Board Member

Once in a great while I am roped into being an extra body for Scout Board of Review. 3 people are required to review the Scout in question - and I have to say that I feel a little sorry for some of the Scouts. Depending on who is on the board, it can either be a nice friendly little chit chat, or something more akin to the Spanish Inquisition. The older the scout is, generally the better equipped he is to handle the pressure.

Today we had a couple of 11 year old Tenderfoot aspirants. They acquitted themselves fairly well, considering this was their first Board of Review. One of my fellow Board members asked them both the same question (they were in room at different times - not together). Anyway, he asked them what their goals in Scouting were. The first little Scout said he wanted to earn his Eagle. The second little Scout wasn't too sure what was being asked of him - he finally said his goal was to earn his 1st class rank. When the reviewer asked him if he had ever heard of getting his "Eagle" the little guy said "Yes, I want to get my Eagle before my brother does". His brother is a senior in high school and not likely at all to earn an Eagle, ever...so I think he may actually achieve his goal.

My contribution to the questioning? I asked them what one of the safety requirements for hiking or swimming or bicycling was. Yes, I had an agenda. I made sure they knew the buddy system. Who knows? Maybe I will have saved a life somewhere down the line. Or at least kept one Scout from wandering around lost on his bike.