| Scouter's Training Award | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Medal, knot and program devices | |||
| Owner | Boy Scouts of America | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Created | 1932 | ||
| Awarded for | Completion of a set of training and performance goals, during a specified period of time. | ||
| |||
The Scouter's Training Award is an adult recognition of the Boy Scouts of America. This award is available across several different program areas and can be earned more than once.
In 1927 the Boy Scouts of America began to recognize Scoutmasters who completed specific training and performance goals over a five-year period of service with the Scoutmaster's Key. In 1932 the award was opened up to other Scouters with the Scouter's Training Award. The original award was a medal suspended from a green ribbon with the universal emblem superimposed over a "V", representing the five years of service requirement.
In 1948, the award was renamed Scouter's Award and the period of service was changed from five years to three years. The emblem was then changed from a "V" to the current design of an "A". The name reverted to Scouter's Training Award in 1954. A redesign of the ribbon in 1956 added a thin white stripe to the center of the ribbon, bringing the design of the award to the current appearance. [1]
Prior to 1988 the award could be earned by Cub Scouting leaders until the introduction of the Cub Scouting leader awards. Those separate awards were discontinued in 2012 and the Scouter's Training Award for Cub Scouting was restored.
In 2013, requirements for a District Committee Scouter's Training Award was released. By adding this award and revising the requirements for the District Committee Key, it brings these awards' requirements in line with the equivalent unit leader awards. [2]
The medal consists of a pendant suspended from a green ribbon with a thin white vertical stripe. The pendant is the BSA universal emblem superimposed on an "A", all of a brass colored metal. The square knot insignia is an embroidered green square knot on a cloth khaki patch. Multiple awards are denoted by the wear of program devices, worn on the square knot award and the ribbon of the award medal.
Requirements vary, depending on position, but all requirements basically amount to creation and/or maintenance of a quality Scouting program. The award may be earned as the Scouter's Training Award for Cub Scouts, Scouter's Training Award for Boy Scouts, Varsity Scout Leader Training Award, Venturing Leader Training Award, Sea Scout Leader Training Award or Roundtable Staff Training Award.
Scouter's Training Award for Cub Scouts is for all Cub Scout leaders. They must have at least two years of tenure as a registered adult Cub Scout leader, complete This Is Scouting training, and complete basic training for their position. They must attend a pow-wow, university of Scouting, or four roundtable meetings during each year of the tenure for this award. In addition, in each year, they must participate in an annual pack planning meeting; their pack must achieve at least the Bronze level of Journey to Excellence; they must give primary leadership in meeting at least one pack Journey to Excellence objective; and they must participate in at least one additional supplemental or advanced training event at the council level or higher. [3]
Scouter's Training Award for Boy Scouts is for all Boy Scout leaders. They must have at least two years of tenure as a registered adult Boy Scout leader, complete This Is Scouting training, and complete basic training for their position. They must attend a university of Scouting or four roundtable meetings during each year of the tenure for this award. In addition, in each year, they must participate in an annual troop planning meeting; their troop must achieve at least the Bronze level of Journey to Excellence; they must give primary leadership in meeting at least one troop Journey to Excellence objective; and they must participate in at least one additional supplemental or advanced training event at the council level or higher. [4]
Adult leader training in Boy Scouts always starts with Youth Protection Training. For basic position training, Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters need to complete the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills. The committee chairman and committee members should complete Troop Committee Challenge. [5]
Prior to 2013, the requirements were similar, except leaders were required to complete any five electives from a list of 12. These included participation in campouts, Friends of Scouting presentations, parents’ nights or courts of honor, troop money-earning projects, and council or district training events. Leaders could also complete Wood Badge or other supplemental training, serve as a merit badge counselor or a troop committee member, work with a Webelos Scout den, help organize or reorganize a troop, or participate in Boy Scout leader roundtables. [6]
Varsity Scout Leader Training Award [7]
This award was retired at the end of 2018, when the Varsity Scouting program ended.
