Eagle Scout Board of Review Policy

As provided in the Guide to Advancement, section 8.0.3.0: “Council advancement committees must determine — and make known — method(s) for conducting Eagle Scout boards of review: whether unit committees or the council or district advancement committees administer them, and also how board chairpersons are selected.” Potawatomi Area Council has elected to have the Eagle Scout Board of Review (“EBOR”) exclusively in the hands of the district or council. Nothing in this policy adds to or subtracts from any other part of the EBOR policies as provided in the Guide to Advancement. Any aspects of an EBOR not addressed in this policy should be referenced in the appropriate section of the Guide to Advancement.

The policy of Potawatomi Area Council is that the EBOR shall be administered at the district level. The District Boy Scout Advancement Coordinator (or Council Boy Scout Advancement Committee when necessary and at the council committee discretion) or his or her appointed representative have sole discretion to determine the members of an EBOR, consistent with the eligibility requirements found in the Guide to Advancement. Units may not determine the members of an EBOR.

It is further the policy of Potawatomi Area Council that every EBOR shall have at least one member representing the district on the EBOR. That member of the district shall serve as EBOR chair, or, if there is more than one, they shall decide between themselves which shall be chair. Only persons accepted by the Boy Scout District Advancement Coordinator are eligible to be a district member of an EBOR.

Potawatomi Area Council acknowledges, as provided in the Guide to Advancement, that Eagle Scout Board of Review Members must be 21 years of age, may not be parents, relatives or guardians of the subject Scout, may not be unit leaders or assistant unit leaders in the Scouts own unit, and there must be no less than three and no more than six members of the EBOR. The candidate may have no input as to the members of the EBOR. It should further be noted that an EBOR should take approximately 30 minutes and should not take more than one hour.

EBORs are to be conducted following the guidelines provided in the Guide to Advancement. In EBORs a certain level of formality is expected, but it is important that the atmosphere be relaxed. While the EBOR is tasked with determining if the Scout did what was needed to meet the requirements, it shall become neither a retest or “examination,” nor a challenge of his knowledge. In most cases it should, instead, be a celebration of accomplishments.