Understand better the ins and outs of the Boy Scout board of review process and how it impacts the boy and the program.
Show Notes:
- One of the main themes of the video I hope you get is that this is not about testing the boy. While you tend to liken it to a job interview, it is more closely associated with a a fact-finding meeting, where you are looking to see how the boy is doing, his ambitions inside and outside of scouting, and most importantly, how the program is running, IT IS NOT A RETEST OF THE BOY. Unless there is a technical reason, or something unusual about the situation, boys DO NOT FAIL BOARDS OF REVIEW.
- THERE IS NOTHING MORE DAMAGING TO THE BOY OR THE PROGRAM THAN TO FAIL A BOY IN THIS SITUATION.
- As discussed in the video, this is my troop’s board of review form.
- “Conducting a Board of Review” from Boy Scout Trail.
- Board of Review basics from Bryan on Scouting.
Transcript:
Picking up from last week’s ScoutmasterDave on Advancement is the Board of Review process.
A Board of Review is granted when scout has completed the requirements for rank for a scout.
Very much like the Scoutmaster Conference, where this is an opportunity for the Scoutmaster to see how the scout and the program are operating, the Board of Review is meant to be a check on how the program is running.
While the questions are posed to the scout, the board is really looking at how the program is operating, how the program is perceived by the scouts, and how the leadership interoperates with the program.
I cannot stress this enough, that scouts do not FAIL boards of review. There are instances where the leadership has not done their job in preparing the boy for the board of review. For example, requirements not being signed off on, or time served at a rank is not enough.
While a boy has a stake in this, arguably the largest stake, it is the Scoutmaster and his assistant’s responsibility to ensure these are complete before granting a board of review.
Now, you can argue that if a scout is disrespectful to the board, or there is a bullying or discipline problem, that a board can be put on hold for a specific period of time to accomplish a specific milestone, and then reconvened at that time, but this is generally rare.
Scouts however cannot fail boards of review for uniforming, or for a test of requirements signed off. This is also not a re-test.
In my opinion there is nothing more disheartening to a boy and damaging to the program then essentially failing a boy in a board of review. Feeling a boy is “not ready” for the next rank is not acceptable, and should be taken very seriously. Disbanding of a board has to be for specific, actionable reasons. Period.
In our troop we require a boy to be in full uniform as a sign of respect to the board, and since it is rare for a boy in our troop to not wear the base uniform to the meeting this has never been an issue. It is not uncommon however for scouts to borrow a hat or neckerchief to participate.
We also have Board of review form that has a place for signatures by the senior patrol leader, scribe and scoutmaster. These are completed before the board is held. I’ve included a copy in the show notes, feel free to use it or customize it if you thing it is helpful in your troop.
To arrange a board we request the scout call the advancement chair, who will then schedule the board. For our troop, this happens in a separate room with 3-5 members from the troop committee. It takes place generally at the same time as a meeting.
Questions are asked, and at the end the members discuss, and most often rank is granted.
We try and give the boys their rank advancement patch as soon as possible, in front of the troop. If the rank is earned close to one of our scheduled courts of honor then we hold it for presentation in front of the entire troop and parents. This however depends on the overall timing.
Take what you like and leave the rest, and as we say in Woodbadge, feedback is a gift, leave yours below in the comments, with the hope we can all learn together.
I’m Scoutmaster Dave, and this was the board of review process.
