A Scout is reviewed From "Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures" #33088C A periodic review of the progress of a Scout is vital in the  evaluation of the effectiveness of the Scouting program in the unit.  The unit committee can judge how well the Scout being reviewed is  benefiting from the program. The unit leader can measure the  effectiveness of his or her leadership. The Scout can sense that he  is, or is not, advancing properly and can be encouraged to make the  most of his Scouting experience.  Not only is it important to review those Scouts who have learned  and been tested for a rank, but also to review those Scouts who have  shown no progress in their advancement over the past few months. The members of the board of review should have the following  objectives in mind when they conduct the review:  To make sure the Scout has done what he was 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 further.  The review is not an examination; the board does not retest the  candidate. Rather, the board should attempt to determine the Scout's  attitude and his acceptance of Scouting ideals. Scout spirit  is defined as living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law in a  Scout's everyday life. The board should make sure that good  standards have been met in all phases of the Scout's life. A  discussion of the Scout Oath and Scout Law is in keeping with the  purpose of the review, to make sure that the candidate recognizes  and understands the value of Scouting in his home, unit, school, and  community.  The decision of all boards of review is arrived at  through discussion and must be unanimous.  When a boy satisfactorily completes his board of review for a  rank or an Eagle Palm, tenure for his next rank or Eagle Palm begins  immediately.  Scouts 18 or older. Scouts who have completed  all requirements for a rank prior to their 18th birthday should  submit their application and be reviewed and recognized within three  months after that date. For Eagle Scout boards of review  conducted between three and six months after the candidate's 18th  birthday, a statement explaining the reason for the delay must be  attached to the Eagle Scout Rank Application when it is submitted to  the Eagle Scout Service. If an Eagle Scout board of review  will be held after the six months following the candidate's 18th  birthday, the Eagle Scout must petition the National Boy Scout  Committee for an extension of time to hold the board of review. The  petition must be processed through the local council, detailing the  extenuating circumstances that prevented the board of review from  being held within the six-month period following the candidate's  18th period, and be accompanied with a copy of the Eagle Scout Rank  Application. Review for Tenderfoot Through Life Ranks and Eagle  Palms. After a Scout has completed all requirements for  Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life ranks, or an  Eagle Palm, he appears before a board of review. This board of  review is made up of at least three and not more than six members of  the troop committee. One member serves as chairman,  usually the committee member responsible for advancement.  Unit leaders, assistant unit leaders, relatives, or  guardians may not serve as members of a Scout's board of  review.  The review shall be conducted at a convenient time and location,  such as a Troop meeting, summer camp, or the home of a member of the troop  committee.  The review has three purposes:  To make sure the work has been learned and completed.  To check to see what kind of experience the boy is having in  his patrol and troop.  To encourage the Scout to advance to the next rank.  Because many boys are ill at ease when talking to adults, it is  important that the board be held in a relaxed atmosphere. A certain  amount of formality and meaningful questioning should be used during  the review.  The Scout should be neat in appearance and his uniform should be  as correct as possible, with the badges worn properly. It should be  the desire of the board to encourage the Scout to talk so that the  review can be a learning experience for the candidate and the  members of the board.  The review is not an examination. The Scout has learned his skill  and has been examined. This is a review. The Scout should be asked  where he learned his skill, who taught him, and the value he gained  from passing this requirement.  The Scout reviews what he did for his rank. From this review, it  can be determined whether he did what he was supposed to do. The  review also reveals what kind of experience the Scout is having in  the troop. With that knowledge, the troop leaders can shape the  program to meet the needs and interests of the Scouts.  The board should attempt to determine the Scout's ideals and  goals. The board should make sure that a good standard of  performance has been met. A discussion of the Scout Oath and Scout  Law is in keeping with the purpose of the review, to make sure the  candidate recognizes and understands the value of Scouting in his  home, unit, school, and community.  The board of review members should feel free to refer to the  Boy Scout Handbook, Scoutmaster Handbook, or any other  references during the review. The Troop Committee Guidebook  contains examples of questions that could be asked during a  review.  The review should take approximately fifteen minutes. At the  conclusion of the review, the board should know whether a boy is  qualified for the rank or Palm. The Scout is asked to leave the room  while the board members discuss his achievements. The decision of  the board of review is arrived through discussion and must be  unanimous. If members are satisfied that the Scout is ready to  advance, he is called in, congratulated, notified as to when he will  receive his recognition, and encouraged to continue his advancement  or earn the next Palm.  If the board decides that the Scout is not ready to advance, the  candidate should be informed and told what he has not done  satisfactorily. Most Scouts accept responsibility for not completing  the requirements properly. The members of the board of review should  specify what must be done to rework the candidate's weaknesses and  schedule another board of review for him. A follow-up letter must be  sent to a Scout who is turned down for rank advancement, confirming  the agreements reached on the actions necessary for advancement.  Should the Scout disagree with the decision, the appeal procedures  should be explained to him. (See "Appealing  a Decision.")  After the board of review is completed, the Scoutmaster is  informed of all of the decisions that were made by the board of  review.  Remember, after a Scout satisfactorily completes a board of  review, he cannot be recognized until that action is reported to the  council service center on an Advancement Report. A monthly report  keeps unit records current and is a good practice. The troop scribe  should also keep a record in the Troop/Team Record Book for  easy reference by the Scoutmaster and use by other boards of  review. Troop leadership is split into two groups, program and administration. The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters take care of the program related functions. The administration side, the troop committee, handles the boards of review. The board consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of six committee members. At no time should a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster perform this function. If you do not have three committee members available, then it is time to convince more members to come to the troop meeting or recruit more committee members. The main area that concerns the board would be items that may not be known by the Scoutmaster. Star, Life, and Eagle ranks require a certain amount of time in rank before the next rank can be earned, service hours and a certain number of merit badges have to be earned. The advancement chair must have this information available prior to a board of review. This is the only area that should result in a Scout being turned down for rank advancement by the board of review. If the board feels that Scout has not earned the rank and should be turned down for other reasons, then your advancement program should be examined to find out why this Scout didn’t get the assistance necessary to successfully complete the rank. It is possible for a Scout to appeal the decision of the board of review. Consult with your unit commissioner. The questions asked during a board of review should not retest the Scout on the skills for the rank, but cover a broad range of questions that will explore how this person, not just this Scout, can improve. The last rank is behind him, explore what the trail to the next rank will look like. Examine areas of interest, hobbies, and life goals. Boy Scouts normally request a Scoutmaster Conference and a board of review when they have completed the skills necessary for the rank, and this normally happens at reasonable intervals. Some Scouts stall in rank advancement, for many reasons, and a long period may elapse. The advancement chair should periodically review all Scouts in the troop and look for Scouts that have held a rank for too long without advancing. The Scoutmaster should schedule a Scoutmaster conference and a board of review for that Scout so that an opportunity to discuss Scout goals can take place to encourage the Scout to complete the next rank. This is also an opportunity to find out if any problems exist and what steps can be taken to overcome them. Top of page | Advancement home page