The Eagle Scout Board of Review - Eagle Education Experience - EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

This presentation is designed to assist Scouts, parents and Scout leaders with the Eagle Scout advancement process and leadership-capability enhancement. The Washington, D.C. District of the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America offers the Eagle Education Experience to empower Eagle Scout candidates with knowledge, skills and abilities that they can use to achieve the Eagle Scout rank, become stronger leaders and more effectively accomplish noble goals. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

The Purpose Passing the Eagle Scout Board of Review is the last requirement that an Eagle Scout candidate must complete to become an Eagle Scout. The members of an Eagle Scout candidate’s Eagle Scout Board of Review determine whether an Eagle Scout candidate should be promoted to the Eagle Scout rank. The Eagle Board determines this by assessing whether the Eagle candidate sufficiently completed the requirements for the Eagle Scout rank and also by assessing his leadership capabilities, leadership potential and the degree to which his values and ethics accord with the Scout Oath and Scout Law. The Eagle Board’s assessment of the Eagle Scout candidate regarding the aforementioned factors involves two parts: a review of the candidate’s Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, Eagle Scout Rank Application, Life-Goals Statement and letters of recommendation for the candidate (and résumé, if included); and an in-person interview with the Eagle Scout candidate. Note: “Eagle Scout Board of Review,” and the shortened term “Eagle Board,” can refer both to the members of an Eagle Scout candidate’s board of review for the Eagle Scout rank and to the board of review session itself. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

When Does An Eagle Board Occur? An Eagle Scout candidate’s Eagle Scout Board of Review occurs after he has: completed all other requirements for the Eagle Scout rank; completed his Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and Eagle Scout Rank Application through the Unit Approval section; submitted the completed workbook (with any fundraising application for the project if applicable), rank application completed through the Unit Approval section, Life-Goals Statement and Member Summary Report from BSA Internet Advancement (ScoutNET) for approval in requesting authorization for an Eagle Scout Board of Review (more information on submitting these documents is available in the “Submitting the Application” section of the Eagle Education Experience presentation “Completing the Eagle Scout Rank Application”); and received confirmation from the council office that the data on the rank application are verified and that an Eagle Scout Board of Review is authorized. For the National Capital Area Council, the confirmation of authorization for an Eagle Board consists of an e-mail indicating that the Eagle Board is authorized and an attachment to that e-mail of a scanned copy of the side of the rank application with the BSA Local Council Verification section, with the signature of a council representative on the line for that section (this document also is called the approved verification notice.) viewed EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

When Does An Eagle Board Occur? All involved parties, including the Eagle Scout candidate and his family, the Scout’s unit and, for D.C., the Eagle candidate’s district Eagle advancement representative, then work together to schedule the date, time and location in which the candidate’s Eagle Scout Board of Review will occur. For D.C., a candidate’s Eagle Scout Board of Review usually is organized by the candidate’s unit and the candidate’s unit invites volunteers to serve as members of the board. In some cases, an Eagle Scout Board of Review can be organized by the district Eagle advancement representative or the District Committee. Unlike all other requirements for attaining the Eagle Scout rank, the Eagle Scout Board of Review CAN be completed after an Eagle Scout candidate's 18th birthday. However, most Eagle Boards are accomplished before the 18th birthday. An Eagle Board of Review can occur within three months after the 18th birthday without special approval needing to be acquired. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

