Steps to Get Ready for an Eagle Board of Review

Here are the steps to get ready for your Eagle Scout Board of Review:  

  • Fill out your Eagle Scout Rank Application.  
    • Be sure to scratch out which Merit Badge (MB) alternatives you did not use towards becoming an Eagle Scout. IF you are using the editable PDF form in Adobe Reader, which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, you should use the "strikeout" function and NOT the "highlighting" function to perform this task. The "strikeout" function will draw a red line through the unused portion of the MB options list (e.g., like this: "Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving").  
      • E.g., after 01/01/2014, did you earn the Environmental Science or the Sustainability Merit Badge.  (If you earned both, which one are you counting as the mandatory one?  Scratch out the other one. E.g., like this: "Environmental Science OR Sustainability")  
      • There are similar alternatives for the Swimming Merit Badge and the Lifesaving Merit Badge; these require corresponding actions.  
      • As part of this process, your Scoutmaster will guide you in using Circle Ten Council to verify the dates you input into your Eagle Scout Rank Application as well as which Merit Badges you earned, the date of your Life Scout Board of Review, and your Troop Leadership position(s) & dates.  If this data does not match what Council (and, therefore, BSA) has on record, you will not be allowed to have your Eagle Scout Board of Review. The official BSA/Circle Ten record of your accomplishments/dates is contained in your Internet Advancement 2 Report, which comes from Scoutbook and which can be obtained by your unit's Advancement Chair. It is strongly recommended that you use this report to complete your Eagle Scout Rank Application.
      • Get permission from the appropriate references to use their information on your Eagle Rank Application. Do NOT ask them to write references yet (see later)! Note that ALL fields on ALL references must be complete, but IF you have never held a job where taxes were withheld, you do not need to complete the line for Employer. Note that your parents ARE requested to write a reference for you. Also, IF you are NOT a member of a formal religious organization, you may specify a relative for your Religious reference. IF you are home-schooled, you may use a parent for your Education reference, but this should be a different reference than your Parent/Guardian. Make sure all mailing addresses are complete, including city/state/zip code. 
    • Fill in your leadership positions. Note that they must total 6 months since your Life BoR. Only selected leadership positions are eligible to be used for Eagle Scout; they are listed on P2 of the application. 
    • Fill in your Eagle Scout Service Project data. 
      • Note that the "number of hours" is the total number of hours spent by all participants, including your time in planning/documenting/presenting/reporting on the project, the time spent by the beneficiary, the time spent by other adults (e.g., Eagle coach and consultants at, e.g., Home Depot or Lowes), and people who worked on the execution of your project (including you). 
  • Have your Eagle Scout Scoutmaster Conference, following your Troop's procedures to arrange this.  
    • Make any corrections to your Eagle Scout Rank Application that the Scoutmaster requires.
    • Sign/date the Eagle Scout Rank Application.
    • Get the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair to sign/date your Eagle Scout Rank Application
  • When the above are complete, e-mail the District Advancement Committee Vice-chair for Eagle Issues and ask to schedule an Eagle Scout Board of Review. Use this email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This will also CC the Western Horizon District Advancement Chair; do NOT CC anyone else other than your own Troop leadership or your family. Do NOT attach ANYthing to this email, please! HOWEVER, IF you have significant constraints (e.g., away at college, turning 18 imminently, etc.) please DO include this information in this email!
  • The Western Horizon District Advancement Committee Vice-chair for Eagle Issues will respond via email with directions about what you need to do next.
    • This reply will include an attachment which you will need to customize and give to all your references. This attachment tells them how to email their reference to the Vice-chair for Eagle Issues. Again, you may NOT be in possession of these reference letters at any time (BSA rules).
    • This will also include directions on how to email your Eagle Scout Rank Application and Internet Advancement Report to the District Advancement Committee. 
    • It will also remind you that the second page of the Eagle Scout Rank Application contains directions for two other documents you will need at your Eagle Scout Board of Review (BoR). Please do NOT email these documents; they are only needed at your BoR!
    • This email will describe the process of Eagle Rank VERIFICATION and notify you that when you have all your information correct, it will be submitted to Council for this process.
    • ONLY after Eagle Rank VERIFICATION is completed by Council may your Eagle BoR be scheduled.
  • Your Eagle BoR will then be scheduled. Two members of the BoR will be trained leaders on the Western Horizon District Advancement Committee. A third leader MAY be from your Troop, but you may NOT play any role in selecting this third BoR member. That third member may NOT be your Scoutmaster OR an Assistant Scoutmaster from your Troop (BSA rules) OR any member of your family (BSA rules).  
  • When you come to your Eagle Scout Board of Review, you should:  
    • Be in full ("class A") uniform
    • Wear your Merit Badge sash
    • Bring your OA sash if you are an OA member
    • Bring your completed/signed Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, including "before" and "after" pictures, diagrams, receipts, etc.
    • Bring your completed Eagle Scout Rank, including the required signatures
    • Bring your "life goals" essay for the Review Board to read 
    • Bring your "list of leadership and awards" for the Review Board to read
    • Bring your Boy Scout Handbook, which should have complete signatures & dates for all prior ranks.  
    • Bring any other Scout memorabilia that can be contained in a notebook (you may bring summer camp photos, e.g., but no camping gear, hiking gear, etc.) 

If you have questions about any of the above, please e-mail the District Advancement Committee Vice-chair for Eagle Issues, Rufus Woody III at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..