"The board should attempt to determine the Scout's ideals and
goals. The board should make sure that a good standard of
performance has been met. A discussion of the Scout Oath and
Scout Law is in keeping with the purpose of the review, to make
sure the candidate recognizes and understands the value of
Scouting in his home, unit, school, and community.
The board of review members should feel free to refer to the Boy
Scout Handbook, Scoutmaster Handbook, or any other references
during the review..."
1998 National BSA Advancement
Policies and Procedures
Purpose of a Board of Review
The members of a Board of Review should have the following
objectives in mind:
To make sure the Scout has completed the requirements for the
rank. To see how good an experience the Scout is having in the
unit. To encourage the Scout to progress further. Additionally, the
Board of Review provides "quality control" on advancement within
the unit, it provides an opportunity for the Scout to develop and
practice those skills needed in a interview situation, and it is an
opportunity for the Scout to review his accomplishments. The Board
of Review is NOT a retest; the Scout has already been tested on the
skills and activities required for the rank. However, the chairman of
the Board of Review should ensure that all the requirements have
been "signed off" in the Scout's handbook. Additionally, the
chairman should ensure that leadership and merit badge records are
consistent with the requirements for the rank. The Board of Review
is an opportunity to review the Scout's attitudes, accomplishments
and his acceptance of Scouting's ideals.
Composition of a Board of Review:
For all ranks (except Eagle) and Eagle palms, the Board of Review
consists of three to six members of the Troop Committee. The
Troop Advancement Chairperson or a designee typically acts as the
chairperson of the Board of Review. Relatives or guardians may not
serve as members of a Scout's Board of Review. Unit leaders
(Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters, Crew Advisor, Post Advisor,
etc.) should not participate in a Board of Review unless absolutely
necessary.
For the rank of Eagle, the Board of Review consists of three to six
members drawn from Scouting and the community. The members of
the Board of Review are selected by the District Advancement
Committee; at least one member of the District Advancement
Committee must be a member of the Board of Review for Eagle, and
serves as chairperson of the Board of Review. Unit leaders from the
Scout's unit, relatives, or guardians may not serve as members of a
Scout's Board of Review for Eagle. A Board of Review for Eagle may
contain members of the community who are not registered
Scouters; however, they should be knowledgeable of the principles
of Scouting. For example, a representative from a chartering
organization, an adult Eagle Scout (even if not currently registered),
or a religious leader are frequently asked to assist with an Eagle
Board of Review. The Scout may request an individual to be a
member of his Board of Review. As a general rule, no more than one
member of an Eagle Board should be associated with the Scout's
unit.
Mechanics of a Board of Review:
The board should be conducted no later than two weeks before the
Court of Honor for Tenderfoot through Life ranks. An Eagle board
should be at least eight weeks before the Court of Honor to allow
sufficient time for the Eagle application to be processed.
The Scout is introduced to the board by the Chairperson of the
board. The Scout should be in full uniform. The chairman of the
Board of Review should ask the Scout to come to attention, and
recite one or more of the following: The Scout Law, The Scout Oath,
The Scout Motto, The Scout Slogan, The Outdoor Code. For the
lower ranks, one or two (usually the Law and Oath) should be
sufficient. For higher ranks, more may be expected. One or two re-
tries are appropriate, especially for younger Scouts, or if the Scout
appears nervous. The board members are invited to ask questions of
the Scout. The questions should be open-ended, offering an
opportunity for the Scout to speak about his opinions, experiences,
activities, and accomplishments. Avoid questions which only
require a simple one or two word answer. If an answer is too brief,
follow up with a, "Why?" or, "How can that be done?" to expand the
answer. The questions need not be restricted to Scouting topics;
questions regarding home, church, school, work, athletics, etc. are
all appropriate. The Chairperson should be made aware of any "out-
of-bounds" areas; these should be communicated to the board before
the Board of Review begins (e.g., if a Scout is experiencing family
difficulties due to a divorce, special sensitivity would be in order.)
The time for a Board of Review should be from 10 to 30 minutes,
with the shorter time for the lower ranks. When all members have
had an opportunity to ask their questions, the Scout is excused
from the room. The board members then consider whether the Scout
is ready for the next rank; the board's decision must be unanimous.
Once the decision is made, the Scout is invited back into the room,
and the Chairperson informs the Scout of the board's decision. If the
Scout is approved for the next rank, there are general
congratulations and hand shakes all around, and the Scout is
encouraged to continue advancing. If there are issues which prevent
the Scout from advancing to the next rank, the board must detail
the precise nature of the deficiencies. The Scout must be told
specifically what must be done in order to be successful at the next
Board of Review. Typically, an agreement is reached as to when the
Scout may return for his subsequent Board of Review. The
Chairperson must send a written follow up, to both the Scout and
the Scoutmaster, regarding the deficiencies and the course of action
needed to correct them. The mechanics of a Board of Review for
Eagle are similar to all other Boards of Review, except that a Board
of Review for Eagle is more in depth, and might last as long as 45
minutes to an hour.