When Does An Eagle Board Occur? If an Eagle candidate wants his Eagle Board to be conducted in the fourth to sixth month after this 18th birthday, special approval is required by the council office. For a council to permit a Board to occur in this timeframe, a statement must be attached to the rank Application when it is submitted to the council office that explains the reason for the delay. If an Eagle Scout candidate would like an Eagle Board to occur beyond six months after his 18th birthday, a petition must be sent to the national advancement team of the BSA National Council to secure permission to do so. The petition must explain why the delay occurred and how it was beyond the Eagle Scout candidate’s control. The petition must be processed through the Scout’s local council and submitted when the candidate submits his Eagle Scout Rank Application. In rare cases, Eagle Boards can occur well into a Scout’s adulthood, as long as all other requirements were completed before the 18th birthday. Recommended: Schedule an Eagle Scout Board of Review as soon as possible after completing all other requirements for the Eagle Scout rank. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Who Serves on the Eagle Board? Eagle Boards typically include at least three and up to six members. One member is the chair of the Eagle Board (for D.C., this usually is someone other than the candidate’s district Eagle advancement representative, and this chair is appointed by the candidate’s unit.) For D.C., the candidate’s district Eagle advancement representative almost always is a member of the board, but usually is not the chair. The other members typically are other Scouting officials, community leaders or other persons of honor, such as government officials, teachers, police and firefighting personnel, military personnel, religious leaders, etc. The members do not need to be registered in the BSA but must understand the importance of achieving the Eagle Board rank. Some individuals cannot serve as members of an Eagle Board: the candidate’s parents or guardians, relatives and unit leaders (including assistant unit leaders). However, a unit leader can attend an Eagle Board of Review to observe, but cannot ask for or provide information or vote. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

