Program Deliverables, Life Rank

[Mafaking]

 

From MacScouter

Sample BOR Questions Life Scout:

 

1. What is the most ambitious pioneering project with which you have assisted? Where?

2. What has been your worst camping experience in Scouting?

3. How many patrol meetings has your patrol held in the last three months? How many of them have you attended?

4. Have any of the merit badges you have earned lead to hobbies or possible careers?

5. What are your hobbies?

6. Of the merit badges you have earned, which one do you think will be of greatest value to you as an adult? Why?

7. Why do you think that the three "Citizenship" merit badges are required for the Eagle Rank?

8. What is your current (most recent) leadership position within the Troop? How long have you held that position? What particular challenges does it present? What is Leadership?

9. Do you have any brothers or sisters who are in Scouts (any level)? What can you do to encourage them to continue with Scouts, and to move forward along the Scouting Trail?

10. How do you choose between a school activity, a Scout activity, and a family activity?

11. Why do you think that Star and Life Scouts are required to contribute so much time to service projects? What service projects are most rewarding to you? Why?

12. Why do you think that a Board of Review is required for rank advancement?

13. How has Scouting prepared you for the future?

14. What does it mean to say, "A Scout is Reverent"?

15. What does "Scout Spirit" mean to a Life Scout?

16. Why do you think that Scouting for Food is referred to as a "National Good Turn".

17. The Scout Oath refers to "Duty to Self"; what duty do we have to ourselves?

18. If the Scout is a member of OA:

 

What role does OA play in Scouting?

What honor do you hold in OA?

What is the difference between Scout "ranks" and OA "honors"?

 

19. In what year was Boy Scouts of America founded? [Answer: February 8, 1910 - BSA Birthday]

20. Have you begun to think about an Eagle Service Project? What are you thinking about doing? When?

 

http://www.macscouter.com/Scoutmaster/BoR_Guide.asp#LIFE

 

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From a Board of Reviewer's (parent's) Perspective these are the the expectation from the program.

 

If these questions were different. Say geared much more towards leadership, the program would be run different and the expectations of the committee (parent) would be different too.

 

If the questions were:

Which outing did you plan exclusively and which did you assist others in planning?

Tell me the steps needed to plan an outing?

How was the outing location and date selected.

What was the budget for the outing?

How did you develop the budget for the outing?

Did you meet or exceed your budget?

How was the turn out?

How could participation have been better?

What methods did you use to get out the message out about the outing?

What activity occurred on the outing?

What special equipment was needed? How was this arranged?

Describe how this activity was safely done by the participants?

 

Its a fine line, let's see if I can walk it. I believe the second set of questions are more pertinent to a Life scout going forward into his Eagle project than the earlier set of questions. I would prefer the the program were more geared toward leadership development. But its not.

 

The program is not just about leadership.

 

I would like to focus more on the leadership elements but the program dilutes this among many other program elements. It's not even a focus on the Life's scout BOR. Its not a parental expectation. Change the deliverable and I'll modify the implementation of the program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lisabob]

To be fair - as far as I know, the questions from Macscouter are not official BSA questions. They're questions that some other people made up, and that lots of people have since adopted. They reflect one view of what the program can be, but that is not an official "BSA policy" view.

 

There is nothing wrong with most of the questions you pose, either. They reflect another view of what the program can be. There is no reason to require or expect macscouter - which is not the BSA - to change their questions, as a pre-requisite of you changing what you do.

[Mafaking]

 

In context, Lisa is right MacScouter is not the official BSA policy. I don't think there is a set of official BSA, BOR questions. These were presented from a well known website as a reasonable committee person's perspective on what should be asked during a BOR.

 

I think within the spirit of scouting is this ideal of a can do man able to go forth with confidence and achieve his goals. But goals require plans, means and measures. The program is not about plans, means and measures. From the generic questions from MacScouters its about hobbies, badges and service.

 

 

[scoutldr]

While the previous posters are correct, I can and do use these questions as a guide. They are old, however...at least 15 years that I have been using them. Prior to the BSA evolution toward management theory and NYLT/WB21.

[evmori]

Are there official BSA BOR questions? I always thought those questions listed in BSA publications was a suggested list. Are there any questions that shouldn't be asked?

[Mafaking]

 

After re-reading this post.

 

My position is, if the program's quality is assessed during the BOR then based on the typical questions asked during the BOR the program is assumed to be adult led.

 

agree/disagree

[BrentAllen]

disagree.

 

Exactly which questions would show a program is adult-run?

 

As for the second set of questions, they might work for a PL or SPL, but how do they apply to, say, your librarian, historian, chaplain's aid, bugler, instructor, etc.? Am I missing something?

[Mafaking]

 

 

It is the absence of the boy led questions that shows an adult run bias.

 

"Am I missing something?"

 

Perhaps

 

The program design allows a scout to reach Life based on four months as a librarian and six months as a bugler, or any combination there of.

 

Then the scout is expected to design and manage a 100 hour multi-task Eagle project. The led up exceptions of the Troop's program based on the BOR do not support this leap. "Did you have fun at camp? Have any hobbies? Are you reverent?"

 

Wonderful questions, and most programs are likely geared towards answering these questions well. But the program is not inherently designed to produced leadership qualities. The BOR questions and guide to conducting a BOR's focuses much more broadly. Based on the typical questions, I would say the BSA down plays the importance of leadership qualities.

 

On these forums and in SM conversations we emphasize leadership, discuss boy led and how to use the patrol system, but the fact of the matter is that the program is not based on strong youth leadership. Its not a deliverable.

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by Mafaking)

[BrentAllen]

If you look at the Mission Statement and Aims, you won't see anything about leadership. If you look at the Oath, Law, Motto and Slogan, you won't see the word leadership. Leadership development is one of the 8 methods. You are correct, leadership as a deliverable is not a stated goal of the program. We certainly spend a lot of time trying to teach it, though.

 

I understand your point. I just don't know if changing the questions in a BOR as you mention will achieve what you are after. I think Personal Management MB might be a better venue, maybe adding a requirement dealing with planning and conducting a weekend camping trip. Throw in all the finances, reservations, transportation, etc. Maybe require it to be earned by Life, so they have learned the skills before starting Eagle.