Board of Review Guide

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A GUIDE TO TROOP LEVEL BOARDS OF REVIEW

This guide fulfills one of five

Wood Badge ticket goals for Deb Nelson,

Wood Badge C-52-03

Much appreciation goes to Kay Ehrmantraut for

assisting in the research phase of this project.

Her help is a prime example of the BSA philosophy of

"using your resources."

Kay’s assistance was invaluable

in the completion of this project.

Table of contents

Section/page no.

Definition 4

Purpose 4

Objectives 5

Composition of Boards of Review 5

Uniforms 5

Scheduling Boards of Review 5

Mechanics of a Board of Review 6

After the Board of Review 8

Boards of Review for Non-Advancing Scouts 9

The Appeal Process 10

Ranks 11

The Nature of the Questions 13

Sample Questions 14

This guide is designed to serve as a tool for units who are conducting boards of review for Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star Scout, Life Scout and Eagle Palm advancement ranks. Eagle Scout Boards of Review are not included in this guide. The Eagle Scout Board of Review is an entirely different process and is held on a district level.

Definition

A Board of review is defined by the Boy Scouts of America as a "periodic review of a Scout." It is designed to help the unit committee determine how well the Scout is benefiting from the program.

Generally, a Board of Review is held for Scouts who are ready for rank advancement. The process can also be used to review those scouts who have shown no progress in their advancement over several months.

Purpose

The Board of Review is vital to the Scouting program.

◊ Leaders can evaluate the effectiveness of their leadership and how well Scouts are benefiting from their experiences.◊ Scouts who are advancing can understand how they can get the most from Scouting.

◊ Scouts who are not advancing can be put back on the trail to success.

Other benefits of a Board of Review:

◊ Provides an opportunity for the Scout to develop and practice skills needed in an interview situation.

◊ Provides an opportunity for the Scout to review his accomplishments.

◊ Provides an opportunity to for the Troop Committee to review the Scout’s attitudes and his accomplishments.

◊ Helps troop leaders identify the Scout’s acceptance of Scouting ideals.

Objectives

1. To make sure the Scout has done what he was supposed to do for the rank.

2. To see what kinds of experience the Scout is having in his patrol and troop.

3. To encourage the Scout to advance to the next rank and beyond.

Composition of a board of review (other than for Eagle)

The reviewers are registered Scouters on the Troop Committee. The Board consists of three to six members, one who serves as the chairperson. The person in charge of troop advancements usually serves in this capacity. All Board of Review members must be 18 years of age or older. Immediate family members, other relatives, guardians, scoutmasters and assistant scoutmasters may not serve as members of a Scout’s Board of Review.

UniforMS

This is a chance for the Scout to show pride in his uniform and the merit badges he has earned. The unit committee should determine what parts of the uniform are required. At the very least, the Scout must be wearing his Class A uniform shirt. Neckwear, merit badge sash and Scout cap or hat is at the discretion of the committee. A Scout must be made aware of the requirements prior to the Board of Review.

Inspecting a uniform may not be used as criteria for passing a Board of Review, but it can be used as an opportunity to make certain the uniform is worn correctly. If the Scout is not in appropriate uniform, the chairperson of the Board should simply tell the boy the members will wait while he gets his uniform, or reschedule the Board of Review for another day when the Scout can be in uniform.

SCHEDULING BOARDS OF REVIEW

The troop committee should decide when and where to hold Boards of Review. They should be conducted at a convenient time and location, such as before or after a troop meeting or activity or at summer camp. The setting should allow for a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

MECHANICS OF A BOARD OF REVIEW

1. The Scout should be escorted to the Board of Review and introduced. This may be done by the troop’s senior patrol leader, the scoutmaster or the chairperson of the board. That person also announces the rank to which the Scout is ready to advance.

2. The chairperson should ask the Scout to come to attention and recite one or more of the following as a way to "officially" start the Board of Review:

◊ Scout Law

◊ Scout Oath

◊ Scout Motto

◊ Scout Slogan

◊ Outdoor Code

The recitation may not be used as criteria for passing the Board. The One or two retries are appropriate, and the board members may help the Scout through the process (especially at the lower ranks.)

3. Scouts are usually nervous, so they should be put at ease. Board members should be informal and relaxed. The Scout should be made to feel good about the review and his progress. Invite the Scout to sit down. Get him to chat about something he is comfortable with – his family, school, patrol and troop activities.

