I recently had to email all the new members of the troop the process for Scoutmaster Conferences and Board of Reviews. If you find this helpful.
Hi All,
I just wanted to clarify a few issues with Scoutmaster Conferences and Board of Reviews.
Please share this with your scouts’.
The deadline for Scoutmaster Conferences and Board of Reviews is 1.5 weeks prior to any Court of Honor. On the deadline date, the Advancement Chair will also be collecting any blue cards for merit badges that need to be awarded.
Scoutmaster Conference:
When a scout has all the requirements signed off on a rank, only then can he request a Scoutmaster Conference from me by email. This email should be from the scout. The scouts’ need to initiate the email, this is part of the learning process in communication.
Through email, we will then decide on a good time to meet. Typically, we will meet on a Sunday. Doing Scoutmaster conference at the regular troop meeting is very difficult and distracting for both the scout and myself.
Depending on the rank for Scoutmaster conference, I schedule the below amount of time for each rank.
Scout 20 minutes
Tenderfoot to First class 30 minutes
Star and Life 30-45 minutes
Eagle 1.5 hours
The scout rank is the only rank that does not require a Board of Review, it is the scouts’ responsibility to contact the Advancement Chair let her know that the Scoutmaster conference was done. A picture of the book with the initials and date is what the Advancement Chair will need. She will then log the advancement and purchase the scout patch and pins for Court of Honor.
If a scout does not have all the requirements signed off prior to the Scoutmaster conference, it makes it difficult to get everything done in the time I allot for the conference.
Board of Reviews:
After a scout has a Scoutmaster conference then they can ask for a Board of Review. The scout will need to email the Advancement Chair.
Once the Advancement Chair and the scout agree on a time, the Chari will ask 2 to 3 other adult leaders within the troop to sit on a board for the scout. Ideally this will not be any adult that signs off on a scout book, but in the rare circumstances that no one is available, the adult leader may serve in both capacities.
Adults may not serve on their own scouts’ board or sign in their Scoutbook.
Once the Review is complete and the scout passes, the Advacement Chair will then log the advancement and purchase the scout patch and pins for Court of Honor.
If you have any questions, please give me a call.
Yours in Scouting,
The formal BSA Guide to Advancement will also have any additional answers for questions you may have.
Again, I hope you found this useful. Let me know what your process for Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Reviews are. I would love to hear them!
YIS,
Mrs. Scoutmaster, Irene
PS. Check out my story here!
Hi Irene,
I am hoping you are able to help me with a question in regards to the Eagle scout master review. Does the service project report and the statement of purpose need to be completed for approval of the scout master review. My son worked on these after his review (and his 18th birthday) but delivered the completed application within 3 months of his birthday. The scout master was ok with this and signed off on the review but council is delaying the EBoR, claiming it is an issue. The application has also been verified and signed off on by council. Only the EBoR remains. I read through the 2019 Guide to Advancement many times and can’t find how this would be an issue.
Would greatly appreciate your input.
YIS
Chris Poulos
Hi Chris,
The dates are a big issue with council. My council specifies that the Scoutmaster conference date must be on or before the scouts 18th birthday.
As a habit the scouts in my troop have to have the Eagle project workbook complete with all signatures and dates by their 18th birthdate. The letter(statement of purpose) is only needed at the EBOR, so when I do the Scoutmaster conference I let the scout know to get it finished before his EBOR.
In the Guide to Advancement, I believe it states that the EBOR has to happen before 90 days after the scout turns 18, to be eligible for Eagle Rank.
That said, I do not know when your scouts dead line date is, if it has passed your son can always appeal the decision of Council. The guide to advancement explains this process as I do not go through this process often, I have only gone through it once and it was a few years ago.
Since your council has already approved the application I don’t see an problem unless there are other issues.
Best of luck to you and your son.
YIS,
Mrs. Scoutmaster