Boards of Review By Bob Colbert Little Econ District Phone:

References Guide to Advancement Boy Scouts of America – # printing – Section 8 – A new Guide should be coming out but no date set. to download Central Florida Council – - select “Advancement”

References (Cont.) The following site is a good resource but is NOT an Official BSA site: Boards of Review information – There are other sites on the Internet, so keep a lookout for them.

Advancement Process 1. The Boy Scout Learns 2. The Boy Scout is Tested 3. The Boy Scout is Reviewed 4. The Boy Scout is Recognized

Purposes of Boards of Review To make sure the Scout has done what he is supposed to do for the rank. To see how good an experience the Scout is having in the unit. To encourage the Scout to progress.

Boards of Review Boards of Review should be done AT LEAST monthly! Multiple Boards may be held at the same time if qualified Committee Members are present. A scout cannot be denied a Board of Review once the requirements (including SM Conference) & it is up to the leader and Committee to provide it.

Who sits on the Board of Review (Tenderfoot thru Life & Eagle Palms) Three to six Committee Members of the Troop (or Crew Committee for Venturing Crew). – (Venturing Crew members must earn First Class in a troop & female members can not earn Eagle) – IF there are not enough registered adult committee members, it is permissible to use other qualified adults. – Varsity rules are slightly different ( ) The Advancement Chairman is responsible for insuring that the new Board members are properly briefed and the paperwork is turned in or entered.

Who sits on the Board of Review (Eagle) Interested members of the Sponsoring Organization and community who are 21 years or older may sit on an Eagle Board. – Whoever sits on the Board should have a working knowledge of Boy Scouts and advancement procedures. – Held AFTER Council verifies the application At least one member of the Council or District Advancement Committee

Eagle Boards after turning 18 Section goes into lengthy detail as to how an Eagle Board can be convened after the 18 th birthday. Nominally, the District may approve up to three months with justification. Local Council may approve a board from three to six months with justification Over six months must be approved by the National Advancement Team via Council.

Who does NOT sit on the Board of Review Unit leaders, assistant unit leaders, relatives, or guardians may not serve as members of a Scout’s board of review in their own unit. EXCEPTION: The Scoutmaster may be invited into the room for an EAGLE Board of Review, but can not participate.

Reasons for a Board of Review Advancement to the next rank – This is the most common reason for a Board of Review – Set a goal for the next rank – It is held soon after the Scoutmaster’s Conference Failure to advance over a longer than normal period of time. – Scout has not earned any merit badges (after First Class) in more than three months. – The Scout has not advanced in rank in six to nine months

Mechanics of the Board of Review At least three adults sit on the Board No more than six adults sit on the Board The Board should last 15 to 30 minutes The decision of the Board MUST BE UNANIMOUS

Scout Participant The Scout’s uniform should be as correct as possible or appropriate attire for an interview. He can not be turned away due to lack of uniform. ( ) The Scout should be made to feel at ease. The Scout should be introduced to the Board by a leader and the Board introduced to the Scout.

Conducting the Board of Review The Review is NOT an examination. The Scout has learned his skill and been examined. This is a review. The Scout could be asked where he learned his skill, who taught him, and the value gained from passing this requirement.

Review Process Review what the Scout did for this rank Review his experiences in earning this rank. Review the Scouts experiences in the troop. Review the Scouts ideals and goals, especially when he expects to earn the next rank – The Goal setting should have been done in the Scoutmaster’s conference.

Kinds of Questions Always ask “Open ended” questions and not “yes/no” questions. Let the Scout take his time to answer Encourage “in depth” answers You may refer to the Scout’s Handbook, Scoutmaster’s Handbook or some of the resources listed in the references. (Google Scouting BOR for WEB pages)

When the Scout passes Congratulate the Scout! He has worked hard to reach this goal. Inform the Scoutmaster Staff of his passing. – Troops should recognize the Scout immediately after he passes the Board. Leadership and Tenure for the Scout’s next rank begins NOW – not at the Court of Honor Turn in an Advancement Report with at least three of the board member’s signatures or enter it into the Internet Advancement system.

Another important point! The comments about the Scout’s “likes” and “dislikes” about the troop’s operation need to be discreetly passed on to the Troop’s Committee Chairman. – Many major improvements within the Troop can come from the comments made during a Board of Review – Use Common Sense in wording comments – don’t make the Scout afraid to make future comments. – Often, it would be best to review comments from several Boards at the same time, thus eliminating singling out a particular Scout.

Can a Scout fail the Board? The decision of the Board is to be UNANIMOUS! If the Scout does not pass, the Board MUST inform the Scout as to why he did not pass. Remedies must be provided the Scout to correct the deficiencies and schedule another Board of Review Written notification must be provided.

What must the letter contain? The actual reason(s) for his not passing Confirmation of the agreements reached on the actions necessary for advancement. A time frame to complete the remedies A tentative scheduling of a new Board of Review.

Appeal Process Can the Scout appeal? YES! – The Scout Leader or the parents of the Scout may appeal the decision of the Board With all appeals, the final decision would be made at the Boy Scout National Committee. – In ascending order, levels are district, local council and National BSA Committee

Appeals Process (cont) The actual process is spelled out in the BSA publication “Guide to Advancement ” # Procedures for Eagle Board issues are different than other ranks ( ). Only Eagle Board disputes may be appealed to National. All others will end at Council The process ends at whatever level an approval occurs and that MAY NOT BE APPEALED!

Appeals Process (Cont) Each Troop Advancement Chairman NEEDS this publication, as well as the Troop’s Committee Chairman and Scoutmaster. There are more changes than we could outline in this class and NOT KNOWING is not a valid excuse.

Who to contact Who to contact Your District Advancement Chairman is usually listed on your District WEB page. Central Florida Council’s Advancement Chairman – Contact your Council for the current chair.

Questions? Thank you for your attention and participation. We hope that this session has been helpful and that you will take some part of it back to your unit. Bob C.