4. THE BOARD OF REVIEW IS NOT A TEST OR A RE-TEST. The troop leaders and scoutmaster should have already examined the Scout before he faces the Board of Review. Rather, the board members should attempt to determine the Scout’s attitude and his acceptance of Scouting’s ideals. The troop’s first responsibility is to make certain the Scout understands what he has achieved with his pending rank advancement. One of the greatest needs of boys is self-confidence. The Scout should leave the Board of Review knowing he has achieved something worthwhile.

5. The Board chairperson should ask to see the Scout’s Boy Scout Handbook, which must have signatures and dates for each requirement for the advancing rank. The handbook may be passed to all Board of Review members for review.

6. The chairperson then invites the board members to ask questions of the Scout. Questions should be open-ended (see questions, pp14-19.) The Scout should be given the opportunity, through the question-answer period, to speak about his opinions, experiences, activities and accomplishments. Questions do not have to be restricted to Scouting topics; questions relating to home, school, work, church, athletics, etc. are appropriate. The interview period will help the board determine if the candidate recognizes and understands the value of Scouting in his home, unit, school and community. During the review, each member of the board must form a judgment concerning the Scout’s qualifications.

◊ Has the Scout accomplished the tasks that are required? (This is NOT a review or test of the requirements, but of the experiences the Scout had in completing the tasks.)

◊ What sort of experience is he having in the troop and within his patrol?

◊ Is he ready for advancement and the responsibilities that come with it?

◊ Where does he plan to go from here? Encourage him to verbally set goals.

7. The Board of Review should last approximately 15 minutes for lower ranks and no more than 30 minutes for the higher ranks.

8. When all board members have had an opportunity to ask their questions, the Scout is excused from the room.

9. Board members discuss the review and consider whether the Scout is ready for the next rank. The Board’s decision, either way, MUST BE UNANIMOUS. General practice is to make every reasonable consideration for the Scout, provided the requirements as stated in the Boy Scout Handbook are completed to the satisfaction of a trained scout leader.

10. Once the decision is made, the Scout is invited back into the room and informed of the Board’s decision.

11. If the Board decides that the Scout is NOT READY TO ADVANCE, the candidate must be informed and told what he has not satisfactorily completed or where his weaknesses lie, and what he can do to improve. He should be praised on as many points as possible and be told his weaknesses in a positive and optimistic manner. Advise him that he will be given help to prepare him for the next Board of Review. Schedule his next Board of Review. Doing so gives the Scout a vote of confidence that he can reach the desired rank. A follow-up letter must be sent to a Scout who is turned down for a rank advancement, confirming the agreements reached and the actions necessary for advancement. If the Scout disagrees with the decision, he may appeal it by following the appeal process (Appeal Process, p. 10.)

12. If the Board members are satisfied the Scout is READY TO ADVANCE, he is called back to the room and congratulated. The chairperson should lead the board members in shaking the Scout’s hand (use the Scout handshake.)

13. Before the advancing Scout is dismissed from the Board of Review, the following should take place:

◊ Notify the Scout when he will receive his recognition;

◊ Encourage the Scout to sharpen his skills and continue to advance;

◊ Ask the Scout to set a date or time frame to earn his next rank.

After the board of review

1. As soon after the Board of Review as possible, the chairperson must inform the scoutmaster of all decisions made by the Board of Review.

2. An advancement report must be sent to the Council service center.

3. A notification must be given to the person in the troop who records Scout activity. This is essential for the Scout’s records to be updated for the next rank advancement. The date of advancement is the date of the Board of Review.

4. The Scout should be recognized for his rank advancement before his peers and adult leaders in the troop as soon as the Council service center returns the rank insignia to the troop. Early recognition builds the confidence of the Scout and encourages him to continue to advance. This recognition also serves as a model to younger Scouts who are working on rank advancements.

5. The Scout must be recognized a second time at a troop Court of Honor held for the public. The recognition before the Scout’s parents, family and other Scouts’ families solidifies the Scout’s desire to continue to work on his next rank.

Boards of review for non-advancing scouts

An important function of the Board of Review is to review Scouts who are not advancing. When a boy does not advance, the reviewers have a responsibility to learn why and to stimulate him to do so.

