the soccer, but that one sentence got our radar anteneas up and gunning.. You are more concerned with breaking down the language barrier.. Had that one sentence been omitted, you probably could have kept this post more on topic..

I can see a Troop registering ASM's as committee members to get around the manditory IOLS.. But, the on-line is simple enough, and committee is all on-line training. I would think most units will register their leaders even if not in the correct position. I know our units would not want to bypass those background checks.. It protects them as well as the youth.. But, if they see the IOLS course as not so important, I can see them registering people as Committee, and having them do the ASM position to get around the training. CS is all on-line, and they need to have those positions of CM & DL for each level of the program.. So that one I don't think will get mis-registered as much.

There you are Kudu.. I was wondering what took you so long to come and give us your viewpoint on the merits of BSA Soccer..

You mean the boxes I stuff my Training Flyers into at RT?? The ones where half the units have stuff in there dating one or two years back because they never pick them up?.. Our New DE went through them and tossed alot because he was sick & tired of lugging outdated info around in it.. Yeah.. I couldn't think of too much "whatever" that would be of interest to BS & CS groups.. (Our crews are small & don't even do a break out so don't think many come) What I did think of came from topics off this forum.. Working with your CO & COR. Webloes to Boyscouts (easing the transition). Scout Parent position.. Oh boy.. 3 to 4 months of "whatever".. Even so, I feel like I would be stealing the time away from those who normally do the RT subjects.

Congradulations

Hopefully it will not seem rude to expand on this thread a little but my DE commented he would like to do something at RT also in training.. I am hesitant to tell him "not a good idea".. He would like me to have a 15 minute slot for training on "whatever" at the general assembly.. Here are my feelings. Training on "whatever" is sort of what does happen in the breakouts, but those are on subject relevent to the type of unit you serve. Although I can come up with some topics that may be of interest to both, that list is short. I kind of feel I am stepping on the toes of those running RT.. Is this a correct assumption? I have gone to some troop breakouts, but not many, last one had announcements on the Klondike derby, and some awards.. But then they had someone in to talk about geo-caching, or something.. Others had someone talk about their units event to Seabase, or they might pitch summer camp etc.. So sometimes, it's training or knowledge based, sometimes it promotional.. But if you did the RT breakout, would you be upset if 15 minutes went to someone else to do training?? Wouldn't you feel like someone thought you weren't doing your job?

I offered the YP during Round Table Nov. just befor recharter, seprate classroom, optional to attend, announced in email & Flyer so those who don't attend RT normally, but do not want to do on-line YPT for whatever reason.. No one was held hostage, the normal breakouts went on.. We also held on-line recharter & on-line advancement training course in another room same month.. Those are courses that can be run during that time period.. I am iffy about courses that need you to return 2 - 10 times to complete.. What do you do about the people who can not make a class? Then you have Joe who missed the knots, and Ann who missed the cooking, And Peter who missed the orienteering.. Now what..? Also the guy in our district who organizes RT chewed me out for this, thinking I was going to pull people out of the normal break out sessions, and according to him "RT is not for training.." Well RT is really for training, but not this type.. Really our intended audience was not the SM's or ASM's that normally attended RT, but committee members for Recharter/Advancement & people who are "computer challenged" for YP Before Committee Challenge went on line, I know our district held these once or twice at RT also..

I have seen this go well & poorly.. Never if you shove him in front of the group without time to prep.. But if you tell him a week or month before and IF.. IF.. he takes the responsibility seriously enough to learn the skill before getting in front of the group, it can work.. Sometimes though they forget the assignment, or don't take it seriously, then it is just as bad as calling them up on the spot. But Beavah.. Funny you should mention the following: If a lad can't reliably explain safety for lighting a stove, do yeh want him teaching others? Brings to mind a scary example of that, I was visiting a troop, having brought my son for meeting with his MB counsilor for physical fitness. They met before the troop meeting, but we stayed after it.. Great just observing other troops for ideas.. Well the troop as a whole was good, but there was one thing I observed that scared me to death. One boy who obviously did not know what he was doing, was trying to teach starting a single burner backpacking stove.. I think it was old style & white gas.. The putting in of the gas was scary, then the stove wouldn't start so he put it on his lap and tried to start it.. Shook it a bit and tried to light it, and the burner either pointed toward him or someone else as he tried to light it. I was too shy to step in, but went for some other adult who was a member of the unit to halt the process.

