Advancing from Life to Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout Project Workbook
Eagle Scout Boards of Review
The Circle Ten Advancement Committee has given the authority for establishing procedures for Eagle Scout Boards of Review to the districts. Each district will have a written policy for how it conducts Eagle Boards of Review - whether a district level or unit level board of review. The district's written advancement policies should be shared with and readily available to Scouts, adult leaders and parents, including being available on the district's "website".
An Eagle Scout Board of Review may not be scheduled until after Circle Ten Council staff has verified the Scout's Eagle Rank application.
Eagle Boards of Review should be scheduled with sufficient frequency so that Scouts are not waiting too long for the board of review. Boards of review should generally be completed within 30 days of the Scout's receipt of the verification on their application.
Eagle Boards of Review Under Disputed Circumstances
An Eagle Scout Board of Review under disputed circumstances will be held at district or council level depending upon the district's Board of Review method. Districts that use the unit level board of review will hold disputed boards on a district level; those districts that use the district level board of review will hold disputed boards on a council level. The Scout's district advancement committee member or the Scout should contact the council advancement chair or the council vice-chair for Eagle issues to schedule an Eagle Board of Review under disputed circumstances.
Eagle Boards of Review After a Scout's 18th Birthday
A board of review may occur, without special approval, within 3 months of the Scout's 18th birthday.
If the board of review is to be held more than 3 months but less than 6 months past the Scout's 18th birthday, then council must approve the board of review. The approval is automatically approved by council if an adult submits a letter stating the reason(s) the board of review was not scheduled earlier. The adult may be the Scout, a parent or guardian of the Scout, the unit leader or other registered adult leader within the Scout's unit. The letter stating the reason must be submitted to council with the Eagle Scout application following the Eagle Board of Review.
To hold a board of review beyond 6 months after the Scout's 18th birthday, the National Advancement Program Team must give authority to do so. The Scout, the Scout's parent or guardian, the unit leader or other registered adult leader should contact the district advancement chair. The district advancement chair will contact the vice-chair for Eagle issues so that the necessary information may be gathered and submitted to the National Advancement Program Team with the council's recommendation.
Appealing a Decision
If a board of review does not recommend a candidate for rank advancement, only the Scout or the Scout’s parent or guardian may appeal the decision.
The Scout is required to be informed by the members of the board of review that the Scout will not receive the board’s recommendation for the Eagle Scout rank and told the reasons for failure to qualify. However, an Eagle Board of Review may be recessed by the Scout or any member of the board of review to allow additional information to be obtained or clarified. In the event that a board of review determines the rank will not be awarded, a letter must be sent within 24 hours to the Scout by each member of the board of review stating the reasons for failure to qualify for the rank. All reasons that rank was not awarded must be listed in these letters. The letters must also contain the name and contact information of the individual to be contacted should the Scout or the Scout’s parent or guardian wish to appeal the decision. If district’s policy is to hold unit-level Eagle Boards of Review, then the appeal is to a committee of at least 3 persons selected by the District Advancement Chair. If District Advancement Chair served on the Board of Review, then the Council Advancement Chair will select adult leaders to consider the appeal at the district level. If the Scout is not awarded the rank at the district appeal, then the Scout is to be instructed to notify the Vice-Chair for Eagle Issues. Also, the District Advancement Chair must report to the Council Advancement Committee Chair and Council Vice-Chair for Eagle Issues any appeals decided by the district
In all appeals, under any circumstances, the appeal must be made to the next highest level. If the candidate was turned down in a board of review held by adult members of his unit and a district or council representative (unit level board of review), the appeal should be made to a committee of 3 from the District Advancement Committee and selected by the District Advancement Chair. If the candidate was turned down by a board of review comprised of two or more District Advancement Committee members (district level board of review), the appeal should be made to the committee selected by the Council Advancement Committee, the Vice-Chair for Eagle Issues, and the Council Advancement Committee staff adviser. On receipt of the appeal, the district or council committee responsible for advancement will provide for a prompt review to determine the facts. All parties must be interviewed either individually or as a group. After a review of the facts, the District or Council Advancement Committee will make a decision. Once a decision is reached, the District or Council Advancement Committee will notify the Scout, the Scout’s parent or guardian, and troop leadership. A decision at any level finding in favor of the Scout shall be final. Units have no right of appeal of a decision.
