{"id":1758,"date":"2014-11-04T12:36:47","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T17:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=1758"},"modified":"2014-11-04T12:36:47","modified_gmt":"2014-11-04T17:36:47","slug":"issue-420-november-4-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2014\/11\/issue-420-november-4-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 420 \u2013 November 4, 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

________________________________________
\n*** CHICAGOLAND ALERT ***<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Chicago Area Council\u2019s annual University of Scouting is coming up on Saturday, November 15th. It\u2019s going to be held at the Veterans Memorial Campus, 4248 West 47th Street, Chicago. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., and the program kicks off at 8 a.m. sharp! I\u2019m honored to be the Keynote Speaker, and I\u2019ll also facilitate a couple of sessions during the day. So c\u2019mon out if you can! For more info, check out: www:chicagobsa.org\/resources\/training\/2014-university-of-scouting\/57979<\/strong><\/em>
\n==========
\nBe Prepared\u2026for Your Eagle Board of Review!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having sat on close to two hundred Eagle boards of review, I\u2019ve had Scouts, from time to time, ask how they should prepare, and what they should wear. I\u2019ve taken most all of their questions, and my answers, and put them together here. This may not be 100% complete (I\u2019ve found, over the past couple of decades as a working commissioner, that just when I think I\u2019ve answered every possible question on a subject\u2014you guessed right!\u2014a new one\u2019s asked that I hadn\u2019t thought of!). So here are my best guesses about what a Scout would want to know ahead of time, to Be Prepared. Let\u2019s roll\u2026<\/p>\n

As a Scout, you\u2019ve already participated in five boards of review, so your sixth should be a no-brainer. But Eagle\u2019s a bit different. It\u2019s the highest, most prestigious, and certainly the most well-known rank in Scouting. Plus, this time the folks who show up to have a chat with you may not all have been Scouts, or even current Scouting volunteers.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s start with who will be sitting in. This particular review might include a representative of the council or district advancement committee, perhaps a few non-Scouters such as your school principal, or police or fire chief, town mayor or other elected official, or even a member of the clergy. Maybe it\u2019ll include a representative of your troop\u2019s chartered organization. Or maybe even a former troop member of a few years ago. These folks will probably be somewhere between ten and fifty years older than you. They\u2019ll be seeing you through their own eyes; not yours. Their values may be different from yours\u2014likely more a bit formal and perhaps less casual. Importantly, what they see in the first ten seconds\u2014when you first walk in\u2014will often play a part in the outcome. (The entire remainder of the time will be spent either confirming their instant gut reaction, or trying to refute it.)<\/p>\n

Even if they\u2019re not a current BSA member, don\u2019t assume they\u2019ve never met a Scout before. There\u2019s a good chance they\u2019ve met a Scout, perhaps even a more-or-less scruffy one\u2014the kind of guy who wears jeans or baggies with his shirt instead of a full uniform, for instance. Since they might be making at least some part of their decision based on their preconceived notions of what a Scout looks like, be sure you walk in looking like the Eagle Scout you\u2019re about to become! After all, you\u2019re going to be presenting yourself as a guy who\u2019s ready to advance to Scouting\u2019s highest rank. So plan to walk in looking like you already have the rank; not like you\u2019re \u201choping\u201d for it.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to do\u2026<\/p>\n

If your neckerchief\u2019s trail-worn or stained, invest a few bucks in a new one. Or learn how to iron the good one you have. Make sure it\u2019s folded right (not twirled, which never looks sharp) and be sure to have a slide (no rubber bands or overhand knots!). Same with socks. Make sure they\u2019re BSA-issued and don\u2019t wear the anklet version; they need to be at least calf-height if you\u2019re wearing long Scout pants, or knee socks if you decide to wear Scout shorts. And make sure those pants or shorts are pressed with a crease. If you don\u2019t have a BSA-issued belt, go buy one. (Philmont leather belts are absolutely \u201clegal,\u201d and can be worn smartly.) Then, double-check your uniform shirt against your handbook or the BSA Uniform Inspection Sheet. Are all your badges where they should be? If not, fix that. Are you wearing stuff that shouldn\u2019t be there (like \u201cTotin\u2019 Chip\u201d or \u201cFirem\u2019n Chit\u201d flap-shaped patches, which are for collecting but absolutely not for uniform wear)? Get them off your shirt.
\nLeave your OA sash home (but do wear your lodge flap or the ribbon-and-arrow pendant). Wear your merit badge sash if you like, and be sure it\u2019s up-to-date (wear it over your right shoulder; don\u2019t drape it over your belt).<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if I don\u2019t fit in my uniform anymore?\u201d you might ask. Not a problem! There\u2019s no BSA rule that says you absolutely must wear a uniform. If it doesn\u2019t fit, or if you actually don\u2019t own one, then look sharp by wearing a jacket, dress shirt and pants, and a tie (it would be wise and proper to alert the review chair in advance that you’d going to do this).<\/p>\n