What Does the Eagle Board Do? The primary purpose of the Eagle Scout Board of Review is to evaluate whether an Eagle Scout candidate effectively demonstrated leadership befitting of an Eagle Scout and sufficiently fulfilled the requirements of the Eagle Scout rank. The members especially want to evaluate whether an Eagle Scout candidate’s management of his project and the results of his project indicate effective leadership, including the use of proper delegation, such that the candidate did not perform all the work himself, or allowed someone else to have significant control in directing, planning, and/or implementing the project. The members also will especially evaluate how the candidate handled changes that needed to be made to the project and overcame challenges that arose during the project process. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Assessment Part 1: Eagle Documents The members of an Eagle Scout candidate's Eagle Scout Board of Review convene at least 30 minutes before they interview the candidate so that they can review: the candidate’s Eagle Scout Rank Application, including his Life-Goals Statement (and résumé, if included); the candidate’s Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, including signed copies of his Project Proposal, Service Project Report (and any fundraising application for the project), his Project Final Plan/Project Plan and any supplemental documents; and responses from individuals listed on the candidate’s Eagle Scout Rank Application as references, which typically are letters of recommendation issued by the references or, sometimes, responses recorded on assessment forms issued to the references. For the Washington, D.C. District, to fulfill the above, an Eagle candidate MUST BRING to his Eagle Scout Board of Review his Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook (with all sections completed); his primary copy of his Eagle Scout Rank Application with original hand-written signatures and initials; his Life-Goals Statement; the copy of the second page of the rank application sent by the council office and signed on the BSA Local Council Verification line authorizing the Eagle Board to occur (the approved verification notice) and a copy of the e-mail from the council office to which it was attached. The candidate also has the option of bringing a résumé. For the Washington, D.C. District, either the candidate’s unit leader or a member of his unit committee MUST BRING the letters of recommendation to the Eagle Board. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Assessment Part 2: The Interview After reviewing the documents, when the members of the Eagle Scout Board of Review are ready to interview the candidate, the candidate’s unit leader introduces him to the members of the Board. The unit leader can remain in the room in which the Board of Review is conducted, but does not vote and cannot provide or ask for information. The candidate leads those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Scout Oath and the Scout Law before the interview begins. The interview is designed to assess the Eagle Scout candidate’s leadership capabilities, values and ethics: There is no set duration of time that an Eagle Scout Board of Review must be conducted, although the Eagle Board’s interview of a candidate typically is at least 15 minutes but less than one hour. There is no preselected set of questions that an Eagle Board must ask a candidate, although there are general types of questions that are asked. An Eagle candidate’s Eagle Board always involves himself, and no others, being interviewed by the board members. If an Eagle Board schedules multiple Eagle candidates to be interviewed on the same day, each Eagle candidate will be interviewed separately from the others and the board’s decisions regarding each candidate will be separate from others. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Types of Questions The questions that an Eagle Scout Board of Review asks an Eagle Scout candidate are designed to enable board members to have a better understanding of the degree to which the candidate is qualified to become an Eagle Scout. In general, the board members seek to understand the following five parameters regarding an Eagle candidate and during the interview, at least one question will be asked for each of these five parameters: Quality of Character Achievement Service Leadership Future Plans The board still will have access during the interview portion of your Eagle Board of Review to the documents it reviewed before the interview and can ask questions based on them. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Types of Questions Be prepared to answer questions regarding your Eagle Scout Service Project. THE KEY THREE that you MUST be prepared to answer: How did you demonstrate effective leadership during your service project? (Ensure that your answer includes how you delegated responsibilities.) What types of challenges did you experience? (Ensure that your answer includes how you adapted to those challenges and overcame them.) In retrospect, what would you have done differently regarding your project, or what could you have done better? (Ensure that you exude confidence in what you accomplished; you may refer to something you did well but which you feel you could have done even better.) EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Types of Questions Questions about your understanding of the Scout Oath and Scout Law, and what the words and phrases of the Oath and Law mean to you. Questions about your general Scouting experiences, especially regarding: service with your troop/crew/ship/team and if applicable the Order of the Arrow; leadership positions merit badges camping and high-adventure Scouting activities other Scouting events you have attended Questions about current local/national/world events Questions about your plans for the future, including how you plan to use your Eagle Scout rank and Scouting knowledge to help communities. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Answering the Questions In general, there are no incorrect answers to questions asked by members of your Eagle Scout Board of Review, as the board members are interested in observing your perspectives regarding aspects that do not have simple answers. However: whenever possible, you should provide answers that demonstrate how you have used effective leadership skills; your answers should be specific and detailed and should not merely be “yes” or “no,” you answers should indicate that you have a thorough and detailed understanding of all that you did for your Eagle Scout Project; your answers should not contradict data provided to the Eagle Board in your service project workbook and rank application; and your answers should indicate that you value full accordance with the Scout Oath and Scout Law. If you are asked a question and you are unsure of the meaning of the question, you can ask a board member to elaborate upon the question so you can have more context with which to provide a useful response. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Answering the Questions If you are asked a current events question for which you do not have sufficient information to answer the question, you can ask the board member who asked the question to provide more information so that you can provide a more useful analysis of the relevant issues. If you are not initially sure of the answer you want to provide for a question, you can ask for a short amount of time to consider your response. Do not specify the amount of time unless asked, and do not spend more than 15 seconds considering your answer. Keep to a minimum the number of questions for which you ask the board members for clarification, for more information or for time to consider your response before you provide it, as you want to convey that you are sufficiently decisive, which is a significant component of effective leadership. Be confident in your communication capabilities when answering the questions. Recognize that as a leader, you have the power to provide excellent responses even to difficult questions. Remember to be upbeat and vigorous in tone, as these indicate confidence and appreciation that the board members are considering your candidacy for the Eagle Scout rank. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Attire for the Eagle Board of Review Wear your Class A uniform/field uniform, and: if you are under 18 years of age, wear your merit badge sash; ensure that the Life Scout rank patch is on the uniform; if you are registered with multiple Scout units, ensure that the Class A shirt you are wearing is a Class A shirt that you wear for the unit listed on your Eagle Scout rank application and that it has the unit number on the shirt; if you are wearing a Class A shirt (beige) and are at least 18 years of age, or if you are wearing a Venturing Class A shirt (green) and are at least 21 years of age, it is acceptable, up until the end of the Eagle Scout Board of Review, for the Life Scout rank patch to still be on the Class A shirt even though it is a youth rank, although the Eagle Scout youth rank patch would not be placed on your Class A upon success because you no longer are a Scouting youth. Instead, as an adult, you would place on your Class A the Eagle Scout red-white-and-blue square knot patch. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