The Scout should be told he has the support of the board and his troop and there is no doubt that he can achieve the next rank. These Scouts need to know the troop committee is interested in him.

Questions that may reveal why the Scout is not advancing may be asked:

◊ Do you enjoy outings?

◊ What do you like/dislike about the troop meetings?

◊ Are any of the requirements giving you difficulty?

◊ Are school or other activities taking more of your time? Which ones?

◊ Any other questions that will help the board members identify why the Scout is not advancing.

Suggestions of ways to overcome these difficulties should be made by the board members. This process shows the board members where the troop can put emphasis to improve the program for non-advancing Scouts.

The appeal process

Two sets of circumstances may lead to the appeal of a decision made by a Board of Review:

1. If the scoutmaster does not recommend the Scout for a Board of Review, the Scout or other interested party (usually a parent or guardian) may appeal the decision at the next level.

2. If the appropriate Board of Review does not recommend the Scout for rank advancement, the decision may be appealed to the next highest level. In ascending order, the levels are:

◊ Unit Committee

◊ District

◊ Local Council

◊ National Boy Scout committee

On receipt of an appeal, the next highest level will promptly review the process to determine the facts. All parties must be interviewed either individually or as a group. A written report with all details must be prepared by the Board of Review chairperson for the committee responsible for a decision, or for forwarding to the national Boy Scout committee, if necessary. The District Executive can help in this process.

Tenderfoot rank

This is the Scout’s first experience with a Board of Review. The process requires some explanation on the part of the Board Chairperson, as to what the Scout can expect during the Board of Review. Special emphasis should be placed on putting the Scout at ease.

The first 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, and the Scout’s level of enjoyment of the troop and patrol activities.

Advancement to Second Class should be encouraged. It should be pointed out that the Scout might have already completed many of the requirements for Second Class.

The time for this Board of Review should be no more than 15 minutes.

Second class rank

This is the Scout’s second Board of Review. The process should be familiar to him, unless it has been some time since his Board of Review for Tenderfoot.

Questions should focus on the use of the Scout skills learned for this rank, without retesting the Scout on them. The Board of Review should try to perceive how the Scout’s patrol is functioning, and how this Scout is functioning within his patrol. The Scout should be encouraged to work on the remaining requirements for First Class. Many of the easier requirements may have already been completed.

The approximate time for this Board of Review should be 15 to 20 minutes.

First 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 First Class (particularly if he joined Boy Scouts within the last year.) In achieving the rank of First Class, the Scout should feel an additional sense of responsibility to the troop and his patrol.

The First Class rank will produce additional opportunities for the Scout (Order of the Arrow, leadership, etc.)

Merit badges will begin to play a role in future advancement to the Star and Life ranks. Merit badge work should be encouraged if it has not already been started.

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.

The board members should explore how the Star Scout can assist with leading his patrol and troop. An attempt should be made to understand how the Scouting philosophy is becoming a part of the Scout’s life.

Often the Star rank is a place where Scouts "stall out". The Scout should be encouraged to remain active, and participate fully in his patrol and troop. If the Scout appears to be looking for additional opportunities, the board may suggest leadership positions such as Den Chief or Troop Guide.

The approximate time for this Board of Review should be 20 to 30 minutes.

Life rank

The Life rank is the final rank before Eagle. The Life Scout should be fully participating in the troop, with emphasis being placed on leadership in the unit, as well as teaching skills and leadership to the younger Scouts.

Merit badge work should be a regular part of the Scout’s career. Scouting values and concepts should be an integral part of the Scout’s daily life. 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. The Board should explore suggestions from the Scout on improving the program.

The approximate time for this Board of Review should be 20 to 30 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.

The nature of the questions

On the following pages are sample Board of Review questions, broken down by requirement categories. The simpler questions are listed first in each category and become more difficult as the list progresses. Lower ranks should be asked the simpler questions that deal generally with factual information about the Scout’s participation in his troop, and his approach to applying the skills he has learned toward earning the next rank.

The questions for 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 Scout to have this skill?" are valid.

If a Scout appears nervous or anxious, it might be appropriate to ask one or two of the simplest questions to help "break the ice" and establish some rapport.

