A conductive ground shroud (50) for use with an electrical connector (22) having a plurality of electrical terminals (36) with surface mountable contact sections (42) for electrically engaging circuitry (84) on a circuit board (80). The shroud (50) provides ground reference for the terminals (36). Shroud 50 includes an electrically conductive plate-like body 52 having first and second portions, (54, 62) the first portion (54) adapted to be disposed on a board remote surface (26) of the connector housing. The second portion is configured to extend over the surface mountable contact sections (42) when the shroud (50) is disposed on housing (24). The second portion (62) includes at least one second contact section (70) extending outwardly therefrom for engagement to ground circuitry of circuit board (80). The second portion further includes at least one elongated aperture (64) extending therethrough proximate the surface mountable contact sections (40). Upon disposing the shroud (50) on connector (22 ), mounting the connector (22) and shroud (50) to circuit board (80) and soldering the surface mountable contact sections (42) to corresponding circuit pads (84) on board, aperture (64) permits sufficient heat generated during the soldering process to reach contact pads (84) to melt the solder thereby assuring electrical engagement of contact sections (42) with corresponding pads (84).