The cost of the unit has come down to where I think it is worth the price.. The cost would also keep me from venturing too far out of the home with it. I am known to loose my keys, wallet and head if not bolted on.. A normal Handbook I could stomach loosing or getting water logged better then I could a Kindle reader. For some of my programming books I would not mind it though. it is hard to balance a 600+ page book and a laptop on your lap at the same time. So someday, I may get one.

Yeah.. Not counting any Webloes who want the training early, and those who are taking the training so they are prepared for when a slot opens in their troop for ASM (but are not yet).. I counted that in my district alone I have 97 SM's & ASM's in need of training.. I guess the Manditory for all isn't there next year so I thought I had two years, but they wrapped it into the quality unit or unit of honor or something, so I have alot wanting to do it this year. I didn't even think about the college students who are not home for typical times the Training.. I do not know if our summer camps offer IOLS (I need to check that for an option for my volunteers..) But I do have people who can't do weekends due to work issues.. So if they are skilled at scoutcraft already, I would only need to group 8 people with similar schedule issues, and they can come up with their date that is convient for them. Therefore College students eagles could band together and do theirs in the summer. If this can get approval, I almost think this would be more fun for the participants, and it solves the issue of coming up with the level of skill you expect them at to test out.. But, I do need to screen (as if I was looking for trainers for my normal IOLS training).. I don't want people with little skills trying to sneak in because it is faster paced, then slowing the group down because they really do not have the skills to whip through things without hands on training to learn it. Don't know how long I will keep this post, I think I am rocking the boat too much.. But, I just don't understand this attitude of not doing everything in your power to help our volunteers meet the requirements, as long as it is not cheating the system and rubber stamping them through..

Eagle92 - In a way that is what I am proposing.. That they be the trainers.. But in a train the trainer course.. The only ones allowed in would be those that could have tested out.. I will group 8 of them together for a patrol, maybe putting a 2 per unit limit, so that they are meeting others, and passing different ideas around.. But what I want to do is just throw the patrol the IOLS book, I will attend on whatever date they choose, (or someone else from my training team if I am unavailable).. But I do nothing but enjoy the day.. They organize through email the meals, and who will do what course, and organize what they would need to bring (compass, flag & pole etc..).. I figure each of the 8 could take a course (or 2 if small).. If they need only one, get it from their troop supplies, if each need it communicate to others to bring their compass.. For "expirenced Scouters" accept for communicating with each other, this should be no harder then organizing a camporee, where they are asked to bring supplies like first aid kits, poles, rope etc.. And are required to organize the patrol meal, buy it and make sure they have the items to prepare it. Some more work on through email for them to coordinate, but shorter times for the course. I figure this could be cut down to 5 to 7 hours.. Because they do not need to teach each other knots, someone do a quick overview, then everyone do the knots and check each other over.. Really a quick overview and voluntary discussion of things that is slightly different then the norm that they may have found makes the process easier for their units, on most items... They can check each others backpacks over and make suggestions to each other about things that may help the other in organizing it.. The food prep etc, will really be done over the emails, all they need to do is cook it (an feed their patrol as well as me something splendid!!) The level does not need to be basic, the knowledge between them will be high, and they may learn something from each other expierenced leader to expierenced leader.. The Council Training Chair has her commeradery.. I think the only other thing I needed to do was wait to pronounce them trained until the next camporee.. (at IOLS held during Camporees, we let them tent with their units anyway..) So they just need to tent with their unit at the Camporee and I can pronounce them trained.. Well I still need to get this passed by council, because I am shortening the time for each subject matter.. The DE that oversees the training for the council loved the idea, as well as my DE.. It was just getting it passed by the Council Training Chair. I plan

Condensing is not new due the the manditory requirement. That has gone on since it went for SM fundamentals to IOLS.. Then although the syllabus has not condensed it I know our council kept on shaving off time.. It got down to a one day course with no overnight.. Now that it is manditory, they have gone up to following the requirements because they believe they have a captive audience. I got shot down in my council to do IOLS, the Council training chair & other districts think that forcing you to spending time on commoradery is more important then respecting those with knowledge for the time & effort they give to Scouting.. So they want them to spend time.. I am working on another idea, which got some excitement from others, but they needed to pitch it to the Council Training Chair.. I will need to ask how it went, because no one has told me, but I fear the no news this time is bad news.

