Policy to Make Scoutmaster Conference Request

All scouts, please use this form to request a scoutmaster conference. Scoutmaster conferences should be requested no later that a few days prior to the next upcoming scout meeting. For example, since our regular scout meetings occur on Wednesday evenings, please submit your scoutmaster conference request no later than Sunday evening. Scoutmaster conferences maybe requested during our outing events too, depending upon how many activities the troop has planned. If you do request to have a scoutmaster conference during an outing, please make that request at least one week prior, so it can be coordinated with the troop leaders.

Scoutmaster Conference Preparation

• Review the requirements completed for the rank advancement
• Review merit badges completed since the scouts last board of review
• Take a look at the requirements for the next rank, most scouts have probably already completed many of them!
• The scoutmaster conference is not a test, it is an informal conversation to review a scout’s progress and their satisfaction with the troop

[form scoutmasterconfencerequestform]

General Information

A requirement for each rank advancement includes that a scout complete a scoutmaster conference.  This must be done before a scout can schedule his board of review.  This gives the scoutmaster the opportunity to ensure the scout is prepared for his board of review as well as giving the scoutmaster the opportunity to get to know the scout better and to see how he is progressing in the troop.

• A scoutmaster conference must be scheduled and will not be done impromptu.  This will ensure there is adequate time to spend with scouts who have scheduled their conferences; unplanned conferences may not allow sufficient time for a proper conference.
• A scoutmaster conference will be either with the scoutmaster or with an assistant scoutmaster.
• A scout should schedule their scoutmaster conference as soon as they have completed their other requirements for rank advancement; the scoutmaster conference should be the last requirement to be completed.
• Although a scoutmaster conference is between the scoutmaster and scout, two-deep leadership will be followed by meeting in full view of at least one other adult leader or the scout’s parent(s); conferences will usually be performed at a troop meeting but may also be done on camp outs or other troop sponsored outings.

Scoutmaster Conference - Guidelines to Advancement

All scoutmaster conferences will follow the BSA process from the "Guidelines to Advancement - 2013" as described under section, "4.2.3.5 Unit Leader (Scoutmaster) Conference". The full document can be reviewed here.

This section states: The unit leader (Scoutmaster) conference, regardless of the rank or program, is conducted according to the guidelines in the Scoutmaster Handbook, No. 33009. Note that a Scout must participate or take part in one; it is not a “test.” Requirements do not say he must “pass” a conference. While it makes sense to hold one after other requirements for a rank are met, it is not required that it be the last step before the board of review. This is an important consideration for Scouts on a tight schedule to meet the requirements before age 18. Last-minute work can sometimes make it impossible to fit the conference in before then, so scheduling it earlier can avoid unnecessary extension requests. The conference is not a retest of the requirements upon which a Scout has been signed off. It is a forum for discussing topics such as ambitions and life purpose, goals for future achievement, and also for obtaining feedback on the unit’s program. In some cases, work left to be completed—and perhaps why it has not been completed—may be discussed just as easily as that which is finished. Ultimately, conference timing is up to the unit. Some leaders hold more than one along the way, and the Scout must be allowed to count any of them toward the requirement. Unit leaders do not have the authority to deny a Scout a conference that is necessary for him to meet the requirements for his rank. If a unit leader conference is denied, a Scout—if he believes he has fulfilled all the remaining requirements—may still request a board of review. See “Boards of Review Must Be Granted When Requirements Are Met,” 8.0.0.2. If an Eagle Scout candidate is denied a conference, it may become grounds for a board of review under disputed circumstances. See “Initiating Eagle Scout Board of Review Under Disputed Circumstances,” 8.0.3.2.

Please make your Scoutmaster Conference Request Here