The Board of Review (BOR) is a chance for adults to talk with the Scout about what he’s done, what he’s learned, how has it helped him in his advancement and how he’s enjoying the program. It is an interview-style meeting and is conducted by three parents or adults connected to Troop 531 (except the Eagle BOR is conducted by the North Valley Area Advancement Committee). A BOR is done AFTER the Scoutmaster Conference and ALL rank requirements are complete. A Troop 531 Scoutmaster schedules the BOR. The Scout should be in complete uniform with his handbook. No family members should participate in the BOR or help answer questions.
There is no Board of Review for Scout Rank.
There is only a Scoutmaster Conference with one of the Troop 531 Scoutmasters.
Download Scoutmaster Conference Form here.
There is a Board of Review for every other rank from Tenderfoot to Eagle.
This is the Scout’s first experience with a Board of Review. Time: 15-20 minutes.
This can be online or in-person.
For an advancement Board of Review, the chairperson should ask the Scout to recite one or more of the following:
Scout Law: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."
Scout Motto: "Be prepared."
Scout Slogan: "Do a good turn daily."
Outdoor Code: "As an American, I will do my best to: Be clean in my outdoor manners, Be careful with fire, Be considerate in the outdoors, Be conservation minded."
Sample questions:
When did you join the Troop?
What grade are you in? What school?
What hobbies do you have?
What sports do you also do?
What patrol are you in? Does your patrol have a flag?
Why did you join Boy Scouts?
How many Troop meetings have you attended in the last two months?
What did you do at your last patrol meeting?
Tell us about your last Troop campout.
Have you taken part in any service projects? Pick one and tell us about it.
What has been your favorite Troop activity? Why?
If you were on a hike and got lost, what would you do?
Where did you learn how to fold the American flag? Tell us about your first experience with this skill.
What is the “Buddy System” that we use in Scouting? When do we use it?
Give us an example of how you obey the Scout Law at home or at school.
What is a good turn? What good turns have you done lately?
What does “On My Honor” mean to you?
Is there anything you would like to see changed in your patrol or the troop?
How (or how not) has Scouting been what you thought it would be?
What are your plans for earning 2nd Class rank?
This is the Scout’s second experience with a Board of Review. Time: 15-20 minutes.
This can be online or in-person.
For an advancement Board of Review, the chairperson should ask the Scout to recite two or more of the following:
Scout Law: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."
Scout Motto: "Be prepared."
Scout Slogan: "Do a good turn daily."
Outdoor Code: "As an American, I will do my best to –Be clean in my outdoor manners.Be careful with fire.Be considerate in the outdoors.Be conservation minded."
Sample questions:
How old are you?
Do you have a "hero”? If so, who and why?
Does your patrol have patrol meetings? What has your patrol being doing lately? Do you find them helpful? Is there something the troop can do to help your patrol have productive patrol meetings?
Is there any part of the patrol program that you would like changed? How would you make these changes? What is the benefit of these changes?
Where did you go on your last Troop campout? Tell us about the trip. What did you like about the outing?
What did you do for your service required for Second Class? What did you think of the project?
Have you had a chance to cook outdoors? What did you like about it?
What outdoor skills do you like best?
What part of scouting interests you the most?
Tell us about the flag ceremony in which you participated.
Do you plan to attend summer camp with our Troop next summer? I “Yes”: What are you looking forward to doing at summer camp? If “No”: Why not?
What requirement for this rank was the hardest? Easiest?
Have you started earning any merit badges? Which ones interest you, and why?
In the Scout Oath, what does “I will do my best” mean to you?
Do you ever do more than one Good Turn Daily? What kinds?
How is it possible to live the Scout Oath and Law in your daily life?
What does it mean to say, “A Scout is Trustworthy”?
The Scout Motto is “Be Prepared”. What does it mean to you?
What do you think it means to be a Second Class Scout? What should people expect of you?
What are your plans for First Class?
What is the first Leadership position you plan to run for?
What suggestions do you have for improving Troop 531?
This is the Scout’s third experience with a Board of Review. Time: 25-35 minutes.
This should be in-person.
For an advancement Board of Review, the chairperson should ask the Scout to recite three or more of the following:
Scout Law: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."
Scout Motto: "Be prepared."
Scout Slogan: "Do a good turn daily."
Outdoor Code: "As an American, I will do my best to –Be clean in my outdoor manners.Be careful with fire.Be considerate in the outdoors.Be conservation minded."
Sample questions:
What grade are you in?
What is your favorite subject in school?
What do you tell your friends about the things you learn and do in Scouts?
On average, how many Troop meetings do you attend each month?
What part of Troop meetings do you like? Why?
Tell us about your last campout with the Troop. Where did you go? How did you help with meal preparation? Did you have a good time? Why or why not?
Why is it important for you to know how to transport a person who has a broken leg?
Why is it important for you to be able to recognize local plant life?
How does your Patrol function as a team? What part do you take in helping your Patrol?
Have you had a chance to teach the younger Scouts any of your recently earned scout skills? What did you teach?
