BSA Eagle Board of Review Objectives & Process Silver Comet District In Accordance with BSA Policy

Objective of Boards of Review For Eagle rank advancement the board will satisfy itself that the Scout has done what is required and review his future plans: Skills should have been signed off by ASM’s & Scoutmaster in advance of the board of review. Determine a scout’s understanding of ideals of scouting & how he applies them in his daily life. What a review is NOT: It is not a retest of skills learned…but an opportunity to sense how important scouting is to a scout & how he applies scouting in his life at home, school & in the troop.

Composition of Boards of Review At least three voting members & not more than six conduct a board of review. Members must be at least 21 years of age. Scoutmaster & ASM cannot be members of their Unit candidate’s board of review. Scout’s parents/relatives cannot serve on their son’s board of review or be present in room. BOR members are SCD approved troop committee reps, community reps and district reps. District Representative leads the BOR

Composition of Boards of Review The Unit Leader (i.e. Scoutmaster/ Coach) is not a voting member of BOR, but may introduce the candidate and remain as his advocate during the Board. The Unit leader should not participate unless called upon by the District Representative. The District allows one of the candidate’s assistant Unit Leaders to observe but not participate unless called upon by the District Representative.

When & Where SCD holds Eagle Boards of Review Boards of Review are private & should be held with only board members & Scout present Board should make sure there is no possibility of a Scout being embarrassed in front of others Board should set a mood for the Scout to be comfortable to speak his mind For the latest information on the locations and times of Silver Comet District Eagle Boards of review refer to our District Website EBOR page at: http://www.mountainlakedistrict.com/eaglebor.asp

How to Hold a Board of Review Technique for Conducting Board of Review: Meeting should be an informal give & take conversation between the Scout and adults that are supportive to his efforts Ask open ended questions that prompt comments & encourage the Scout to make conclusions If the Scout freezes-up & becomes silent, board should be supportive & help put the Scout at ease in a kind way If the Scout has difficulty formulating an answer to a problem, offer several solutions he could choose from to help encourage him to make a conclusion Key is to provide a relaxed setting for a friendly growth experience Lasts about 30 minutes, should not exceed 45 minutes Scout should be properly dressed, preferably in uniform

Eagle Board of Review Focus on a Scout’s accomplishments (Scout asked to leave room during the following review) Review Service Project Workbook Review Scout’s statement of Life Purpose and Ambitions Review reference letters Review Scout’s handbook (Dist. rep make sure complete) Opportunity to hear from Scout: How is he doing, how he feels about the troop (i.e. what he likes & what he thinks could be done better) His role & view on future roles (position & responsibilities) His plans after he ages out of scouts His efforts to live up to Scout ideals & his scout spirit (i.e. how does he help family, efforts to be kind at school)

Eagle Board of Review Information Board of Review should seek: Confirm what should have been done was done by Scout (Achieve by simple What, Where, When & How questions like: How did you estimate the cost of your service project?) In addition to assessing achievement, evaluate a Scout’s growth in ideals of Scouting (patriotism, citizenship, values in Scout Oath & Law) Can ask how are you doing in school & what are you doing to serve your church or how do you satisfy your duty to God ? Ask Scout how he felt about key accomplishments, how he felt about his handling of what went well and did not go well in his service project leadership position

Eagle Board of Review Possible Questions How did you feel your Eagle project went? Did you run into any rough spots? Did you plan enough to get you over the rough spots? How did you work with the agency for which you did the project? Was the agency clear in their goals/needs? Would you do the project differently now? How do you think the troop is doing? How do you intend to help the troop now? Do you have any goals for the troop? What are your goals for yourself? What is hardest part of scout law/oath to live by? How to do fulfill your duty to country? To God?

Duty to God Scouting maintains, regardless of religious faith, that duty to God is a fundamental need of good citizenship BSA policy is that home & the religious organization a Scout is connected to shall provide specific attention to religious life…BSA does not define God or interpret God’s rules Religious discussion is appropriate at a Board of Review but needs to be done with appreciation for a variety of faiths Do not ask, “Do you believe in God?” since some religions do not use “God” for their supreme being You can ask, “How do you honor the 12th point of Scout Law?”, which allows a Scout to discuss his religious beliefs Scout does not have to be a member of particular denomination or religion…but board will need to know what a Scout feels about his duty to God & how he fulfills this

What a Board of Review is NOT Board of review should steer clear of: Interrogating/Grilling approach Retesting a Scout’s competency Trick questions, which are worthless in addition to making a Scout feel uncomfortable, during his interview

Final Phase Board of Review Procedure after Board of Review Interview: After the interview is completed, the board will ask Scout to leave the room & members will discuss the results (This should be brief) Approval for rank advancement must be unanimous After a decision is made Scout should be invited back to hear the board’s decision

BOR Approval Documentation All Board of Review members sign Scout’s handbook and original Eagle application form. A second copy of the Eagle application should also be signed by all members. This copy will be retained by the District. A designated unit member will also sign a District document stating that they have custody of the original application. All Board Members should also sign the District Eagle certificate.