Questions are broken into the following categories:

◊ Personal

◊ Scout Ideals and Scout Spirit

◊ The Troop and Patrol

◊ Merit Badge Work

◊ Service Hours and Service Projects

◊ Camping and Outdoor Activity

◊ Religious Principles

◊ Advancement

Sample questions

Personal

1. When did you join the Troop?

2. What grade are you in? What school?

3. What hobbies do you have?

4. Why did you join Boy Scouts?

5. How old are you?

6. What do you like about school? What is your favorite subject?

7. Do your friends at school know you are in Scouts?

8. What kinds of chores do you do at home?

9. Do you ever take the time and just talk with members of your family? If so, who?

10. Do you have a hero? If so, who and why?

11. What do you tell your friends about the things you learn and do in Scouts?

12. What do you do with your spare time?

13. What other activities do you participate in? (i.e., sports, music, social/religious groups, etc.)

14. Have you received any special awards or accomplishments in school, athletics or church?

15. How many younger siblings do you have? What sort of impression do you think you give them and others about Scouting?

16. How do you help out at home? Do you do it to "chip in" or to earn money?

17. Outside of Scouting, tell us about a time when you’ve had to be a leader. How did it make you feel afterward?

18. Other than your parents, who do you think has influenced your life the most? Why?

Scout ideals and scout spirit

1. What do you like best about Scouting?

2. How (or how not) has Scouting been what you thought it would be?

3. What is a good turn?

4. What good turns have you done lately?

5. What do you do to keep yourself physically strong?

6. When you repeat the Scout Oath, what does "On My Honor" mean to you?

7. Explain what "A Scout is Trustworthy" means to you?

8. What do you think people expect from you as a Boy Scout?

9. Who makes sure your uniform is clean and the patches are all sewn on for you to wear?

10. What are your long-term plans in Scouting?

11. How do you live the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life?

12. In the Scout Oath, what does "I will do my best" mean to you?

13. What point of the Scout Law is the most important to you? Why?

14. The Scout Motto is "Be Prepared". What does that mean to you?

15. To you, what does it mean to "Do my duty to God"?

16. What part of the Scout Law is the hardest for you to live up to?

17. What does Scout Spirit mean to you? How do you demonstrate that you have Scout Spirit?

18. Have you taught any younger Scouts any of your recently earned Scout skills? What did you teach?

19. What do you think the role of a Scout of your rank should be in relationship to younger Scouts?

20. How does the Scout Oath affect the life of a higher ranked Scout differently than it would the life of a Tenderfoot Scout?

21. What do you think you can do to display Scout Spirit outside the troop meeting?

22. What do you tell your peers when they try to put down the Scouting program? (this question provides an opportunity for the reviewers to suggest ways to counter this peer pressure.)

23. What do you think is the most important skill for a leader? Why?

24. What have you done personally to get others (friends) to join Scouts?

25. What leadership position did you hold for this rank? What was your biggest challenge? How did you handle it?

26. The Scout Oath refers to "Duty to Self"; what duty do we have to ourselves?

27. What is the one accomplishment in Scouting you are most proud of?

The troop and patrol

1. Have you been able to make it to most of the troop meetings so far?

2. What is the name of your patrol?

3. Why do you come to troop meetings?

4. How do you think you and your patrol are getting along?

5. What’s your favorite/least favorite part of a troop meeting?

6. Is there anything you would like to see changed in the patrol or troop meetings?

7. If a Webelos/Cub Scout were to visit your troop, what would you do to make him feel comfortable?

8. Why do you think using a duty roster is important to the Patrol Method?

9. Do you have a favorite youth or adult leader? If so, what makes that person a good leader?

10. What do you expect from the Senior Patrol Leader (or other troop office)?

11. Does your patrol have patrol meetings? What happens at a typical patrol meeting? What’s your favorite/least favorite part of your patrol meetings?

12. Is there anything the troop could do to help your patrol have more productive patrol meetings?

13. Is there any part of the patrol program you would like to see changed? How would you make those changes? What is the benefit of those changes?

14. What leadership position would you like to have? Why?

15. Do you have a leadership position in the troop? What is the position? How do you think you’re doing in it? What could you do better?

16. How does your patrol function as a team? What part do you take in helping your patrol?

17. What was the last project your troop worked on as a unit?

18. What role do you take in the troop meetings? Are you a leader or a follower?

19. What advice would you give to a new patrol leader on how to get the members of his patrol to participate in Scouting activities?