Get a haircut two days before the review date. Tell the barber, \u201cI need a haircut that doesn\u2019t look like I just got a haircut\u2014it\u2019s for an interview.\u201d He\u2019ll know what you mean.<\/p>\n

Leave your sneakers and hiking boots home. Wear shoes, and be sure you polish them that morning.<\/p>\n

Re-clean your fingernails. (Yes, I really mean it!)<\/p>\n

Shave. Yes, shave. Even if you think you don\u2019t need to. Shave the morning of the review, or that afternoon at the latest. (You do this in advance, not right before you leave for the review, so that if you nick yourself you can fix the cut so it doesn\u2019t show.)<\/p>\n

Consciously and ruthlessly eliminate the word \u201clike\u201d from your vocabulary. Practice till it\u2019s effortless. Then practice some more. Same with \u201cUh\u2026\u201d and \u201cI mean\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The day of your review, set your watch 10 minutes ahead of local time. Plan to arrive 10 minutes before the time you\u2019re given to arrive.<\/p>\n

Bring your handbook.<\/p>\n

Why go to all this bother? The first reason is simple: Person-to-person communication is 80% visual and first impressions always count for 90% of the complete impression. The second reason is so that the wrong stuff doesn\u2019t attract attention away from why you\u2019re all there. You want these folks to focus on you and not get distracted by scruffy sneakers, dirty fingernails, wrinkled neckerchief, or badges in the wrong places. Yes, this stuff shouldn\u2019t matter, but the cold fact is this: All these things do matter, whether you want them to or not!<\/p>\n

Now about the actual review\u2026<\/p>\n

If the first question somebody asks you is one that could have been answered by reading your application, life statement, or service project workbook, one of two things is going on: Either (a) he or she hasn\u2019t read your materials, or (b) he or she thinks that asking you a question you can readily answer will put you at ease. Since you don\u2019t know which dynamic is operating, answer as if the second option is in play, smile, and relax.<\/p>\n

In conversation (which is what this is intended to be; it\u2019s not an \u201cinquisition\u201d) it\u2019s okay and not phony at all to be deferential\u2026 After all, they have a bit of control over your future. Using Sir and Ma\u2019am isn\u2019t dumb or lame; it\u2019s smart!<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t understand a question, it\u2019s okay to say (exact words here), \u201cI\u2019m not sure I fully understand what you\u2019re asking me\u2026can you ask me that again, but another way?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s okay to \u201ctake a beat\u201d before you respond to a question. And be sure to not interrupt the question before it\u2019s concluded.<\/p>\n

When answering a question, don\u2019t feel that your job is to now fill the air with words and keep filling it till you\u2019re interrupted with the next question. Give your reply, then stop talking.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re speaking, your first eye contact is with the person who asked the question, but not to the exclusion of the others in the group. Let your eyes go to each one in the room for a second or two as you\u2019re answering.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it. The rest is up to you. But, the nice thing to know is that, with this stuff taken care of, the only thing you\u2019ll need to focus on is what they have to say, what you have to say, and what vibes you\u2019re picking up. You\u2019ve taken care of everything else.<\/p>\n

Oh, one more thing\u2026 In case you haven\u2019t figured it out by now, this is exactly the same process that you\u2019ll follow when you\u2019re interviewing at a college or for a job (except you\u2019ll leave your uniform home).<\/p>\n

Congratulations! You\u2019re going to be an Eagle Scout!<\/em><\/p>\n

Happy Scouting!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Have a question? Facing a dilemma? Wondering where to find a BSA policy or guideline? Write to askandybsa@yahoo.com. Please include your name and council. (If you\u2019d prefer to be anonymous, if published, let me know and that\u2019s what we\u2019ll do.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

[No. 420 \u2013 11\/4\/2014 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2014]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

________________________________________ *** CHICAGOLAND ALERT *** The Chicago Area Council\u2019s annual University of Scouting is coming up on Saturday, November 15th. It\u2019s going to be held at the Veterans Memorial Campus, 4248 West 47th Street, Chicago. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., and the program kicks off at 8 a.m. sharp! I\u2019m honored to be the Keynote […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-22"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1758"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1762,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1758\/revisions\/1762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}