Boards of Review

Boards of Review Process Details

The Troop 608 Boards of Review process runs according to the guidelines provided in the BSA Guide to Advancement. This is a very important time for a Scout, and we appreciate our volunteer’s time in providing quality boards of review. Here are a few guidelines, rules, and sample questions. Most of this information can be found in the BSA Guide to Advancement.

Please see the Troop 608 Advancement Coordinator at any troop meeting if you have further questions.

What are Boards of Review and what is the Troop 608 Boards of Review process.?

Very simply, the BoR is a requirement that Scouts must meet in order to advance to the next rank. The board is made up of at least three adults (not to include the scoutmaster, assistant scoutmasters, or the scout’s parents) who review the Scout’s experience, whether the requirements have been satisfied, and ask about how the Troop, their patrol, and the Scout are functioning. They are set up on a regular basis (often monthly or in special cases as needed) and a schedule is maintained by the Troop 608 Advancement Coordinator. The Board is not a retest of the Scout’s knowledge, but rather is a celebration of accomplishment. The Board provides the scout with an opportunity to develop communication skills as they interact with adults.

Who may sit on a Boards of Review?

A BoR must consist of at least 3 and no more than 6 adult members, all of whom must be at least 21 years of age. Scoutmasters and ASMs may not sit on a BoR. The candidate’s parents shall not sit on a BoR, nor can they have any part in selecting members for their Scout’s BoR.

The Basic process

Once a Scout has met all other requirements for rank advancement, the Boards of Review is held. A team of 3-6 adults (at least one of whom must be a registered BSA member) will meet with the Scout. A list of example questions is provided. One Boards member is designated as the Chairperson and keeps notes, although the notes are confidential and are to be destroyed.

The BoR should last from 15-30 minutes at most. After the Scout is interviewed, the Scout steps outside the room while the Board members deliberate. If all Board members agree unanimously that the Scout may advance, the Scout is then called back in and congratulated. The effective date of rank advancement is the date of the successful BoR, not the subsequent Court of Honor. Every effort should be made to recognize the Scout in front of the Troop and provide the new rank patch immediately after the BoR, typically at our closing announcements portion of each meeting. The Scout may then be re-recognized formally at the next CoH.

Each rank has a separate Boards of Review.

Troop 608 Boards of Review process sets the expectation that all BoRs are basically the same for the ranks Tenderfoot to Life. The Eagle Boards of Review is conducted with a member of the Button Gwinnett District and is slightly different. These meetings may take 30-45 minutes to complete. See the Guide to Advancement and the Eagle Scout Workbook.

Please see the Committee Chair, Advancement Coordinator, or Scoutmaster with any further questions.

Sample Boards of Review Questions

These are just a few samples of questions that could be asked during the Troop 608 Boards of Review process. Obviously, in a 15-30 minute session, only a handful of these will be asked. Efforts should be made by Board members to touch on various areas and learn more about the Scout’s experience, and obtain feedback on the performance of the patrol and the troop.

For more questions, grouped by rank, click here.

Personal Data

When did you join the Troop?
What grade are you in? What school?
What hobbies do you have?
Why did you join Scouts BSA?

General Questions

When did you join our Troop?
How many Troop meetings have you attended in the last two months?
What did you do at your last patrol meeting?
Tell us about your last Troop campout.
How would the first aid skills you must know for (rank) help on a campout?
Where did you learn how to fold the American flag? Tell us about your first experience with this skill.
Where did you go on your most recent hike? How did you choose the location?
If you were on a hike and got lost, what would you do?
Why do we whip or fuse the ends of a rope?
What is the “Buddy System” that we use in Scouting? When do we use it?

Merit Badges

What merit badges do you have?
Which merit badge was the most enjoyable to you? Why?
Tell us about a particularly memorable Merit Badge counselor experience. Whom did you meet with, and what (if anything) did you get from your talk?
What was the most challenging requirement (rank or merit badge)
Which badge(s) are you setting a goal to earn in the near future?

Teamwork

Have you been able to make it to most of the troop meetings so far?
What is the name of your patrol? Do you have a flag?
Do you feel that you and your patrol are getting along?
Is there anything you would like to see changed in the patrol or troop meetings?

Scout Life

How do you live the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life? If you find it a challenge how do you overcome it?
What is a good turn? What good turns have you done lately?
What troop outings have you attended? What do you think of them?
What does “On My Honor” mean to you?
What do you think people expect from you as a Scout?
What do/did you like about summer camp?
Which requirement to meet this rank was the most difficult for you? Why?
What is the most important part of a Troop Court of Honor? Why?
What leadership positions have you held outside of your patrol? What challenges did they present? What are your personal leadership goals and objectives?
How would you get a Scout to do an unpleasant task?

The Big Picture

What do you like best about Scouting?
How (or how not) has Scouting been what you thought it would be?
How does Scouting influence your interactions with people?
Have you ever felt you had to defend yourself because someone knew you are in Scouts?
You are a member of Scouts BSA, which began to permit girls to join and earn ranks starting in 2019. Have you encountered positive or negative feedback from the community? How did you/would you react?
What do you like most about the Patrol Method? Least?
What do you think you’ll remember most about Scouting after you graduate?
Have you taken part in any recent service projects? Which ones?
What are your long term plans in scouting?
What Troop leadership positions do you plan to run for?
Or, if the Scout is a member, ask about their experience thus far.
What does it mean to be an Eagle Scout? What do you think people think when they hear that someone is an Eagle Scout?
Have you given thought to an Eagle Scout project? Tell us about it.

Always end by asking something like: “Do you have any questions, feedback, or concerns for us, your Board?”