Greetings to all.

I recently have had a significant amount of questions about both Scoutmaster conferences and boards of reviews and how they are to be conducted.

I have been specifically asked about retesting of skills/competencies that have been already signed off at the Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class ranks.

The BSA national training syllabus’ (see below) clearly state that Scoutmaster conferences and boards of reviews are NOT for retesting/examining a scout’s skills/competencies.
Scoutmaster Conference Training (81 KB PDF file)
Board of Review Training (76 KB PDF file)

Please ensure that all your Scoutmasters, assistant Scoutmasters, and boards of review committee members have at least reviewed their specific needed training, if they have not taken it. We want to give our scouts the best program possible and uphold the standards of the Boy Scouts of America.

Below is specific quotes from the training about what each potentially should be addressing.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,

Glinda Fortner
Antelope Valley District Executive - Boy Scouts of America
WLACC 100th Anniversary Staff Advisor
42402 10th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534
661-942-0582 fax 661-723-1450 cell 661-361-9118

The Scoutmaster Conference allows the Scoutmaster to review

• The Scout’s growth in his understanding of Scouting’s ideals

• How the Scout applies these ideals in his daily life and in the troop

• The requirements of the Scout’s next rank so that he can be properly encouraged

….. The Scoutmaster conference is neither an interrogation nor a retesting of a Scout’s competence.

The board of review is how the Troop committee (or the Eagle Scout board of review) tracks the progress of a Scout to determine his understanding of the ideals of Scouting and how he applies them in daily life in the troop. . . . .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 attributes to Scouting in his home life, at school, and in the troop. It also shows how the Scout perceives the troop and its adult leaders.