Gold Award Interviews

We had Gold Award Interviews a couple weeks ago, and I was positively impressed by just about every girl I interviewed.  Most of them had really thought out their projects well, and their applications were really complete.  Mostly....

Please, advisors, a couple key issues:

Remind your girls that this application is important!  It is not meant to be filled in with illegible pencil.  It is meant to be word processed, using complete sentences!  Or at least bullet points.  And not to be too picky, but spell check is a valuable tool to use!!!!

The timeline, or plan of action, should be there, even if it's only in a general manner.  We interviewers should be able to read the application, and have a pretty good idea of what is to be done, who will do it, and how long it will take.  I sent one application back for just that reason.  She had done a great project board with the info and her plan of attack, but it was not reflected in her application.  It was clear from the interview that she had done the work, thought it through and spent the time, but not on the application.  She replied to me within the week with the typed up info.  I made a copy to add to her file, and she was instantly approved!

Be sure that the Project Advisor has been trained!  We have at least 6 trainings coming up in the next year, so please be sure that the girl's advisor takes it!  We need to be sure that the Project Advisor is going to hear the high standards to which s/he must hold the girl.  

Be sure the girl knows that SHE is to do the work!  I had one girl say that she was waiting for the librarian to tell her what to do.  My response was that the GIRL needed to take the lead, chat with the librarian, and then create a curriculum to present for approval.  Again, if the librarian had taken the training (I wish!) she would have known how she could have coached the girl to do the work.

The more you can coach the girl to do a good job, the more likely she'll write a good app, have a great interview and be approved.  We interviewers want the girls to succeed, and we balance that with our duty to hold the girls to the raised bar standard.  These are great girls, and we want them to have a fantastic Gold Award Take Action Project experience, to be sure!