Eagle Board of Review Guidelines

Transcription

1 BSA Troop 20 Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Eagle Board of Review Guidelines 26 March :00 WCBD-TV2 A. Guidelines B. Sample Board of Review Questions Purpose: A Boy Scout advances from Tenderfoot to Eagle by his participation in a wide variety of Scouting activities, by completion of advancement requirements and merit badges, and by growing in stature, character and spirituality. He progresses under the leadership of his parents, of older boys, and with adult leaders. Throughout the advancement process, Scouting consistently applies four steps to the process: 1. The Boy Scout Learns. 2. The Boy Scout is Tested. 3. The Boy Scout is Reviewed. 4. The Boy Scout is Recognized. The Eagle Scout Board of Review members should consider the following objectives in the conduct of the review. They should ensure that the Scout has done what is required to achieve the rank. They should determine what benefits and experiences the Scout has accomplished through Scouting, and to encourage the Scout to progress further, in Scouting and in citizenship. The review is not an examination; the Board does not retest the candidate. There are no specific questions that an Eagle candidate must be able to answer, but he should be able to demonstrate that his character and accomplishments in Scouting are consistent with the expectations of an Eagle Scout. The Board should be assured of the candidates participation in the program, his attitude and his acceptance of Scouting s ideals. This is the highest award that a Scout may achieve, consequently a thorough discussion of his successes and experiences in Scouting should be conducted. Guidelines: A. The Board of Review for an Eagle candidate is composed of at least three but not more than six members. These members do not have to be registered in Scouting, but they must have an understanding of the importance and purpose of the Eagle Board of Review. One member serves as Chairman. Unit leaders, assistant unit leaders, relatives or guardians may not serve as members of a Scout's Board of Review. At least one District advancement representative must be a member of the Eagle Board of Review if the

2 review is conducted at a unit level. A Scout may request a District Board of Review which will consist of members of the District Advancement Committee and/or District members who have an understanding of the importance of the Eagle Board of Review. In no case should a relative or guardian of the candidate attend the review, either as a participant or observer. The contents of the Board of Review are confidential and the proceedings are not to be disclosed to any person who is not a member of the Board of Review. B. All requirements for Eagle Scout advancement, and the Scoutmaster s Conference must be completed prior to the Scout s 18 th birthday. If a BOR cannot be completed before his 18 th birthday, then it may be convened within 3 months of his birthday. If extenuating circumstances exist, the Eagle Board may be convened up to 6 months after his birthday with written approval of the Council and National Advancement Committee. C. The Eagle BOR Chairman must verify all advancement materials before the BOR convenes. This includes, as a minimum: 1. Membership verification, by roster or by membership card. 2. Merit badge verifications, by means of advancement records, blue/white cards or unit advancement rosters. 3. Rank advancement verification. 4. Completed Eagle Application and Eagle Service Project booklet. 5. Listing of leadership positions, including leadership as Life Scout for at least six months. 6. Statement of Goals, Ambitions and Life Purpose. 7. Letters of recommendation. Letters must be sealed and presented as privileged communication between the author and the BOR members. D. The Board members should convene prior to interviewing the candidate (15 to 30 minutes.) The purpose of meeting before the actual interview is to: 1. Review the prospective Eagle Scout's application. 2. Read his reference letters and other important documents. 3. Become familiar with his service project by assessing his final report and any available pictures. 4. Review these guidelines to help formulate pertinent questions. During this initial meeting, the Chairman makes sure everyone is introduced to one another, sees that everyone has an opportunity to review all the paperwork and determines that all understand the goals of this Board, which are: 1. The Board determines that the Eagle project was successfully carried out. a. Did the candidate demonstrate leadership? b. Did he indeed direct the project himself, rather than do all the work himself or allow someone else to direct the project? c. Was the project of value to the institution, school or community group?