If the initial committee hearing the review does not find in favor of the Scout, then the Scout or the Scout’s parent or guardian may appeal that decision to the next level, whether Council (after a District appeal) or National (after a Council appeal). All requests for appeal shall be made in writing, signed by the Scout and/or the Scout’s parents, and shall set forth in detail the reasons for requesting an appeal.
Eagle Scout References
The Council has also given its districts the authority to establish methods for contacting references. This may be done by letter, form, or phone call. Completed reference responses of any kind are the property of the Council and are confidential, and only Board of Review members and those officials with a specific need may see them. The responses are not to be viewed by, or returned to, the Scout. Those providing references shall not be given the option of waiving confidentiality. Once the Board of Review has been held, or an appeal process conducted, reference letters shall be returned to the district representative, who is responsible for destroying the references after the Eagle Scout credentials are released or the appeal is concluded.
Eagle Scout Fundraising
Eagle Scout Service Project Fundraising applications, found in the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, will be approved by any person authorized by the District Advancement Committee to review and approve Eagle Scout service project proposals.
Extension Requests
If an Eagle Scout Board of Review is to be held after the six months following the candidate’s 18th birthday, the Eagle Scout candidate must petition the National Advancement Team for an extension of time to hold the Board of Review. The petition must be processed through the Council, detailing the extenuating circumstances that prevented the Board of Review from being held within the six-month period following the candidate’s 18th birthday, and be accompanied with a copy of the Eagle Scout Rank Application. The National Advancement Team has stated, “Extenuating circumstances are defined as conditions or situations that are totally beyond the control of the Scout or Venturer.”
Extensions of Time to Complete Requirements
If a Scout foresees that the requirements for the Eagle rank will not be completed prior to Scout’s 18th birthday and there are extenuating circumstances beyond the Scout’s control, the Scout may request an extension of time to complete the requirements.
Extenuating circumstances are defined as conditions or situations that are totally beyond the control of the Scout. The petition should be filed, along with a copy of the candidate’s Eagle Scout application (front and back) with the District Advancement Committee for presentation to the special committee selected by the Council Advancement Chair, Vice-Chair for Eagle Issues, and the Council Advancement Committee staff adviser. The special committee’s recommendation, and all available evidence and documents will be forwarded to the National Advancement Team for an official decision on whether the request for an extension will be granted or declined.
Scheduling Eagle Courts of Honor
Following an Eagle Board of Review, the District Advancement Committee will be responsible to insure that the Eagle application is submitted to the Council office. The District Advancement Committee may delegate this responsibility to the Scout or the Scout’s unit leaders but the District Advancement Committee is obligated to insure that the applications are submitted to the Council office. The expected turnaround for processing an Eagle Scout application is normally four to six weeks but sometimes takes up to eight weeks depending on the time of year, number of Eagle Scouts advancing at that time, whether or not the Scout is past his 18th birthday, and whether there are corrections needed on his Eagle Scout Rank Application. As such, Scouts, units, and Districts are advised not to schedule an Eagle Court of Honor earlier than eight weeks from the date that the paperwork is submitted to the Council office because the Eagle certificate, patch, and other credentials may not be processed in time.
Videoconferencing Boards of Review
Boards of Review for any rank are meant to be face-to-face, personal experiences. However, from time to time, holding a Board of Review in-person is not practical. Council approval is required for videoconferencing an Eagle board of review. The videoconference is automatically approved if:
- All procedures and processes for the videoconferencing is in compliance with Guide to Advancement §8.0.1.6; and
- The reason for requiring videoconferencing is reasonable, as determined by the District Advancement Chair, Vice-Chair for Eagle Issues or Scouts BSA, or the Council Advancement Committee Chair. Examples of reasonable reasons for requiring videoconference Eagle Boards of Review are: the Scout moved more than 150 miles away from the Council, the Scout is enrolled in college, the Scout enlisted in the military, or other similar circumstances.
For additional information, contact your district advancement chair.
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Also in this series:
Cub Scouting Advancement and Awards
Scouts BSA Advancement and Awards
Venturing Advancement and Awards
Sea Scouts Advancement and Awards
Internet Advancement and Scoutbook