drmbear - they are not a dime a dozen.. Our units did not even have many Eagle parents.. But, you will see past Eagles (and even those who enjoyed scouts in their younger years, but did not make Eagle) will be more apt to encourage their sons to try it out.. Therefore within the scouting program, you will find a high percentage of parents who have been in scouts, then in the normal population. Many people though do not feel that the Eagle rank should be the what the boys strive for while in scouts. Rather the focus should be the enjoyment of a great program, and with that the advancement will just happen. I kindof see it as a mix of both a little bit of encouragement or making sure there is ample opportunity in the program for the scouts to work towards rank, but not forced on them in a classroom setting, then letting the boy decide for themselves whether they want to attempt rank or not.

BS-87, From other threads, poor Basement does have a very poorly represented district or council. He has tried to offer his services and has been told he is not allowed to be on the district team with out woodbadge, he has tried to organize his own district wide program, and the district people did their best to sabbotage his efforts.. He went to woodbadge and was told even with woodbadge they did not want his help.. Yet those on the district committee refuse to offer any programs.. Very different from most committee.. Mine is currently not only open to the normal adults, we are actively recruiting and welcoming the 18 to 21 year olds that have continued on in scouting and are offering them positions that (although no pay) may be helpful for them to have on resumes.. Showing skills like organizational, people, management, training .. Also we are looking to get as many people on district staff as possible so that we are not always recruiting from the same limited pool of people, and burning them out.

Well though I can understand the concept for your community, although my community is definately hit by the whole National recession and job lose, from what I am told NH has fared better then most other states.. I am sure other units in the area are affected worse then ours. We have the job loss with them refinding jobs of lesser pay, or of companies who are reducing your pay rather then seeing any chance of a pay raise in years. We have increased from maybe 1 or 2 looking for camp scholarships, to now maybe 3 to 5.. Currently NH is still 95% white population and our immigration has little with the hispanic community, more refugees from Bosnia, Sudan, Somalia etc.. So maybe it would be a difference of our geographical location, but our units may be looking for those ideas of "great ideas on a shoestring budget".. But not wish to give up their occasional high priced adventure.. Other units are more high priced then us, doing the Jamboree, and Philmont etc.. We have done seabase as a one time thing, with complaints by the members that the fundraisers were not worth stretching for those type of events. So hispanic wouldn't even be worth discussion in our state.. Maybe discussing finding ways for the refugee population, but accept for inner city units, even that is a far stretch to even think as it having very much potential. Also we only have 3 cities that we might consider, and our inner cities might be most states small sleepy suburbian cities.. We really have absolutely no city to compare to Boston, New York, Dallas, Chicago etc.. Our refugees though would be great campers. Like stated of hispanics, they might not think of it as a great after school program. What with the fact they are currently being taught about stairs, and hygine, modern appliancies, in addition to the language barrier.. I am unsure if they would see the value of excelling in camping over the average white suburban scout, would increase the interest.. Maybe, they have little, and might like something they can excel in. But besides language barriers our units would definately need to discuss financal problems the refugees would bring in order to figure out how to bring in such an impoverished populatation and still keeping the unit's program up to the standards they enjoy, without taxing those that have to pay for those who have not, to the point that the program is no longer enjoyable for them. Packs are probably a little easier to organize on a shoe string budget more so then troops. Though some troops do it by only doing local wilderness camping / hiking and district camporees.. Others enjoy the out of state trips and high adventure camps, or high priced high adventure programs.. Charity and community service may be part of the program. But only a part. The main reason families join BSA is to give their sons a rewarding program. So you can add a little bit of looking out for their fellow scouts in need, but not where it takes over 50 to 80 percent of the program..

