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How to prepare for a Board of Review
By info | April 17, 2007
You will often see this in a board of review: A scout looks great on paper, but once he opens his mouth in the board of review, the review board shakes their heads.
Even the most well prepared scout can turn into a bumbling mess once anxiety enters the equation.
Nerves can’t be avoided — but some of the most common board of review mistakes can.
Getting to the board of review is never as simple as expected. If you need to be there promptly at 7 p.m., you can bet there will be a complete meltdown of your city’s public transportation system.
Since you can’t precisely predict your commute time, leave as early as you can.
It may be only five minutes to you, but showing up late for a board of review is inappropriate.
Do what you have to do to get out the door early. Downside: You sit in the parking lot and listen to your iPod until it’s time to go in.”
If punctuality is important, dressing appropriately is downright crucial. Review boards complain that scouts come to boards of review without the proper uniform, and in some cases, the uniform that they do wear looks as if they have dragged it through a war zone.
Every scout should know and wear the proper uniform. If in doubt, check your scout handbook.
Your preparation shouldn’t stop with your uniform. Never walk into a board of review without the knowledge of the Rank for which you are trying to attain. Be sure and know key information from the Ranks that precede the Rank you are going after. You have done the work; don’t blow it in the review.
A board of reviewer will ask, what do you know about the Rank you are seeking to acquire? They will test your knowledge.
If the scout stares blankly, stutters, or gives very broad answers, they already have an uphill battle to win the enthusiasm and support of their board of reviewer. Be precise and to the point. If you don’t know the answer, say so. This will do more to impress the reviewer than to get caught making something up.
The night before the board of review, open your scoutbook and review, review, review.
What do you know about the Rank you are seeking? isn’t the only question throwing scouts off course. Unfortunately, many nervous scouts begin rambling when confronted with a tough question, revealing potentially negative information about their skills or character.
Usually it’s the most sensitive questions where people don’t know where to stop.
These tricky questions include: Why did you join scouting? What are your strengths and weaknesses? and Tell me about yourself.
The best thing to do is to write out your answers and do some inner preparation.
It’s not just what you say
The smoothest talkers could still wind up in trouble.
Even if you say all the right things, your body language can send the wrong message.
Slouching and leaning back indicate disinterest.
Always remember to smile. Friendliness is crucial. Remember, if they have invited you for a board of review they already believe you have the right skills, and that you have completed your Scoutmaster Conference. What they really want to know is how much are you retaining and how well you perform in an interview setting.
Once you enter the work force, the thing that separates an Eagle Scout from another individual, during the interview process, is their preparedness. Much of this is achieved over many boards of review. It is here that a scout learns the techniques to perform well at a job interview.
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