3 d. Who from the benefiting group may be contacted to verify the value of the project? e. Did the project follow the plan, or were modifications necessary to complete it - what did the candidate learn from making the modifications? 2. The Board should be assured of the candidate's participation in and understanding of the Scouting program. 3. A thorough discussion of his successes and experiences in Scouting must take place. As the documents are making the rounds, the Chairman should add any relevant data of which he is aware. It is best if the Chairman has personally viewed the completed project - if that is not possible, a phone call to the benefiting group's representative to discuss the merits of the project will do. The following guidelines must be kept in mind during the questioning of the candidate: 1. The review is not an examination; the Board does not test the candidate. However, the Board should not be a "rubber stamp" approval process. Appearance of the candidate before the Eagle Board of Review does not mean automatic attainment of the Eagle Rank. 2. The Board should attempt to determine the Scout's attitude toward and acceptance of Scouting's ideals 3. The Board should make sure that good standards of performance have been met in all phases of his life. 4. A discussion of the Scout Oath and Scout Law is in keeping with the questioning. 5. Be sure the candidate recognizes and understands the value of Scouting in his home, unit, school and community. 6. The Scout should be encouraged to talk - don't ask questions answerable with a simple yes or no. E. Once the Scout's Eagle Application, service project paperwork, letters of recommendation and these guidelines are reviewed, the board of review interview will commence. The Eagle Board of Review Interview Process: The Scoutmaster is asked to introduce the candidate to the Board (as a courtesy the Board members should stand). The Scoutmaster can be invited to remain as an observer and

4 may be called upon to clarify a point in question. The candidate is asked to begin the Board by reciting the Scout Oath and Scout Law. 1. Ask him questions about his understanding and adherence to the Scout Oath and Scout Law: 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. a. What is the hardest point of the Scout Law for him to live by - why? b. What point of the Scout Law is the most important to him - why? c. What does "Scouting Spirit" mean to him - why? d. What do the various points of the Scout Law mean to him? e. What values has Scouting taught him that he thinks others see in him - at home, in his unit, at school and/or in the community? f. How does he live by the Scout Law and Oath? g. What do the different points of the Scout Oath mean to him? h. What does "duty to God" mean to him? i. What does "duty to Country" mean to him? j. How does he "help others at all times"? k. How does he feel about wearing his uniform in public? 2. Ask him questions about his camping experiences: a. What was his most enjoyable experience in Scouting? b. Conversely, what was his least enjoyable experience? c. How many summer camps has he attended and where? d. What did he enjoy most about his summer camp experiences? e. Has he attended any High Adventure camps (Parsons, Silver Marmot, Mountainman or Philmont) - where and what did he enjoy about them - describe the experience. f. As him about his outdoor experiences in Scouting - campouts, 50 milers, etc. g. Ask him what he remembers of the "Outdoor Code". h. As him if he has staffed any summer camps - what did he learn from the experience and what did he enjoy about the experience. 3. Ask him questions related to his Scouting experience: a. What leadership positions has he held? b. What were his responsibilities in each position? c. What leadership position does he hold now? d. Ask him what he would do if a scout refused to comply and/or ignored a valid request he made in the performance of his duties. e. Ask him about his troop's discipline policy and where he figures in it in his present leadership position. f. Ask him how he might handle "hurry-up" first aid cases.

5 g. Ask him other questions related to merit badges he has earned (remember you are not testing him). h. Has he earned any merit badges that will help him in his choice of occupation? i. What merit badge did he enjoy working on the most - why? j. Conversely, which one did he enjoy working on the least - why? k. Ask him what changes he might make in his unit. l. If he earns his Eagle rank tonight, what does he intend to do to repay Scouting, his unit and its leaders? m. Who has been the most influential person in his Scouting career? n. Is there anything Scouting did not give him that he feels could be beneficial to the program to help other young men develop? 4. Ask him pertinent questions about his project. The Board should make sure that a good standard of performance has been met. a. What group benefited from his project? b. How did he find out about the need? c. Ask him to walk the Board through the project from beginning to end, including the planning phase, the organization of personnel and directing the project to completion d. Did he have to contact any city, county or state officials for permits or to find out about ordinances, etc. - did the Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge help - how? e. Once his project was approved, did he have to modify it - what did he learn from that experience? f. Who did he get involved in helping him with his project - scouts, adults from his troop, members of the benefiting organization...? g. Did he have any problems directing adults in their work - how did he feel about that? h. In what ways does he feel he demonstrated leadership in this project? i. Every scouts feels his project was "special" - how is his project "special"? j. Thirty years from now when someone else asks him what he did for his Eagle project, what will stand out in his mind - how will he answer that question? 5. Ask him about his plans for the future. The Board should attempt to determine the Scout's ideals and goals. a. Ask him about his plans for the future - college, Armed Forces, trade school,... b. How does he feel earning Eagle will help him in those plans? c. When he turns 18, he assumes some new responsibilities - What are they? Sign up for the draft, register to vote and responsible for his actions in the eyes of the law. d. What should an Eagle Scout be expected to do and what responsibilities does he think come with the rank? e. What does he plan to do in scouting in the immediate and long range future?