OK.. As long as you are going to your Cub Scout round table to talk about incorporating minorities in THEIR units, run the way the currently run THEIR units, without asking for any modification from the program they currently follow except for ways to break the language barrier.. As stated before I would stay for something like that.. Round table is all about talking to these people about what their concerns and needs are, not about another groups concerns and needs.. Just like the kids in our pack where everyone stateds that the pack meeting is all about the kids.. All emphisis is on Them.. Them.. Them.. Them.. Them.. Them.. Well the round Table is all about the Unit leader who is running Their unit.. What support can you give them to help their unit? What training can you give them to help their unit? What information can you pass on to them about district/Council events going on theat consern their unit? If they go to a round table and center the problem around some group that has nothing to do with them then you have wasted their time.. My volunteers are very vocal about my wasting their time. They feel they put alot of time into the BSA program, and we should honor and respect them for it. When we waste their time they feel we just slapped them in the face. I would never talk to troops about Venturing at a troop round table.. I do think it is fine that our Council will have a course on it at scouting you.. Something about "What Venturing can do for your troops" or some such.. It is an elective course, and they can choose to go, or not.. It is not being shoved down their throats while they are a captive audience. As for bilingual books.. My feeling is that someone somewhere says we generate alot of money donations from the Ventureing crew due to the co-ed policy. It opened alot of doors to seek donations from new sources.. I know the majority of the Spanish/Latino group is not wealthy, but they do have support from people of their ethnicity who have had a generation or two to pull themselves up, and have become buisnessmen.. Also some who have spouses from this ethnicity.. Also I would not mind my FOS going into bilingual lititure about the traditional programs, if it was to help bring our program to a group of people who would like to integrate into my program, and could help strengthen my program.. I would not want to see a dime of it go to Soccer.. your district has run Soccer & Scouting for 5 years? You are practically announcing that your district is the parent of this poorly thought out program.. Unfortunately though, as (I think) DeanRX stated, the lack of disposable income may hurt, not help the program.. 1) It will hurt in the amount of FOS the unit donates for one thing.. If 10 families all give (none who are Latino) and you collect $1000.. This is different then having 10 families give while your other 10 Latino families do not and you collect $1000.. The $1000 dollars of 10 families may make the unit goal, while the $1000 of 20 families will not. 2) It may hurt in the program you can deliver.. a) Either you need to do alot more fundraising to have the same program.. (of which kids just flock to scouting for the fundraising part).. NOT.. b) your program can not offer the events it use to, because everyone can not afford the ski trip, or the white water trip. c) The expensive trips go on, and it is optional to the scouts who want to sign up, and the Latino family will not be able to go on all the trips, therefore will miss the best parts of the program.. (None of the 3 possibilities have a happy ending.) Therefore besides discussing bilingual needs.. Ideas around the Financial needs may need to be addressed in your presentation. Otherwise, again units may not see a benefit to welcoming the these scouts into their units. They may be seen as more destructive and less beneficial to the way their unit works..

Very cute and creative.. But you must tell him you are unable to partake of libations in scouting.. So after all that he went and broke youth protection rules..!!! (I would do a smilee face here, but have no idea how others do that.)

Oh!.. Huh!.. I thought this was more towards your roll as a District Membership personage.. And it is about trying to get more Hispanic youth to register and improve their retention rate within your entire district..? And about doing round Tables in February with this purpose in mind.. And I hadn't caught it on first read, but I guess some other guy is doing the round table info-mercials and he is from the Soccer crap program.. (Which is why you can't tell him to kick the soccer ball out and work with them with what they want, which is our normal program..).. I didn't think it was about one failing unit.. Anyway.. Tell him Numero uno is to kick the soccer ball out of the program.. It will save him alot of grief.. I would love to be a fly on the wall for your round table, because if someone came to my round table to push Soccer on me, I would walk.. And I'm the District Training Chair. I believe I would be in a traffic jam out the door, unless others were pre-warned of what the talk was about, and just never showed up. Yet if he was there to talk about welcoming different cultures into our program, I would stay and listen with an open mind.

Clemlaw - exactly what I was saying somewhere in my post.. Who are these BSA soccer teams going to play against anyway? Other BSA soccer teams? Where will they play? the parking lot of their CO, or do they need to rent the time on somebody elses playing field? It is like wanting pizza and choosing McDonalds McPizza instead of the pizza shop up the road.. Which would you want?.. BSA can only serve McPizza.. Look at all the work the Venturing Crews are doing to get recognized and they are not that far from traditional scouting.. But these are filled with people who want the change and will fight for the recognition. If this BSA soccer is not being driven by the people it will serve, how will they weather the fact they need to fight for recognition? And from I fear alot more negativity then the Venturing crews ever faced? Do they really have the desire to do so for BSA Soccer (McPizza).. When they can get a well run, well organized soccer organization down the street who has been up and running for years and well known and well respected.. Meanwhile, BSA will loose the reputation they have of providing a great outdoor program, and gain the reputation of desperatly doing anything to recruite kids and doing it poorly..

Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, (and I would also like to add but only for the Scrooges of the world a very merry Bah.. Humbug..)

When I originally read this thread, I quietly backed out and let the flames be thrown from others.. (Still waiting for Kudu..) I agree with DeanRX.. But don't discount the value of what SeattlePioneer is saying, if he lives in an area of predominatly Spanish population.. But, so should the program be rolled out for other Minorities, and not loosing focus on the scouts you currently have for the Scouts you want to reach.. And loose the current scouts (And volunteer leaders) you will with the focus of changing the program to be not about camping and scout skills to being about soccer, to reach a different population. So I felt better when SeattlePioneer stated a later post this: I've also talked to Hispanic youth who were in our council's Soccer and Scouting program that is aimed at Hispanic families but the boys are interested in regular Cub Scouts. The impression I get is that there are significant numbers of Latino families interested in regular Cub Scouts if we offered it on terms that allowed and encouraged them to participate. Yeah Latino families..!!! You get what our elustrioustrious leaders of National do not.. If they want to join soccer, the the public school system has a much better program for that sport then what BSA could give them.. BSA stick to what we do best, offer the minorities, Latino, Italian, French etc.. The program we are good in.. Don't diversify and make our program a bad program for everyone, so we loose those we currently serve, and never recruite those we currently do not. So SeattlePioneer why is that not on your list..?? In fact I would put that on your list as Numero Uno.. and bump your #1 to Numero Dos.. Numero Uno.. Keep the BSA program the traditional Scout program, and kick the soccer ball off the playing field.. Then reach the minority scouts, (in their language), with what we offer, with what we are good at, which is already a program that has in it what they would value.. As is.. No changes needed.. Here is another question? I don't know the answer because here in New Hampshire we have minorities, but I don't know of any that has taken hold so much that we need to get bilingual people in for.. Do these people want their children to socialize only with their own kind? Or do they hope for their children to become part of the melting pot of American and blend into their new country? If they want to blend in, then again, a selling point is to welcome them into what we currently offer, not to make them their own little subsidies of soccer scouts, that the normal scouting program will at best ignore, and at worse quit if they are not allowed to ignore them. Don't make them a group that is despised because they are another indication of the scouting program falling apart.. Allow them to be welcomed in as a full member of the scouting program, by everyone in scouts who love the program for what it is.. What a rotten thing to do to anyone!

Welcome and Happy Holidays! Hope to see you around, the more the merrier..

OK.. To truth, I seem to have lost where we are.. I've got retesting at BOR's & retesting at program level.. And just having them practice the skills.. OH well all I can say, with loosing exactly who is saying what is.. That between the boys needing to teach and then sign-off on the requirements for the youth. They should get plenty of practice.. Some of this the troop (PLC) should find ways to make it fun activities, events, challenges or contests, so that it doesn't become boring and redundent teaching the same thing over and over the same way every time there is a crossover.. But regardless if the boys are signing off (if not teaching) the younger scouts.. Yes the scouts should be able to revisit every single requirement in the book over & over & over again. I can only say that with retesting in a BOR, maybe in your council.. With mine it is a formality, and that is the way it is.. I have been beaten into submission, and since right now I don't belong to a troop, I have no reason to ever sit on a board again. Maybe they did remove it because they just can not control how hard or fair or easy troops will be over retesting.. And it would be no better in the SM hands or the older scouts hands.. I have seen it when the boys being unfair while signing off for younger scouts.. Some of it can be corrected by Adult leadership, but that means Adults knowing when to step in, or adults knowing what fair is themselves.. All the troop can teach the scout is what they think is right. If the troop feels what is right is to pick the scouts they favor and be easy on them, and take the scouts they have deemed "unworthy" of being a scout and making sure the retest is impossible. Well that is what the scouts learns is the correct way to evaluate others. In a way, if the committee members are truely not familure with a scout, they should not be bias to one scout over the other.. My original troop committee member was though so it is not a guarentee.. Basically the SM would tell the advancement chair who to be easy on and who to try to fail.. But, if they are truely unbias then will they be fair.. Maybe uniform with all the scouts in their troop, but gauge their BOR with their fellow troops and they may be uniformly very difficult or very easy.. So before we teach the scouts how to "test" each other fairly, who teaches us?? In truth there is a course somewhere in this.. I am sure there is a supplemental course on it put out by National with boring Power Point and all.. Now to find the right person who is not flawed by his own viewpoint to be able to teach it.