Venturing Leader Training Award [8]
Sea Scout Leader Training Award [9]
Roundtable Staff Training Award [10]
While it existed, this award could be earned four times: Cub Scout Roundtable Staff, Boy Scout Roundtable Staff, Varsity Scout Huddle Staff and Venturing Roundtable Staff. The award was retired in 2013, when the roundtable and huddle staff positions were eliminated and replaced by assistant roundtable commissioners, who may earn the Arrowhead Honor instead.
District Committee Training Award is for members who have served for at least two years on the District Committee. Qualifying tenure for this award must have been since January 1, 2011. [2] They must complete This is Scouting training, attend a District Committee Training Workshop, and review the district manual and discuss their role with their operating committee chair, district chairman or District Executive. During their tenure they must have attended six district committee meetings, been a member of an operating committee that reached bronze in their Journey to Excellence objectives for each year, and participated in one additional supplemental or advanced training. [11]
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 762,000 youth participants. The BSA was founded in 1910; about 110 million Americans have participated in its programs. BSA became a founding member organization of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922.
Advancement and recognition in the Boy Scouts of America is a tradition dating from the inception of the Scouting movement. A fundamental purpose of advancement is the self-confidence a young man or woman acquires from his participation in Scouting. Advancement is one of the methods used in the "Aims and Methods of Scouting"– character development, citizenship training and personal fitness.
Cub Scouting is part of the Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), available to boys and girls from kindergarten through fifth grade, or 5 to 10 years of age and their families. Its membership is the largest of the five main BSA divisions. Cub Scouting is part of the worldwide Scouting movement and aims to promote character development, citizenship training, personal fitness, and leadership.
Venturing is a core program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women ages 14 through 20. It is one of the Boy Scouts' three programs for older youth, which also include Sea Scouts and Exploring. The purpose of Venturing is to provide a positive environment where youth members, called Venturers, can lead the adventure, take on new leadership roles, and mature into responsible adults.
Varsity Scouting was a program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It was an alternative available to boys ages fourteen to eighteen until the end of 2017. It used the basic Boy Scouting program and added high adventure, sporting, and other elements that were more appealing to older youth to accomplish the aims of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Varsity Scouts were organized into teams; separate chartered units from a Boy Scout troop.
Firecrafter is a service organization within the Boy Scouts of America. Formed in 1920, the Firecrafter Organization mainly operates within the Crossroads of America Council, Indiana, but has been known to exist in other areas including Illinois and Texas.
Scouts South Africa is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) recognised Scout association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, with the first Scout troops appearing in 1908. South Africa has contributed many traditions and symbols to World Scouting.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) use uniforms and insignia to give a Scout visibility and create a level of identity within both the unit and the community. The uniform is used to promote equality while showing individual achievement. While all uniforms are similar in basic design, they do vary in color and detail to identify the different membership divisions of Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA and Venturing. Many people collect BSA insignia such as camporee and jamboree emblems, council shoulder strips and historical badges.
A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit.
Scouts BSA is the flagship program and membership level of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for boys and girls between the ages of typically 11 and 17. It provides youth training in character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness. Scouts are expected to develop personal religious values, learn the principles of American heritage and government, and acquire skills to become successful adults.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was inspired by and modeled on The Boy Scouts Association, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1908. In the early 1900s, several youth organizations were active, and many became part of the BSA.
A Scout group is a local organizational structure in some Scouting organizations that consists of different age programs, gender units and/or multiple units of the same age program.
The advancement program for Scouts participating in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America is symbolized by the earning of seven ranks. The advancement program is often considered to be divided into two phases. The first phase from joining to First Class is designed to teach the scout Scoutcraft skills, how to participate in a group and to learn self-reliance. The Scout badge is awarded when the Scout demonstrates a rudimentary knowledge of the Scouting ideals and program. Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class have progressively harder requirements in the areas of Scoutcraft, physical fitness, citizenship, personal growth and Scout Spirit.