20. Are there any problems in your patrol or in the troop that you think the troop committee could help with?

21. Have you ever tried to bring about a change (long or short-term) in your troop or patrol? What was it? How did you try to effect the change? Did you get the results you wanted?

22. What is "shared leadership"? How do you see it in your patrol and in the troop?

Merit badge worK

1. Have you started earning any merit badges? Which ones interest you the most? Why?

2. What merit badges do you have?

3. What merit badges are the most valuable to you? Why?

4. What was the most challenging merit badge (or rank)? Why?

5. Why are merit badges a part of Scouting?

6. If you had a chance to improve your first aid skills what would you most want to improve? Why?

7. Do you think that your first aid knowledge will actually help you? How? Have you had an opportunity to use any of that knowledge?

8. What was the most interesting and/or unique requirement you have learned in a merit badge?

9. What have you learned that might help you as an adult?

10. If you could make one change in the merit badge program (i.e., structure, format, add a badge, etc.), what would you do?

11. What type of career interests you? Have you looked into earning a related merit badge in that career?

12. What merit badges are you working on now? What merit badges do you still plan to earn?

13. Did any of your merit badge counselors have a particularly good way of explaining things or teaching things?

Service hours and service projects

1. Have you taken part in any recent service projects? Which ones?

2. What did you do for your one (or more) hours of service required for this rank?

3. How did you help others since your last rank advancement?

4. Why did you participate in your troop’s last service project?

5. What other kinds of service, outside of Scouting, have you done?

6. What types of service projects would you like to work on?

Camping and outdoor activities

1. What outdoor activities do you like best? Why?

2. What do you like most about camping?

3. Have you had a chance to cook outdoors? What did you like about it? Are you a good outdoor cook?

4. How is the food in your patrol on campouts?

5. Did you pass any of your advancement requirements on camp outs? Which ones?

6. How many outings have you been on in the past year? Which did you like the most and why?

7. Are you planning on going to summer camp this/next summer? Did you go last summer? How was it?

8. What is your favorite part of a campfire?

9. Does your family do any camping? What have you learned in Scouts that you have been able to share with your family to improve their camping experience?

10. Why is it important to be able to recognize local plant life?

11. Why is it important for you to know how to transport a person who has a broken leg?

12. What can you do to help the troop get ready for a campout?

13. What has been your worst camping experience in Scouting? How did you deal with the situation?

14. What is the Outdoor Code and what does it mean to you?

15. Why do you think it is important to preserve our environment?

16. Do you keep a small sewing kit in your gear? Have you ever had a need to use it while on an outing?

17. What do you think about the Order of the Arrow program?

18. Is the troop’s outdoor program adequate to develop skills and maintain the interest of the Scouts? What changes would you make?

Religious principles

1. What does doing your "duty to God" mean to you?

2. What does a "Scout is reverent" mean to you?

3. What do you do to live up to your religious beliefs?

4. Have you started working on your religious award for Boy Scouts?

Advancement

1. What requirements for this rank were the hardest? Easiest?

2. Which knots have you learned to tie?

3. How do you think knots can help you in Scouting?

4. Why do you think the buddy system is important in Scouting?

5. Would you rather be taught how to tie a knot by a Scout or by an adult? Why?

6. Where did you go on your 5-mile hike?

7. Tell us about the flag ceremony in which you participated.

8. Who was Lord Baden-Powell?

9. What have you put in your personal first aid kit?

10. Where did you learn to fold the American flag? Tell us about your first experience with this skill.

11. Why is it important to be able to identify animals found in the area?

12. What have you learned about using wood tools (axes, saws, etc.)?

13. If you were in charge of planning and preparing a dinner for your next campout, what would you select?

14. Baden-Powell’s first Scout outing was located on an island off the coast of Great Britain; what was the name of that island?

15. Do you have any difficulty setting goals for yourself? Name one personal goal you have set for yourself.

16. What are your plans for (next rank).

17. In what year was Boy Scouts of American founded?

18. What did you learn in Orienteering that was new to you?

19. Did you learn anything new about a compass?

20. Tell us a little bit about what you think your rights and obligations are as a citizen.

21. Is there anything the troop can do to help you advance?

22. What are your long-term plans in Scouting?

23. Why do you think you are ready for the next rank?

24. By what date do you want to make (the next rank)?

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