After the Interview The candidate temporarily leaves the room where the Eagle Scout Board of Review conducted the interview. If his unit leader also was in the room where the board was conducted, the unit leader also temporarily leaves. The Eagle Board members then discuss the worthiness of the candidate for the Eagle Scout rank, and then vote on whether the candidate shall become an Eagle Scout. FOR AN EAGLE CANDIDATE TO BECOME AN EAGLE SCOUT, THE BOARD’S DECISION BY VOTE MUST BE UNANIMOUS. If the Eagle Board determines that the Eagle candidate sufficiently fulfilled all the Eagle Scout requirements and is worthy of the Eagle Scout rank, he is asked to return to the room and is informed that he has received the Eagle Board’s recommendation for him to be promoted to the Eagle Scout rank. If the Eagle Board determines that the candidate did not sufficiently fulfill all the Eagle Scout requirements, he is told why the decision was made and can file an appeal. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Certification After the Eagle Board If the candidate passes his Eagle Scout Board of Review: The Scout’s primary copy of his Eagle Scout Rank Application, with original hand-written signatures, shall be signed by chair of the Eagle Board, and also by a council or district representative if a second signature is deemed necessary. These signatures are inscribed into the application section for Eagle requirement No. 7. For the National Capital Area Council, a designated unit leader or unit committee member of the Scout’s unit then submits to the council office the Scout’s Eagle Scout Rank Application, Life-Goals Statement, completed Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and the approved verification notice (which includes the copy of the second page of the rank application signed by a council representative in the BSA Local Council Verification section and sent by the council office to authorize that the Eagle Board could occur and the e-mail to which that document was attached). The reference letters are not submitted. These documents collectively are referred to as the Eagle Scout Package. Copies should be made of all these documents before they are submitted to the council office. With the exception of the workbook, these documents will not be returned to the candidate. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Certification After the Eagle Board After the council receives the Eagle Scout Package: The council office then further processes the application. The most important component of this is that the council scout executive then reviews the application and signs it on the designated line for the section for requirement No. 7 to certify that the council recognizes that the Scout has completed all requirements for the Eagle Scout rank and is worthy of becoming an Eagle Scout. The Eagle Scout Rank Application then is forwarded to the national Eagle Scout Service of BSA National, which further verifies the information on the application. If the information is again deemed to be accurate, the Scout is certified as an Eagle Scout by the Eagle Scout Service on behalf of BSA National. This is when the Scout OFFICIALLY becomes an Eagle Scout. National’s approval of an Eagle Scout rank application typically occurs at least two weeks after the application is received by the national office. The national office then creates an Eagle Scout Certificate and Eagle Scout Card for the new Eagle Scout. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Certification After the Eagle Board If BSA National approves the Scout’s Eagle Scout Rank Application, he then is informed of National’s certification of his Eagle Scout rank after National sends his Eagle Scout Certificate and Eagle Scout Card to his local council. The Scout can officially be recognized as an Eagle Scout only after his council office receives his Eagle Scout Certificate from National. The local council informs the unit representative who brought the Scout’s Eagle Scout Package to the council office of the certification of the Scout as an Eagle Scout and that the certificate, card and remaining items of the Eagle Scout Package are available for pickup at the council office. The unit representative then informs the new Eagle Scout of the excellent news. The date a Scout earned the Eagle Scout rank, as seen on his Eagle Scout certificate and Eagle Scout card, is considered to be the date his Eagle Scout Board of Review was successfully completed. After the new Eagle Scout is informed that his achievement of the Eagle Scout rank was certified by National, the Eagle Scout, if he so desires, can schedule an Eagle Scout Court of Honor in recognition of this honorable accomplishment. The Eagle Scout can then apply his leadership experiences toward benefiting communities across the U.S. and across the world. EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA

Discussion and Questions EAGLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE – WASHINGTON, D.C. DISTRICT, NCAC, BSA