Wood Badge in the United States is an advanced level leadership training available to adult Scout leaders. The first Wood Badge course was presented in England by the founder of Scouting, Baden-Powell, and he introduced the program into the United States during a visit in 1936. The first course was held at the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation, but Americans did not fully adopt Wood Badge until 1948. The National BSA Council staff provided direct leadership to the program through 1958, when the increased demand encouraged them to permit local councils to deliver the training.
The Boy Scouts Association's The Chief Scout's Advance Party Report 1966 attempted to address the association's falling enrollment numbers and modernise its programs. It resulted in changes to traditional iconic uniforms, changes to awards, training schemes, the association's name and other nomenclature, reduced distinctions between Cubs and Scouts and discontinuation of Rovers. However, the changes failed to halt decline in older enrolments, resulting in a shift to younger ages and also resulted in disaffection, a schism in the organisation, growth of the alternate British Boy Scouts and European Scout Federation, formation of independent Scout groups and further alternate Scout organisations, particularly the Traditional Scouting Baden-Powell Scouts' Association and helped to re-establish understanding of Scouts as a movement rather than a single organisation.
Leadership training in the Boy Scouts of America includes training on how to administer the Scouting program, outdoor skills training for adults and youth, and leadership development courses for adults and youth. Some of these courses like Youth Protection Training are mandatory. Most of the courses are offered by the local council, while a few are hosted at the national level, currently at Philmont Training Center in New Mexico. They are available to members of all of the Boy Scout programs, including Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorer Posts, and Venturing Crews.
The Scouter's Key Award is an adult recognition of the Boy Scouts of America. This award is available across several different program areas and can be earned more than once.
International Boy Scouts, Troop 1, Japan's first Boy Scout troop, was founded in 1911, with Clarence Griffin as Scoutmaster. Despite its early multinational character the troop's original registration was with the London headquarters of The Boy Scouts Association as "British Scouts in Foreign Countries". This initial charter was due to there being no international Boy Scout office and the "nationality requirement" that was in effect at the time. In 1918, the troop's character changed considerably when the new Scoutmaster, Bro. Joseph Janning, received approval from Lord Baden-Powell to officially reorganized the troop as a mixed-nationality, or "international", troop. B-P subsequently brought the Troop's situation before the 3rd World Scout Conference where the newly formed Boy Scouts International Bureau received approval to directly register Troop 1 and, in the future, other such "international" groups. The troop was then directly registered by the Boy Scouts International Bureau and was issued the Boy Scout movement's first "mixed nationality" charter, dated October 30, 1925, signed by Baden-Powell as Chief Scout and Hubert S. Martin as Director of the new International Bureau. Within a few years the nationality requirement was abolished and, even though the Bureau maintained the direct registration of Troop 1 and other groups already registered, new groups were requested to join the national organization of the country in which they were located and no new groups were chartered. Over the years the directly chartered groups one-by-one and for varied reasons slowly disbanded and by 1955 only Troop 1 remained. The troop has been continuously active, including war years, since its first meeting held in Yokohama, Japan on October 16, 1911, and currently consists of coed sections of Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, Senior Scouts, and Veteran Scouts.
The Venturing Summit is the highest rank for youth in the Venturing program of the Boy Scouts of America. It requires Venturers to earn the Pathfinder Rank, participate in adventures, and demonstrate leadership, service and personal growth.
In the Boy Scouts of America, a Scout leader refers to the trained leaders of a Scout unit. Adult leaders are generally referred to as "Scouters," and the youth leaders are referred to by their position within a unit. In all Scouting units above the Cub Scout pack and units serving adolescent Scouts, leadership of the unit comprises both adult leaders (Scouters) and youth leaders (Scouts). This is a key part of the Aims and Methods of Scouting. In order to learn leadership, the youth must actually serve in leadership roles.
