Eagle Scout Board of Review

[ItsBrian]

I’m two merit badges away from Eagle, so I’m trying to work out everything I’ve been told.

 

So on the Eagle Scout application, you have to list your references. Someone in my troop had told me that two of those who recommended you have to attend your BOR with you???

 

That doesn’t sound right to me. I know every council is different.

[TAHAWK]

"Someone in my troop had told me that two of those who recommended you have to attend your BOR with you???"

 

I can find no such requirement.

 

Councils can be "different."    They cannot add requirements.

 

In fact, "The unit leader may remain in the room, but only to observe, not to participate unless called upon. The number of “observers†at a board of review should otherwise be minimized."  [emphasis added]

 

And since the candidate can have no role in selecting members of the board, these theoretical attendees, selected by the candidate,  can only fall into the discouraged :observer" category.

Edited October 9, 2017 by TAHAWK

[RememberSchiff]

I’m two merit badges away from Eagle, so I’m trying to work out everything I’ve been told.

 

So on the Eagle Scout application, you have to list your references. Someone in my troop had told me that two of those who recommended you have to attend your BOR with you???

 

That doesn’t sound right to me. I know every council is different.

 

Only their "sealed" references need to come.

 

I know every council handles Eagle BOR's different  and that never sounded right to me.

[Chisos]

There is probably a district or council level "Eagle Coordinator" that could best tell you how they do it in your council--you are correct, how the boards are selected is council-dependent.

[ItsBrian]

Only their "sealed" references need to come.

 

I know every council handles Eagle BOR's different  and that never sounded right to me.

  

There is probably a district or council level "Eagle Coordinator" that could best tell you how they do it in your council--you are correct, how the boards are selected is council-dependent.

  

"Someone in my troop had told me that two of those who recommended you have to attend your BOR with you???"

 

I can find no such requirement.

 

Councils can be "different."    They cannot add requirements.

 

In fact, "The unit leader may remain in the room, but only to observe, not to participate unless called upon. The number of “observers†at a board of review should otherwise be minimized."  [emphasis added]

 

And since the candidate can have no role in selecting members of the board, these theoretical attendees, selected by the candidate,  can only fall into the discouraged :observer" category.

Thanks all!

 

I had figured it was only the references were needed, don’t know why I was told otherwise.

[Sentinel947]

That could be a requirement of your district or council, but it sounds like an "Eagle Scout process" myth to me. 

[qwazse]

Thanks all!

I had figured it was only the references were needed, don’t know why I was told otherwise.

I could tell you why but it would involve a series of expletives book-ending "... self-absorbed control freeks ..."

[SSScout]

 EBoR s here abouts  usually work like this:   The Eagle candidates  (plural!  These are scheduled in advance !)  bring their Scoutmaster to introduce them, and usually parents and maybe some other interested adults.   There might be two or three EBoRs  that night.   Each EBoR is chaired by a District Eagle Coordinator (usually different from the one that counseled the candidate earlier), and the other Board Members (two or three more) are made up with the other Eagle candidates'  parents or Scoutmasters.   I have sat in on several such Boards.   The Candidate's Scoutmaster (or designee) introduces the candidate to the EBoR and then leaves the room.  He does not observe, that is considered a breach of etiquette .  The "drafted" Board members might serve on another Board that night , if needed.  

It can be impressive or challenging or just fun, depending.... 

[mashmaster]

My guess is that what they meant is that the references must be sealed and opened at the board of review, not the people giving the references.  Those are typically destroyed afterwards so the scout doesn't see them.  

[Tampa Turtle]

In our council pretty much as SSScout described. Be honest and objective in your answers. (Bad references really cannot tank you but might, at worst, bring up some tougher questions.) 

 

Most importantly...get those Merit Badges done! (I will be singing this song to some boys tonight!)

[Tampa Turtle]

ItsBrian, while filling out your application take time to reflect on all the work, skills, and adventures you have compiled up to this point. 

[NJCubScouter]

A priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into an Eagle Board of Review...

[gblotter]

One of the hats I wear in Scouting is to chair Eagle Scout BORs. It is interesting for me to learn about the various ways that different councils conduct these.

In our council, Eagle Scout BORs are held once a month for all candidates in the district. Each BOR typically last one hour. We will run multiple boards at the same time, so it sometimes requires as many as 21 Scouters to sit on the boards. It is a big affair, and the Scouts know it. We don't want to be intimidating, but we do want Eagle Scout candidates to know that this is Scouting's highest honor and we take it seriously.

Eagle Scout candidates may be accompanied by an escort if desired, but it cannot be a parent or a Scoutmaster. Aside from making an introduction at the beginning, the escort sits at the back of the room and remains silent. Many Eagle Scout candidates use this as an opportunity to honor an adult Scouter who has been particularly meaningful/helpful by asking him to be his escort.

References listed on the Eagle Scout application are largely ignored and there are no letters of recommendation included with the application materials. I consider that a weakness of our particular review process.

Edited December 6, 2017 by gblotter

[ItsBrian]

@gblotter Thanks!

 

I have another question if you don’t mind, do you require blue cards for EBOR?

My district in my Council has decided to start requiring them, yet nobody has them saved. Isn’t the online records all that matter?

[Stosh]

Not to worry, this process is nothing more than authoritarian gate-keeping and bullying of scouts who have earned the rank.  The EBOR is not a final test, it is not a judgment, it is not an evaluation of a Scout's career.  All BOR's are held AFTER THE RANK HAS BEEN EARNED. 

Instead of questioning the validity of a scout's record, I would be first in line to question the validity of the members of the BOR.  They obviously haven't been trained correctly as to what the process is all about and yet, feel they can jerk the boys around at will.  If they are worried about protecting the validity of the Eagle Rank, maybe they ought to be thinking about protecting the validity of the EBOR process instead.