6 These are by no means the only questions that may be asked. They are merely examples to be used as a springboard to other questions and further discussion. Other example questions are attached to these guidelines. Please do not assume that you are to ask only these questions and consider the interview complete. The interview should come to a natural conclusion as each board member runs out of questions. There is not set length of time for an Eagle Board of Review. A typical Board may last 45 minutes to over an hour. After the Review After the review, the candidate and his unit leader leave the room while the board members discuss the acceptability of the candidate as an Eagle Scout. Because of the importance of the Eagle Scout Award, the decision of the Board of Review must be unanimous. If the candidate meets the requirements, he is asked to return and is informed that he will receive the Board's recommendation for the Eagle award. Immediately after the Board of Review, the application must be signed by the Board Chairman and the District Advancement Committee Representative. All members of the Board of Review shall sign an Advancement Roster Form. The individual Eagle Scout advancement results should be the only item on that form. The application is then turned into the Council Service Center. A photocopy of the application should be attached to an Advancement Form and submitted to the Council Service Center as well. After the Council completes processing of the completed Eagle Scout Advancement Application, the Board Chairman will return the Eagle Scout Service Project workbook and other materials to the Scout. The letters of recommendation, as privileged communication are to be destroyed by the Board Chairman, and may not be shown or given to the Scout. If the candidate is found unacceptable, he is asked to return and told the reasons for his failure to qualify. A discussion should be held with him as to how he may meet the requirements within a given period. Should the applicant disagree with the decision, the appeal procedures should be explained to him. A follow-up letter must be sent to the Scout confirming the agreements reached on the action(s) necessary for the advancement. If the Scout chooses to appeal, provide the name and address of the person he is to contact. Reference and Source Material: 1. Substantial portions of this document were excerpted from eaglescout.org, webmaster Rick Cordray. 2. BSA Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures 3. Carolina Coastal Council Eagle Instruction Summary. 4. Other BSA Council/District Policy documents were reviewed and compared to these guidelines.

7 Sample Board of Review Questions Personal Data and Insights: 1. What is your full name? What Scouting unit do you belong to? How old are you? 2. How do you get along in school with your classmates and teachers? 3. Do you participate in any school activities? 4. With whom do you live? 5. What do you do to make your home a pleasant place to live? 6. List your home chores. Do you think any of them are unfair? 7. Talk about your relationships at home. 8. Talk about your relationship with your relatives. Are there any you dislike and why? 9. Talk about your relationship with your friends. 10. Describe your best friend. Do not name him. What are his good qualities and what are his poor qualities? 11. How do you cope with the qualities you do not like in him? 12. What do you think is your weakest point? Explain. 13. What do you think is your strongest point? Explain. 14. What are your ambitions? Re: college, career, work, etc. 15. Outside of your family and scouting, who is the most important person in your life? Why? 16. Who are some other people who have helped to shape your life? 17. How does Scouting influence your interactions with people? 18. What hobbies do you have and explain them. 19. Tell me some other things that you enjoy doing besides your hobbies? 20. What do you think is your greatest talent? How are you using this talent? 21. Are you ever lazy? Explain. 22. If you could have 3 wishes granted what would they be? (Take your time.) 23. What kind of religious involvement do you have? 24. Do you believe in God? 25. What religious awards have you earned? How do you feel about earning them? Are you working on any religious award of faith at the present time? 26. How do you keep yourself physically strong? 27. Have you ever used alcohol or drugs? 28. How do you handle the peer pressure about alcohol and drug use? 29. What is one thing you learned the hard way? 30. Can you take disappointment? 31. Have you ever entered into a competition that you knew you would win hands down, only to come out in second place at the end? Any competition: sports, band, school or individual events. How did you handle it? 32. How many days were you absent from school last year? This year? Why? 33. How do you spend your free time? 34. Do you have a personal motto? If so, what is it or what might it be? 35. When was the last time you really went out of your way to help someone? Explain.

