Eagle Scout Letters of Reference

Scout and Scouter responsibilities for managing Eagle Scout Letters of Reverence are not well understood. BAC specific guidance follows. The BAC Letter of Reference and instruction form may be downloaded and provided to each reference.

Unit Responsibility

• • Units have the responsibility to secure recommendations from the references appearing under requirement 2 on the Eagle Scout Rank Application. This may be done by letter, form, or phone call.

  • In compliance with YP guidelines and for reasons of privacy and confidentiality, electronic submissions including email are discouraged.

  • Units are responsible to make a reasonably diligent effort to obtain a response if no written response is received in a reasonable time. Units should attempt to contact the reference by phone as obtaining a verbal reference is better than no response. If a response cannot be obtained from any of the references, then the board of review must go on without them. It must not be postponed or denied for this reason, and the Scout shall not be asked to submit additional references or to provide replacements.

  • Completed reference responses of any kind are the property of the council and are confidential, and only review-board members and those officials with a specific 'need to know' may see them.

  • The responses are never to be viewed by or returned to the Scout. Doing so could discourage the submission of negative information. For the same reason, those providing references do not have the option of giving the reference directly to the Scout and shall not be given the option of waiving confidentiality.

Scout Responsibility

• • If the unit desires, they may request that the Scout send or deliver the blank request for references, an addressed envelope with instructions, and perhaps a form to complete to each reference.

  • The Scout may not to be responsible for follow-through or any other aspect of the process including receiving the completed reference.

DAC Responsibility

• Once a board of review has been held, or an appeal process conducted, responses shall be returned to the District Project Approval Representative.

• The District Project Approval Representative shall destroy the letters of reference after the Eagle Scout credentials are released or the appeal is concluded.

• If no references were received, then confirm with the unit board chair that the unit made a reasonably diligent effort to obtain responses.

The Guide for advancement Section 9.0.1.7 provides policy.