Scoutmaster Conferences

A Scout meets regularly with the Scoutmaster to discuss his activity in the troop and his understanding and practice of the ideals of Scouting.  This Scoutmaster conference is used to discuss goals and accomplishments, and is the second to last requirement for each rank advancement.   

However, a Scout does not have to wait until he has completed the requirements for a rank in order to ask for a Scoutmaster conference.  He may talk with the Scoutmaster at any time that is convenient to both of them.  However, for a Scoutmaster conference to count toward rank advancement it must take place after all other requirements are complete and before the Board of Review.  At this required conference the Scoutmaster will also help a Scout determine whether or not he is ready to go before the Board of Review. 

Boards of Review

The very last requirement for advancement is the Troop Board of Review, which is performed by the Troop Advancement Committee.  After the Scoutmaster conference, a Scout will need to contact the Troop Advancement Chair to request a Board of Review for his rank.  Boards of Review are normally held once a month, and are composed of three to six registered members of the troop committee.  The Board of Review will not include the Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters, or direct family members.

The purpose of the Board of Review is not to retest him but rather to ensure that he has completed all of the requirements, to determine the quality of his troop experience, and to encourage him to advance toward the next rank.  There may be a Board of Review called for a Scout even when he is not ready for the next rank.  The purpose of this is to check his progress and to see how things are going for him in the troop and his patrol.  The Troop Advancement Chairman may schedule such a Board of Review when they feel that an extended period has passed since a Scout’s last Board of Review.

Once scheduled for a Board of Review, a Scout should attend with his Boy Scout Handbook and in his full Class A uniform.  At the beginning of the review, a member of the board will bring him into the room, introduce the board, and have him seated.  During the review the board will discuss his development along his trail to Eagle, ask questions about skills that were required for his particular rank, and evaluate him in terms of troop activities and readiness for the next rank.  It is also a time for him to ask any questions and give feedback to the troop committee about activities and his Scouting experience in the troop and his patrol.  At the end of the review, he will be asked to leave the room while the board discusses his qualifications.  They will then call him back into the room to inform him either of his approval for the next rank or what additional actions he must take to qualify.

After passing the Board of Review, he will be recognized in front of the troop and receive his new rank patch usually at the next troop meeting.  He will be formally recognized for his rank advancements and merit badges in front of family and friends during a periodic ceremony referred to as a Court of Honor.  At this time he will be presented with a wallet-sized certificate card.  We schedule three to four Courts of Honor each year.  Parents, other family members, and friends are invited and encouraged to attend all Courts of Honor.

After reaching the rank of Life Scout, a Scout will meet with one of the adult leaders in the troop.  At this meeting he will receive his ‘Life to Eagle Packet’ and discuss ideas and suggestions for his situation pertaining to earning his Eagle Scout rank.  One of the requirements will be his Eagle Service Project.  This project must conform to special guidelines that have been outlined by the Boy Scouts of America.  The Scoutmaster, troop Advancement Chairman, an Eagle Project Advisor from the District Advancement Committee, as well as the benefiting organization, must approve a project before it can begin.