Boy Scouts of America
Boards of Review

Thomas H. Richardson

BACKGROUND

An important function of the Troop Committee is to hold boards of review for all Scout advancement. This is a change from the procedures before 1990 when the Committee was responsible only for Star, Life and Eagle Boards of Review only. Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class Boards were conducted by the youth leadership. Now a regular part of the Committee’s time will be spent conducting these Boards. These can be done during the regular monthly committee meetings.

OBJECTIVES

A Board of Review is not intended as a retesting of skills. Rather, the Board wants to determine that the advancement standards have been met by the candidate and that learning has occurred. A starting premise is that the Scoutmaster and Troop leadership are satisfied with the work which the Scout has done since his last advancement.

  1. The Board wants to discover the underlying values, attitudes and philosophy of the Scout.
  2. The Board wants to determine the extent to which the Scout is having an effective experience in the Troop.
  3. The Board wants to encourage the Scout to continue in his personal growth, advancement, both in Scouting and in his other activities, and to foster his self esteem.
  4. Each rank has progressively greater expectations: Tenderfoot is virtually a “given” if the Scout has the proper attitude and Scout Spirit while Second and First Class candidates must have acquired an array of Scout skills. Higher ranks will have added leadership and service to this mix.
  5. Always remember: approval of inadequate performance encourages continued inadequate performance. A boy who is really not prepared to advance knows it. If an advancement is declined, we must tell the Scout where he failed.
  6. The qualified Scouts are obvious in the way in which they come to the Board and how they conduct themselves during the review. The real problem is properly handling the less than prepared Scout or the unqualified Scout.
  7. There is no single set of questions that are to be asked of any Scout who is being reviewed. The nature of the review will be different for every Scout. It will be different each time he comes back to the Committee as he progresses up the trail to Eagle.
  8. Only one Scout at a time should be interviewed. Put him at ease. Be sure he knows that you are not trying to “trick” him. After reviewing, the Scout is to be excused from the room and the Board arrives at a decision. The Scout is then brought back and has the decision reviewed with him. Sometimes it is useful to ask him how he feels about the review.

The following resources are intended to help provide guidance in the Board of Review Process.