For this rank you met with a civil employee and discussed your constitutional rights and obligations. Who did you meet with and why did you learn from your talk?
Do you think that your first aid knowledge will actually help you? How? Have you had an opportunity to use any of it?
Why are merit badges a part of Scouting?
What merit badges do you have?
Which merit badge was the most valuable to you? Why?
Who was Robert Baden-Powell?
How does a Scout fulfill his “Duty to Country”?
How do you define “Scout Spirit”?
What was the most challenging requirement?
If you had the opportunity to add or delete one requirement for 1st Class, what would it be and why?
What point of the Scout Law is the hardest for you to live up to?
What more does “Be Prepared” mean to a First Class Scout, than to a Second Class Scout?
What does “On my Honor” mean to you?
What are your plans for your progress toward Star? Do you have a goal date when you would like to make Star by?
What effect has Scouting had on your life?
Do you have a long term goal for your Scouting career?
This is the Scout’s fourth experience with a Board of Review. Time: 30-35 minutes.
This should be in-person.
For an advancement Board of Review, the chairperson should ask the Scout to recite four or more of the following:
Scout Law: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."
Scout Motto: "Be prepared."
Scout Slogan: "Do a good turn daily."
Outdoor Code: "As an American, I will do my best to –Be clean in my outdoor manners.Be careful with fire.Be considerate in the outdoors.Be conservation minded."
Sample questions:
What do you do with your spare time?
What other activities do you participate in? (i.e. Sports, music, etc.)
Who makes sure your uniform is clean and the patches are all sewn on for you to wear?
What responsibilities do you have at home?
How have the Scout skills that you have learned helped you in a non-Scouting activity?
How many merit badges have you earned? Which one was the most fun? Which one was the most challenging?
What part do you take in the Troop meetings?
What leadership positions have you held outside of your patrol? What challenges did they present? What are your personal leadership goals and objectives?
What service project did you work on to earn your required hours for this rank? What was your job on the project?
How do you feel your patrol functions as a team?
Have you ever tried to change something (long or short term) in your patrol? What was it? Did you get the result you wanted?
What does it mean for a Star Scout to “Be Prepared” on a daily basis?
What should the statement, “A Scout is Trustworthy” mean to a Star Scout?
What do you think the role of a Start Scout is in relationship to younger scouts?
What is our “Duty to God”?
What does it mean to say “A Scout is Loyal”?
How are the Scout Oath and Law part of your daily life?
What do you think others will expect of a Star Scout?
What point of the Scout Law is the most important to you? Why?
How are the Scout Oath and Law part of your daily life?
What is the Scout Slogan? What type of “Good Turns” do you do?
What is the Outdoor Code? Why is it important?
While working toward your Star did you learn anything that you would like to pass on to the younger Scouts? What?
What have you learned that might help you as an adult?
What is your goal for reaching Life Scout?
What is your long term goal for Scouting?
What do you feel the troop can do most to help the younger Scouts so they will make it to Start and beyond?
If you could make one change in the merit badge program (i.e. Structure, format, add a badge), what would you do?
What type of career interests you? Have you looked into earning a related merit badge?
If an Order of the Arrow (OA) member
When did you complete your “Ordeal”?
What does membership in OA signify?
Do you plan on achieving Life rank?
This is the Scout’s fifth experience with a Board of Review and the final BOR with the Troop as the next BOR is with adult leaders from the District (adults the Scout does not know). Time: 30-40 minutes.
This should be in-person.
For an advancement Board of Review, the chairperson should ask the Scout to recite ALL of the following:
Scout Law: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Scout Oath: "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."
Scout Motto: "Be prepared."
Scout Slogan: "Do a good turn daily."
Outdoor Code: "As an American, I will do my best to –Be clean in my outdoor manners.Be careful with fire.Be considerate in the outdoors.Be conservation minded."
Sample questions:
How does Scouting influence your interactions with people?
Have you ever left you had to defend yourself because someone knew you are in Scouts?
Outside of Scouting, tell me about a time when you have had to be a leader. How did it make you feel afterward?
What are your hobbies?
Other than you parents, who do you think has influence your life the most? Why? Whose life do you think you have the most influence over? Why?
Name one thing you don’t like doing, but you do it anyway because you know it will please someone. How do you feel afterwards?
What has been your worst camping experience in Scouting?
How many patrol meetings has your patrol held in the last three months? How many of them have you attended?
What is your current (most recent) leadership position within the Troop? How long have you held that position? What particular challenges does it present? What is Leadership?
Do you have any brothers or sisters who are in Scouts (any level)? What can you do to encourage them to continue with Scouts, and to move forward along the Scouting Trail?
How do you choose between a school activity, a Scout activity, and a family activity?
How many outings have you been on in the last year? Which did you like to most and why?
Which scouting skill do you like the most? Why? Least? Why?
Is the Troop’s outdoor program adequate to develop skills and maintain the interest of the Scouts? What changes would you make?
Why do you think that Star and Life Scouts are required to contribute so much time to service projects? What service projects are most rewarding to you? Why?