8 36. Whom do you love the most? 37. How do you show this love? Have you told them recently that you love them? 38. How do you earn your spending money? 39. What type of books do you like to read? Can you give me the name or title of the last book you read that was not for school? 40. If you had the opportunity to meet and talk for an hour with any person in the world (alive or dead); who would it be and what would you ask that person? What Do You Think? 1. Take a recent news item and talk about it. (You do not have to talk about a religious or political item). 2. Give us your feelings about prejudice? 3. What do you think about boys who are handicapped becoming Scouts? 4. Mentally awake can mean several things; one of which is being aware of what is happening in your neighborhood or community. How do you keep up with community news? 5. Being morally straight in today s society is tough. How do you adhere to this part of the Scout Oath? 6. How do you deal with telling your friends NO when they want to do something that you know is not right? 7. Did you ever go on an adult web site on the internet? Was this by accident or did your friends tell you to do it? 8. If a girl, whom you like or were trying to impress, asked you to do something that you thought was wrong how would you handle this situation? 9. Why do you think teenagers hang out? 10. What are your views teenage sexuality? 11. If your best friend had a serious problem, that could endanger him or her, how would you handle this even though you might have to break his or her confidence which would make them very, very angry? 12. What is the one piece of advice you would give to a teenage son? 13. If you have a problem who is the one person that you would trust to help you? Why do you have confidence in that person? 14. Who do you think is most responsible for your being here today? 15. Do you think that you will be able to remember the obligation of a Scout to help others at all times as you grow into an adult? What will help you to remember this fundamental ideal? 16. What constitutes a Good Turn for you? Tell a Good Turn you ve done recently. Teamwork: 1. How do you get along with the other Scouts in the Troop? 2. Did you ever have any conflicts with anybody in the Troop? Explain. 3. How has your attendance been at Troop meetings. overnights, swims and other Troop events?

9 4. Have you been carrying any additional responsibilities in the Troop since you became a Life Scout? How do you go about it? 5. What is the buddy system? How do you feel about it? 6. What does sight and sound mean when you are at any Scout camp? 7. What does it mean when your accept responsibility for something? 8. How does accepting responsibility for a project make you feel? 9. How are you living up to your responsibilities in your unit? 10. You are in charge of a group. The group becomes unruly. What are you going to do about this? 11. How have you helped the younger Scouts in your Troop? 12. Have you ever led a campfire ceremony? Tell us about it. If not why not? 13. What are some of the 12 Leadership Skills and explain 1 of those you named. 14. What do you think makes your Troop function so well? 15. What strengths and weaknesses have you noticed in the various Patrols? What would you suggest to correct those weaknesses? 16. What is the Patrol Method? 17. What do you think of the Patrol Method? 18. How has the Troop performed in giving the Patrols the support they need? 19. How can the Troop improve on its Training of Junior Leaders? 20. What do you do personally to make your Troop a better one? 21. How do you see your role in the Troop changing after you become an Eagle? 22. Why do you think Scouting has lasted so long and spread worldwide? Your Progress and the Scouting Program: 1. Do you feel ready to become an Eagle Scout? Why? 2. How old are you? Don t you think you are too young to become an Eagle Scout? 3. Why do you want to become an Eagle Scout? 4. What do you think about the Boy Scout advancement program? How does that compare to what you do in school? 5. Other than camping trips, what are some of the best things that you have done in Scouting? What did you enjoy about them? 6. How do you feel about the Scout uniform? Do you wear it to the meeting or do change when you get to the meeting? Are you always ready for inspections? 7. How do you feel about the adult leadership of your Troop? 8. Why did you become a Scout? 9. What have you gotten out of the Scouting program? 10. How are you different now, than when you joined Scouting? 11. What was your favorite merit badge? Why? 12. What was your least favorite merit badge. Why? 13. What was the toughest merit badge that you took on your Trail to Eagle? Why? 14. What was the easiest merit badge? Why? 15. Which merit badges do you think will help you the most in life? Why? 16. List the Troop positions you have held. 17. Which position has been the most rewarding and why? 18. In the different Scouting leadership positions that you have held, do you feel that you did your best, at all times, to make that position function the best you could? If

