Board of Review Questions by Rank

The Board of Review is a key part of the rank advancement process. Although the process is quite similar from rank to rank there are changes that should be happening. The questions asked by the Board will reflect the work done to earn this latest rank as well as some holistic questions. As the ranks get higher the Scout will have aged and so the questions will increase in complexity as should the answers that are given. Here are some great questions to use when participating in a Board of Review.

Tenderfoot

This is the Scouts first experience with a Board of Review. The process may require some explanation on the part of the Board of Review Chairman to the Scout as to what the Board’s expectations from the scout.  This review IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE AN EXAMINATION OR RETEST OF SKILLS LEARNED. Rather, it is an attempt to determine the Scout’s attitude and his acceptance of Scouting’s ideals, both in the Troop and outside of it. The board should get a sense of the importance that the Scout attributed to Scouting in his home life, at school, and in the Troop. It also shows how the Scout perceives the Troop and his adult leaders.

Troop Knowledge

  1. Who is your Patrol Leader and what is your Patrol Name?
  2. How many meetings have you attended in the last month?

Campout

    1. What campouts or hikes have you attended since you became a Scout?
    2. What was your overnight camping trip?
    3. What did you do on this camping trip?
    4. Did you help with any meal preparation or cleaning? And what did you do?
    5. Why is it important to eat together as a patrol / troop?
    6. What is the Outdoor Code and how is it used on campouts?
    7. What would you consider proper gear for a hike / camp this weekend? (Depends on the time of Board)
    8. What are the rules of safe hiking?  Highways and cross country / Day or night?
    9. What would you do if you got lost on a hike / campout?

Service Projects

  1. What did you do for your one hour service project?
  2. Do you ever do more than one good turn daily?
  3. What good turn have you done today?

First Aid

  1. How are your first aid skills progressing?
  2. What would you include in a personal first aid kit for a campout or hike?
  3. How would you take care of a simple cut or scrape?
  4. What would you do if you accidently touched poison ivy?

Troop Activities

  1. What do you like the most about troop activities?
  2. What do you think would make the troop better? Troop activities better?
  3. To you what does “Do Your Best” mean in the Scout Oath?
  4. How do you live the Scout Oath and Scout Laws?
  5. When do you think you could be ready for your 2nd Class Rank?
  6. What are your Scouting Goals?

A positive attitude is most important, and that a youth accepts Scouting’s ideals and sets and meets good standards in daily life.

Second Class

This is the Scout’s second Board of Review. The Board of Review Chairperson may want to review the expectations the Board has for the Scout.

Again – this review IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE AN EXAMINATION OR RETEST OF SKILLS LEARNED. Rather, it is an attempt to determine the Scout’s attitude and his acceptance of Scouting’s  ideals, both in the Troop and outside of it. The board should get a sense of the importance that the Scout attributed to Scouting in his home life, at school, and in the Troop. It also shows how the Scout perceives the Troop and his adult leaders.

Troop Knowledge

  1. Who is your Patrol Leader and what is your Patrol Name?
  2. How many meetings have you attended in the last month?

Camping

  1. What Troop activities have you attended since you became a Scout? At least 5
  2. What was your overnight camping trip? At least 2 overnight campouts.
  3. Tell us about your five mile hike / 10 mile bike ride?
  4. On one of your campouts what meal did you plan and cook?  What was it?
  5. How did you practice the Principles of Leave No Trace on a campout or outing?
  6. How are you doing with your compass skills?
  7. What would be some hazards or injuries you might encounter on a hike or outing? 
  8. How would you avoid them?
  9. What are the “Safe Swim” precautions?
  10. How would you rescue someone from the water?

Service Projects

  1. What did you do for your two hour service project?
  2. Do you ever do more than one good turn daily?  What good turn have you done today?
  3. Have you participated in a flag ceremony? Where?
  4. In your words, what respect is due the Flag of the U.S.A.?

First Aid

  1. How are your first aid skills doing?
  2. Have you ever needed to give someone First aid? 

Troop Activities

  • What do you like the most about troop activities?
  1. What do you think would make the troop better? Troop activities better?
  2. What would be the appropriate response if you were being or saw someone being bullied?
  3. To you what does “Mentally Awake” and “I will Do My Best” mean in the Scout Oath?
  4. How do you live the Scout Oath and Scout Laws?
  5. When do you expect to complete your requirements for 1st Class?
  6. What are your Scouting Goals?
  7. If you could change one thing about your patrol / troop what would it be?
  8. What can you do to make your patrol / troop better?

A positive attitude is most important, and that a youth accepts Scouting’s ideals and sets and meets good standards in daily life.