The Nature of the Questions:
The questions for the lower ranks are simpler and generally deal
with factual information about the Scout's participation in his unit,
and his approach to applying the skills he has learned toward
earning the next rank. The questions for the higher ranks are less
factual, and generally seek to aid understanding of how Scouting is
becoming an integral part of the Scout's life. Remember: it is not
the point of a Board of Review to retest the Scout. However,
questions like, "Where did you learn about ..." or "Why do you think
it is important for a [rank] Scout to have this skill?" are valid. The
Board of Review will need to select questions which are appropriate
for the particular Scout and his experiences.
What Every Scout Should Know:
Every Scout should know and be prepared to discuss the following:
Scout Oath: On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God
and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at
all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and
morally straight.
Scout Law: A Scout is ... Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly,
Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and
Reverent.
Scout Motto: Be Prepared.
Scout Slogan: Do a good turn daily.
Outdoor Code: As an American, I will do my best to -- Be clean in my
outdoor manners, Be careful with fire, Be considerate in the
outdoors, and Be conservation-minded.
Tenderfoot Rank
This is the Scout's first experience with a Board of Review. The
process may require some explanation on the part of the Board of
Review Chairperson. The first few questions in the Board of Review
should be simple. The Board of Review should try to gain a sense of
how the Scout is fitting into the Troop, how he is benefiting from
the Scouting experience, and the Scout's level of enjoyment of the
Troop and Patrol activities. Encourage advancement to 2nd Class.
Point out that the Scout may have already completed many of the
requirements for 2nd Class. The approximate time for this Board of
Review should be 10-20 minutes.
2nd Class Rank
This is the Scout's second Board of Review. The process should be
familiar, unless it has been some time since the Board of Review for
Tenderfoot. Questions should focus on the use of the Scout skills
learned for this rank, without retesting these skills. The Board of
Review should try to perceive how the Scout's patrol is functioning,
and how this Scout is functioning within his patrol. Encourage work
on the remaining requirements for 1st Class. The approximate time
for this Board of Review should be 15-20 minutes.
1st Class Rank
By this point the Scout should be comfortable with the Board of
Review process. The Scout should be praised for his
accomplishment in achieving 1st Class (particularly if he joined Boy
Scouts less than a year ago). Questions concerning the additional
sense of responsibility to the troop and to his patrol are suitable.
The 1st Class rank will produce additional opportunities for the
Scout. Merit badges will begin to play a role in future advancement
to the Star and Life ranks. Encourage merit badge work if it has not
already begun. The approximate time for this Board of Review
should be 20 minutes.
Star Rank
With the Star rank, emphasis is placed upon service to others, merit
badges, and leadership. Scout skills remain an important element
for the Star Scout; however, the emphasis should be on teaching
other Scouts these skills. Explore how the Star scout can assist with
leading his patrol and troop. The focus of the board will be on how
the Scouting philosophy is becoming part of the Scout's life. Often
the Star rank is a place where Scouts "stall out". Encourage the
Scout to remain active, and participate fully in his patrol and troop.
If the Scout appears to be looking for additional opportunities,
suggest leadership positions such as Den Chief or Troop Guide. The
approximate time for this Board of Review should be 20 minutes.
Life Rank
The Life rank is the final rank before Eagle. The Life Scout should be
fully participating in the Troop. The board's emphasis should be
placed upon leadership in the unit, as well as teaching skills and
leadership to the younger Scouts. Questions about Scouting values
and concepts and their place in the Scout's daily life are
appropriate. At this point, the Scout is starting to "give back to
Scouting" through leadership, training of other Scouts, recruiting,
keeping Scouts active in the program, etc. Merit Badge work is also
important at this stage. Explore suggestions for improving the
program. The approximate time for this Board of Review should be
20 - 30 minutes.
Eagle Rank
The Board of Review for the Eagle Rank is different from the other
Boards of Review in which the Scout has participated. The members
of the Board of Review are not all from his Troop Committee.
Introductions are essential, and a few "break in" questions may be
appropriate. At this point, the goal is to understand the Scout's full
Scouting experience, and how others can have similar meaningful
Scouting experiences. Scouting principles and goals should be
central to the Scout's life; look for evidence of this. Although this is
the final rank, this is not the end of the Scouting trail; "Once an
Eagle, always an Eagle". Explore how this Eagle Scout will continue
with Scouting activities, and continued service to his home, church,
and community.
The approximate time for this Board of Review should be 30 - 50
minutes.
Eagle Palms
Eagle Palms are awarded for continued leadership and skills
development (merit badges) after the Eagle Rank has been earned.
The purpose of this Board of Review is to ensure that the Eagle
Scout remains active within the unit, contributes to the leadership
of the unit, and assists with the growth of the other Scouts within
the unit. The approximate time for this Board of Review should be
15 minutes.