10 not, what would you do differently? 19. Do you know how to swim? 20. Did you learn how to swim while you were a Boy Scout? 21. Are you a member of the Order of the Arrow? 22. What do you think about this organization? 23. What is the most important award you earned in Scouting before today? 24. Have you earned any specialty badges, i.e., Mile Swim, BSA Lifeguard, World Conservation Award, Arrow of Light, etc., 25. Approximately how many overnights have you been on? 26. How many times have you gone to summer camp? 27. Have you ever taken a Junior Leader Training course or workshop? 28. What do you think about Scoutmaster Conferences? Why? 29. How do you feel about Boards of Review? Why? 30. Now that you have at least 21 merit badges, do you think that any one you have earned might lead you into a life career? Which one? 31. What further responsibilities does the earning of the 21 merit badges, especially the required ones, place upon you as a citizen? 32. What is an Eagle Scouts duty to his country? 33. What is an Eagle Scouts duty to the Boy Scouts of America? 34 If you become an Eagle Scout, do you intend to earn your Eagle Palms? The Eagle Project: 1. You did projects for Star, Life and now Eagle. What is the difference between them, not in the work but in terms of the idea? 2. Talk about your Eagle Project. 3. How did you come up with the idea? 4. Did you have any difficulty planning your project? 5. How did you go about doing your project? 6. How did you demonstrate leadership during your project? 7. How much cooperation did you get when you asked for help? 8. Was their any Scout who refused to help you and do you know the reason why? 9. Whom did your project help? 10. What was the hardest part of your project? 11. What problems did you encounter and how did you overcome them? 12. Did you learn any new skills or did you improve on any old skills while doing your project? 13. Did you help on any other present Eagle Scout candidates project? Whose? 14. Since your project is completed, honestly rate it on a scale from 1 to 10. Why? The Big Picture in Scouting: 1. What do your friends say about you being a Boy Scout? Do they even know that you are in Scouting? 2. If you make Eagle, your picture may be in the newspaper. How will you respond to the different types of remarks and comments you will receive? 3. What is the most important part of the Scout Law? Why? 4. Lets say the BSA decide to shorten the Scout Law, and you had to eliminate one of

11 the twelve points; which one would you eliminate and why? 5. If you could, what would you replace that point with? 6. What does A Scout is Reverent mean to you? 7. Please recite the Scout Oath or Promise. 8. What is Honor? What does it mean when you say On My Honor? 9. What is the most important part of the Scout Oath or Promise. Why? 10. How do you keep yourself Mentally Awake? Morally Straight? 11. What is the one thing that you most like about Scouting? Explain. 12. What is the one thing that you most dislike about Scouting? Explain. 13. The second motto of the Boy Scouts is Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints. Can you explain this statement? 14. What is the BSA low impact camping program? 15. What is the newest Scout slogan and can you explain it? (Character Counts...) 16. What is the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA)? 17.What is the most important boy leadership position in the Troop? Why? 18. Tell the Board about the times the uniform must be worn and why? 19. Does it bother you that you are told constantly that you represent your unit? 20. How do you feel that becoming an Eagle might affect your life? 21. What about being an Eagle Scout will be toughest for you, knowing that people will have high expectations from you. How will you cope with this? 22. What burdens and responsibilities come with being an Eagle? Are you prepared for them? 23. Do you think that your teachers will expect more of you as an Eagle? 24. Would you suggest to your son or sons that they become Boy Scouts? 25. How would you help out in this endeavor? 26. Once you become 18 will you continue in the Scouting program and in what capacity? 27. What is the one thing in Scouting that you will carry with you for the rest of your life? 28. If you could send one message to every Scout, what would it be? 29. Have you ever felt that any one person (youth or adult) epitomized leadership? What made this person such a strong role model? 30. Do you understand that when this Board of Review votes on you, after you are excused, that the vote has to be unanimous for recommendation for Eagle certification? Do you think this fair? 31. Do you feel this has been a fair Board of Review? 32. If you do not pass this Board how would you handle the disappointment? 33. What will you do if after tonight s Board of Review, you are recommended to become an Eagle Scout? 34. Do you have any suggestions for forthcoming Eagle candidates of your Troop about service projects? 35. What suggestions or help will you be able to give to future Life Scouts of your Troop about this whole process? 36. Is there anything else you would like to say to this Board of Review before you are excused?