First Class

By now the Scout should be aware of the Board of Review process and the Scout should be praised for their accomplishments so far in Scouting.

Troop Knowledge

  1. Who is your Patrol Leader and what is your Patrol name?

Troop Camping

  1. Since joining Scouts what are some of the activities you have participated in?
    1. (10 activities / 6 outdoors)
  2. What does the principle of “Tread Lightly” mean to you and how do you practice them on a campout, hike, or other Scouting activity?
  3. How would you transport someone who was injured on a hike?
  4. On a campout what is your favorite menu item? (Powdered doughnuts do not count) How do you prepare this meal at camp?
  5. What do you do in your spare time at a camp out?
  6. Have you ever completed a compass course and how did the experience go for you and your patrol? What could have made it a better experience for you and your Patrol? 
  7. What about measuring the height of an object, without a ladder?
  8. Where and when did you complete your BSA swim test? Did you learn anything about “safe swim Defense” practices?

Scout Spirt

  1. What have you done to help other Scouts participation in scouting activities?
  2. How would you encourage someone to join Scouts BSA?  Have you ever done this?
  3. What effect has the Scout Oath had on your life?

Board members may ask where skills were learned by the Scout, who the Scout’s teachers were, and what was gained from fulfilling selected requirements. The answers will reveal what was done to earn the rank. It can be determined, then, if this was what the Scout was supposed to do. Discussion of how the Scout has lived the Scout Oath and Scout Law at home, at school, in the unit, and in the community should be included. We must remember, however, that though we have high expectations for our members, as for ourselves, we do not insist on perfection. 

A positive attitude is most important, and that a youth accepts Scouting’s ideals and sets and meets good standards in daily life.

Star

Remember, the purpose of these questions is not to re-test the Scout, but extract from them their understanding of the knowledge that has been taught to him. They are to guide you in the types of questions that you can formulate for yourself.

  1. When did you become a 1st Class Scout? (4 months)
  2. How many Merit Badges have you earned? What are they? (Total: 6/4 Eagle required)
    1. Which are Eagle Required Merit Badges?
    2. Which ones were your favorite to earn and why?
  3. What Service Projects have you worked on since becoming a 1st Class Scout? (6 hours)
  4. Since becoming a 1st Class Scout what positions of leadership have you held in the Troop?
    1. How do you think you did?
    2. What do you feel that you accomplished?
    3. What was your biggest frustration?
  5. Are you an Order of The Arrow Member?
    1. What does that mean to you?
    2. How is that experience going?
  6. As a Scout, what is the most important thing that you’ve learned so far?
  7. Why is Scouting important to you?
  8. As a Star Scout, you will be an example for younger Scouts, what should a “Scout is Trustworthy” mean and how would you demonstrate that to younger Scouts?
  9. Have you thought about becoming an Eagle Scout? 
  10. What would being an Eagle Scout mean to you personally? 

Board members may ask where skills were learned by the Scout, who the Scout’s teachers were, and what was gained from fulfilling selected requirements. The answers will reveal what was done to earn the rank. It can be determined, then, if this was what the Scout was supposed to do. Discussion of how the Scout has lived the Scout Oath and Scout Law at home, at school, in the unit, and in the community should be included. We must remember, however, that though we have high expectations for our members, as for ourselves, we do not insist on perfection

A positive attitude is most important, and that a youth accepts Scouting’s ideals and sets and meets good standards in daily life.

Life

Remember, the purpose of these questions is not to re-test the Scout, but extract from them their understanding of the knowledge that has been taught to him. They are to guide you in the types of questions that you can formulate for yourself.

  1. When did you become a Star Scout? (6 months)
  2. How many Merit Badges do you have now? 

(Total: 11 / 3 additional Eagle required for a total of 7)

        3. What has been your favorite Merit Badge so far?

        4. How will this Merit Badge be used in your future adult life?

        5. While a Star Scout what service projects have you worked on? (6 hours)

                 1. What do you think would be a good service project for the Troop to work on in the future?

                 2. Who would you contact to make this project happen?

        8. While a Star Scout what positions have you held in the Troop?      

                 1. How was that experience?

                 2. What advice would you give a younger scout when they assume their first position of authority in the patrol or troop?

        9. What Scouting skills have you taught other troop or patrol members?

                 1. How did that go?

                 2. What could you have done to make it a better experience?

        10. How else have you helped prepare the younger Scouts in your troop for their future in Scouting?

        11. What does ‘Be Prepared” mean to you now that you are an older Scout?

        12. Have you thought about becoming an Eagle Scout and what you have to do to achieve that goal?

        13. What about an Eagle Scout service project, any ideas yet?

Board members may ask where skills were learned by the Scout, who the Scout’s teachers were, and what was gained from fulfilling selected requirements. The answers will reveal what was done to earn the rank. It can be determined, then, if this was what the Scout was supposed to do. Discussion of how the Scout has lived the Scout Oath and Scout Law at home, at school, in the unit, and in the community should be included. We must remember, however, that though we have high expectations for our members, as for ourselves, we do not insist on perfection. 