Oh I have no problem having the older scouts on the board.. As stated, (don't know this post or a different, we now have about 3 posts about BOR at the minute).. We have had scouts on the board.. And my husband & I pushed the idea, get it in for one or two rounds, then someone pulls it out.. Mostly SM who doesn't want too many boys taken away from the troop meeting. Why do we think it a good idea? Before going to their EBOR they get a different perspective of the BOR from the other side of the table.. It is a great teaching tool, I think someone else stated they would sit in (with other adults, not other scouts) and it taught him more about being interviewed and interviewing others, a teenager learning interview technics is not a bad thing. He is of the age of finding his first job. It relaxes the scouts who are in the BOR, and they may have different way to ask a question. Our district EBOR put my son on the board at 18, he also helps relax the scouts due to his age. But, I still think it should be mostly with adults the scout doesn't know well. For the purpose of helping them prepare for the EBOR, and for interviewing too.. You want them to relax for the BOR, but you also want them to have some butterflies about talking to strangers when there is some pressure to do well, because it means getting something that is important to you. They are always doing the advancement skills with the other scouts and ASM.. If the BOR is with them, it would not have the same type of tension you want them to experience under a friendly, safe environment.. Yes I do agree, I hear more from my son and his friends when they are just talking outside of scouts. Or from scouts in a car as you drive them to an event, and they forget you are in the car and just are talking with each other.. And from mostly the complaints of parents, few take the time to praise the program.. For them "no news is good news"..

Oh we had a bad experience with this troop but the retesting was not part of it.. Maybe because we were still newbies to the program and trying to take the helecopter blades off our heads at the time. But, our son would ace those BOR's.. and since he wasn't their favorite scout, they would make it overly complex.. I though had no issue with my son knowing the stuff and putting these egotistical adults in their place on that account. Maybe I would have had he been constantly flunking them. I even got to sit on the BOR's and saw for myself.. "Here comes Billy, he is a great kid, no need to test him too hard.." Here comes George.. He really isn't scout material, so lets drill him hard".. I was just a newbie learning the ropes from the seasoned people, and thought this is how things were done in scouts.. This Board was known to flunk you 2 or 3 times.. The most I knew of in my brief 1 year history with them was a kid flunked 5 times.. But it was mostly over not putting on the proper uniform, or proper patches on the uniform or whatever.. He was being stubborn and so was the board. My son was probably one of the few scouts to pass first time, who was not one of the "favorites".. Like I said, we went to the Specifics training and disagreed with the nambie-pambie softening of the BOR.. What was it's purpose if not to retest?? So the kid can do the skill once get signed off and forget it after thate?? Like I said took alot of kicking to kick that and other things we learned that were wrong from our first troop.. I guess my husband being Eagle didn't help either.. BOR were about retesting when he was a kid too.. I really don't see anything wrong with retesting still.. It is just that I have learned it is not the right place at the board. That is not the function of the committee to do the retesting.. And the biggest thing of all I learned.. Was that I always thought the drilling and retesting was preparing them for an Eagle board that would drill and retest.. I think my turning point was being told that one of the purposes for the BOR IS to prepare the scout for the Eagle board.. And the EBOR does NOT drill and retest.. Therefore we are scaring the scouts into thinking that the EBOR would be something to fear.. That our questioning should be in line with questions that may be asked at an EBOR.. So then comes the question "If not to Retest.. What is the function of a BOR??".. And that is where we get the answer.. It is to Find out from the scout how he is doing.. What we can improve in the program.. Encourage him to continue his advancement.. Find out what he likes about our program (thus what we are doing well).. and to help him get use to doing a BOR similar to an EBOR with people he does not associate with that much with a setup process and questions that are similar to the EBOR. Someday if National changes there mind and decides BOR to drill and retest... No worries, I can polish up the whip again..