Board of Review (BOR)
A Board of Review is made up of Scout leaders and Parent Volunteers. There generally will be 3 or 4 adults to each Board. These Boards are a great training ground for our Scouts to learn valuable interview habits that will help the Scout throughout their life.
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The main purposes are:
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To ensure the advancement requirements have been learned and completed
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To discuss and review the experiences that the Scout is having in their Patrol and Troop
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To encourage the Scout to advance to the next rank
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The current BoR Coordinator is Amy Lounsbury (T97BOR@gmail.com).
Please reach out to Mrs. Lounsbury for any questions.
How to Request a Board of Review
The deadline to request a BOR will be announced several times per month through the T97 email blast.
When a Scout has completed all the requirements of a rank and is ready to move up to the next rank, they must FIRST make sure that:
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All the requirements for the current rank are signed off in the Scout book (and/or attached pages, if using an old Scout book)
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The Scout has had a Scoutmaster Conference with the Scoutmaster
Once the above steps are complete, the SCOUT, not his or her parents, must email the BoR Coordinator to request a BOR before the deadline for the upcoming BOR. In this email, the request should include the following:
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Scout name (we can’t always tell by the email address)
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Report that all the requirements are complete (including their Scoutmaster Conference)
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The Scout rank that is being requested for completion
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All correspondence with an adult must follow the “Two Deep” rule, and thus, the Scout must CC another adult (such as a parent or another Scout leader) on all emails to Troop leaders
Once the deadline closes, the BoR Coordinator will create a schedule for the BOR, which normally takes place on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month (the Patrol Leader Conference, or “PLC”, also takes place that same night, which is why there are no general meetings the first Wednesday of the month).
In the current age of Covid, the BOR meeting is held virtually via Zoom. The BoR Coordinator will email the Scout with the Zoom link and the Date/Time of his or her scheduled BOR.
Preparing for The Review
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The Scout will answer questions and talk about his or her scouting experience. The review lasts anywhere between 10 – 20 minutes.
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The Scout must be neatly dressed in his or her FULL Class A uniform. This includes all patches and the Merit Badge Sash once 3 or more merit badges have been earned.
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The Scout must have his or her Scout book (and any insert pages) present at the time of the BOR, and all requirements for the rank requested must be signed off before the BOR.
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The Board members will ask the Scout about his or her experiences thus far, his or her feelings about the Troop; what might be improved, what seems to work well, what older Scouts have been helpful, any issues or challenges he might be facing, etc. The BOR is a good time for the Scout to share any difficulties he might be having with other members of his or her patrol, or any ideas he has for ways to better the troop, or trips/activities he would like the troop to offer.
As soon as the Scout passes his or her BOR, they are officially recognized as that Rank (even before the achievement can be honored at the Court of Honor).
Parents can serve on the Boards of Review!
Serving as a Review Board member is an excellent way for parents to get involved with the Troop and make a difference. If you are interested, please contact the Advancement Coordinator to let them know that you would like to serve on our Boards of Review.