A positive attitude is most important, and that a youth accepts Scouting’s ideals and sets and meets good standards in daily life.

Eagle

  1. What will you do as an Eagle Scout to give back to Scouting?
  2. What do you believe our society expects from an Eagle Scout? 
  3. Of all the patches on your uniform, which one means the most or which one of them are you proudest to wear?
  4. If you could do it all over again, would you, and why?
  5. What lessons did you learn from the Eagle process and how do you think those lessons will help you in your future endeavors? In other words, what will you take away from this experience?
  6. How would you describe the effort you have put into your Scouting career? Expected response: I did my best.
  7. What advice would you give to a new Scout?
  8. You are about to breathe your last breath. What is the one Scouting memory (beginning with Cub Scouts and going all the way through) that is going to put a smile on your face?
  9. How do you balance accomplishments you are so proud of such as your Eagle with the peer perception that Scouting is uncool?
  10. What is the most pressing issue today? Why?
  11. What point of the Scout Law do you think is the hardest for the youth of today to follow? Why?
  12. Please stand up, give me the 12 points of the Scout Law, and tell me what each one means to you.
  13. Tell me which is more important: earning the rank of Eagle or wearing it? (Ernie H.)
  14. Why should we declare you an Eagle Scout tonight? In other words, how have you demonstrated the characteristics of an Eagle Scout and what is our assurance that you will continue to use them throughout your life?
  15. If you could talk to anyone throughout history, who would it be and what would you talk about?
  16. If you could change one requirement for Eagle, what would it be?
  17. If you could add one point to the Scout Law, what would it be and why? If you could remove one point from the Scout Law, what would it be and why?
  18. What is something you found in Scouting that you can improve upon?
  19. What is the moment you knew you wanted to earn Eagle?
  20. There are 21 merit badges required for Eagle. If you had to add one more to the required list, which one would it be, and why?
  21. With so many other activities competing for a young person’s interest or attention and the fact that some young people see Scouting as “uncool,” have you ever thought about quitting? And if so, what made you stick with it?
  22. Did you ever have a Scout refuse to comply with a request to perform one of their duties? How did (or would) you react?
  23. What outdoor experience have you had that you wish every Scout could have?
  24. If you are awarded the Rank of Eagle, the charge requires you to give back more than Scouting has given to you. What are your Scouting plans from here and how will you fulfill this charge?
  25. What did you learn about leadership from the Eagle Scout Service Project?
  26. How do you exemplify Scout spirit in you daily life?
  27. What was your “good turn” today?
  28. What is the difference between getting Eagle and being Eagle?
  29. The first eight words in the Scout Oath are “On my honor I will do my best.” What does honor mean to you?
  30. What question were you worried we would ask you?
  31. Where do you see yourself with Scouting in the next five years?
  32. You’re about to become a marked person for the rest of your life. What do you think that means? Are you prepared for it?
  33. One day you may have a son or daughter of your own. When they reach the age to join, what will you tell them about Scouting?
  34. Who are harder to lead, youth or adults?
  35. Out of the merit badges that you earned, which one gave you information that will be most helpful to you later in your life, and why?
  36. Which of the merit badges that you have earned along the trail to Eagle has the most meaning to you and why?
  37. If you had to describe your entire Scouting experience with just one word, what word would you choose? Why?
  38. When is the last time you went camping with your troop?
  39. Consider having the last question of the Eagle Board of Review be one asked by the prior candidate. Read the question you have saved on my phone, and then once the question is answered, ask the candidate what question they want to ask the next candidate who sits in that seat.
  40. What is the significance of this date in Scouting history? A blank stare occurs, so you answer for them: It’s your Eagle Rank date. Congrats!

Consider starting a tradition where you ask each Eagle candidate to come up with a question that can be asked to the next Eagle Scout candidate. At each Eagle Scout Board of Review have the last question be the most recent candidate’s question. Following their answer ask them to come up with their question for the next candidate. Keep a record of all the questions and the name of the Eagle Scout that came up with them. This can be a fun record of history for the Troop.

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