Of the merit badges you have earned, which one do you think will be of greatest value to you as an adult? Why?
Why do you think that the four “Citizenship” merit badges are required for the Eagle rank?
What was the most difficult merit badge for you to earn? How often did you meet with your counselor on that one?
Who helps you or coaches you in preparing for merit badges?
Have you found any merit badges that you think are too hard for scouts to earn? Which ones? What makes them so difficult?
What does “A Scout is Brave” mean to you?
How can you personally help keep up the Scout Spirit in the Troop?
What does “On My Honor” mean to you?
What is the most difficult part of the Scout Oath and Law for you to live up to in your daily life? How do you over come it?
What have you done since becoming a Star Scout, in carrying out additional responsibilities in the Troop? Patrol?
Which service projects did you work on for the rank of Life? What did you do?
What do you like most about the Patrol Method? Least?
What role do you play in your Patrol?
What do you think is the most important skill for a leader? Why?
What does it mean to say, “A Scout is Reverent”?
The Scout Oath refers to “Duty to Self”; what duty do we have to ourselves?
What do you think you can do to help younger Scouts?
If an Order of the Arrow (OA) member
What role does OA play in Scouting?
What honor do you hold in OA?
What is the difference between Scout “ranks” and OA “honors”?
What do you think about the OA program?
Have you thought about what you will need to do for Eagle? Have you begun to think about an Eagle Service Project? What are you thinking about doing?
This is the Scout’s sixth & final experience with a Board of Review. Time: 30-45 minutes.
The Board of Review for the Eagle Rank is different from the other Board of Reviews (BOR) in which the Scout has participated. The members of the Board of Review are not and cannot be parents from Troop 531. Members of this BOR are typically adult leaders from the North Valley Area that are part of the Grand Canyon Council. Introductions are essential, and a few “break in” questions may be appropriate.
At this point, the goal is to understand to Scout’s full Scouting experience, and how others can have similar meaningful Scouting experiences. Scouting principles and goals should be central to the Scout’s life; Scout's should show evidence of this.
The Scout should know the Scout Law, Scout Oath, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan and Outdoor Code 100% and be able to explain what each means to him.
Although this is the final rank, this is not the end of the Scouting trail. “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle”. Explore how this Eagle Scout will continue with scouting activities, and continued service to his home, church, and community.
This should be in-person.
The Troop 531 Scout should bring his handbook and his Eagle packet binder including Eagle Scout Rank Application, Eagle Service Project Workbook with ALL paperwork and photos, Statement of Ambitions & life purpose, Scoutbook Advancement Record and a list of Positions.
CLICK HERE FOR GRAND CANYON COUNCIL EAGLE SCOUT PROCESS AND LINK TO DOCUMENT UPLOAD PORTAL
Sample questions that could be asked:
What do you do in your spare time outside of Scouts?
What would you suggest adding to the Scout Law (a 13th point)? Why?
What one point could be removed from the Scout Law? Why?
Why is it important to learn how to tie knots and lash together poles and logs?
What is the difference between a “Hollywood hero” and a real hero?
Can you give an example of someone who is a hero to you? ( A real person, not a character in a book or movie)
What do you consider the purpose of the merit badge program?
What merit badge interested you the most and why?
Why do you think that the Family Life merit badge is required for Eagle rank?
Have any merit badges sparked an interest that might lead you towards a career?
What camping experience have you had that you wish every Scout could have?
What is the role of the Senior Patrol Leader at a troop meeting, campout, or summer camp?
What do you do to help younger Scouts along the trail?
Not counting your troop camping trips, what are the best things you have done as a Scout?
What does the Scout “Good Turn” mean to you?
What is an Eagle Scout’s duty to his country?
If you could change one thing to improve Scouting, what would you change?
What do you believe our society expects from an Eagle Scout?
The charge to the Eagle requires that you give back to scouting more than Scouting has given to you. How do you propose to do that?
As an Eagle Scout, what can you personally do to improve your unit?
What will you be doing in Troop 531, after receiving your Eagle Rank?
Tell us how you selected your Eagle service project.
From your Eagle service project, what did you learn about managing or leading people? What are the qualities of a good leader?
What part of you Eagle service project was the most challenging? Why?
Did you have any difficulty planning a service project? How did you choose your project?
What help did you have in order to complete your project? Who?
If you were to manage another project similar to your Eagle service project, what would you do differently to make the project better or easier?
What are your future plans?
What do you think is the single biggest issue facing Scouting in the future?
How do your friends outside of Scouting react when they learn that you are a Boy Scout? How do you feel about that? How do you think they will react when they learn that you have become an Eagle Scout?
Why do you think that belief in God is part of the Scout Oath?
What one thing have you gained from your Scoutmaster’s conferences over the years?
How does an Eagle Scout continue to show Scout Spirit?
Do you think that you will be able to remember the obligation of a Scout “to help others at all time” as you grow into an adult”? What will help you remember this fundamental?
If an Order of the Arrow member
What does OA membership mean to you?
How does OA help Scouting and your unit?
Why should this board approve your request for the Eagle rank?