Denotes one year served as a Tiger Cub Scout Leader in a quality Tiger Cub den. There are several requirements, including being fully trained for the position, having most of your boys complete their rank requirements, etc.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes one year served as either a Wolf or Bear Cub Scout Leader in a quality Cub Scout den. There are several requirements, including being fully trained for the position, having most of your boys complete their rank requirements, etc.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes two year served as a Cub Scout Den Leader Coach in a quality Pack.

This knot may no longer be earned. Scouters who have previously earned this knot may continute to wear this knot.

Denotes one year served as a Webelos Scout Leader in a quality Webelos patrol. There are several requirements, including being fully trained for the position, having most of your boys complete their rank requirements, etc.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes either two year served as the Cubmaster, or one year as Asst. Cubmaster and one year as Cubmaster in a quality Pack. There are several requirements, including being fully trained for the position, earning the Summertime Achievement Award, earning Quality Unit, etc.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes two year served in any position as a registered Cub Scout Leader in a quality Pack. There are several requirements, including serving in supporting roles for the Pack, etc.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes two year served as a registered Pack Trainer in a Cub Scout Pack. There are several requirements, including attending Trainer's Development Conference, keeping all key Pack leaders trained for their positions, keeping accurate Pack Training records, etc.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes two year served in any position as a registered leader in various Scouting units and positions of responsibility. Requirements vary, depending on position, but all requirements basically amount to creation and/or maintenance of a quality scouting program.

Boy Scout Leader Training Award: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Varsity Scout Leader Training Award: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Venturing Leader Training Award: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Roundtable Staff Training Award: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.

When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

Denotes three year served in the top adult leadership position in a given unit or job. Requirements vary, depending on position, but all requirements basically amount to creation and/or maintenance of a quality scouting program.

Scoutmaster's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Varsity Scout Coach's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Venturing Advisor's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Skipper's Key: click here to download an application form for this award.
Roundtable Commissioner's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
District/Assistant District Commissioner's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
Unit Commissioner's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.
District Committee's Key: click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award.

When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

The Professional Training Award may be earned by: Associate District Executives, District Executives, Senior District Executives, Exploring Executives, Senior Exploring Executives, District Directors, and Field Directors with supervisory responsibities. To earn the award, Professional staff Scouters must: complete or participate in five of eight training or coaching programs (including Wood Badge, Exploring Advanced Seminar, and National Camping School), successfully attend all three sessions of the Professional Executive Institute (PEI), and meet all critical achievements in his or her District/Division/Council for two of the three years.

Click here for a list of requirements for this award.

To earn this knot, you must first attend a training course at the Philmont Training Center. Then you must go back to the Philmont Training Center to take an additional course AND recruit 3 other scouts to go with you AND you must go back home and TEACH a BSA course (usually the course you took at Philmont). The course can be taught at the District, Council, Area or Regional level.

Click here for a fact sheet about this award. Note: If you go back to the Philmont Training Center for a third time, and meet other requirements, you can earn a device to be worn on the knot.

The Doctorate Commissioner Science Award is award to a Commissioner upon completion of a standardized program leading to the completion of a thesis or project and the award of the Doctorate of Commissioner Science from a College of Commissioner Science.

The College of Commissioner Science program is designed to have a commissioner learn, through a series of training classes, followed by work experiences to ensure a quality program throughout Scouting. This training will take a number of years to complete. The commissioner finalizes his/her training with an approved thesis or project for the benefit of the Scouting program. This assists both new commissioners as they learn, and seasoned commissioners as they train others.

Click here to download a fact sheet and a list of the requirements.

Denotes 18 months served as a Scoutmaster in a quality Troop or Advisor in a quality Crew. Applicants are nominated by Troop or Crew officers. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

Scoutmaster's Award of Merit: Click here to download a nomination form for this award.
Varsity Coach's Award of Merit: Click here to download a nomination form for this award.
Venturing Advisor's Award of Merit: Click here to download a nomination form for this award.

The Venturing Leadership Award is presented by councils, areas/regions, and the BSA National Council to Venturers and adults who have made exceptional contributions to Venturing and who exemplify the Venturing Code and Oath.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The Distinguished Commissioner Service Award is presented to unit, Assistant District, District, Assistant Council, and Council Commissioners whom have served activily as a registered commissioner for at least five years, have completed the Commissioner training courses, received the Arrowhead Honor Award, and whose units/District/Council has achieved a level of quality through the BSA's Quality Unit/District/Council program.

Click here to download a fact sheet and a list of the requirements.

The Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award is presented to Arrowmen that have given for a significant period of time service to the Order of Arrow or to Scouting at any level beyond the local Lodge (which is part of the local Council) level. Most Arrowmen receiving this award were youth members serving as leaders at the Sectional, Regional or National level. Most adult Arrowmen receiving this award have served as Arrowmen for an extended period of time, normally more than ten years.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The District Award of Merit is awarded by a District Committee to a registered Scouter for district-level service to youth in the District. Generally, the award is presented for service to youth in excess of five years.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Fill it out, and turn it in to your District Training Chair. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The Silver Beaver Award is presented upon action of a Council Executive Board for service to youth within the Council. Generally, the Silver Beaver is awarded for service to Scouting for at least ten years or longer.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Fill it out, and turn it in to your District Training Chair. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The Silver Antelope Award is presented upon action of the Regional Executive Board of one of the BSA's four Regions for longtime service to youth within the Region.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Fill it out, and turn it in to your District Training Chair. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The Silver Buffalo Award is awarded upon action of the National Execuitve Board of the Boy Scouts of America to volunteers Scouters and other individuals for service to youth on a national basis or over a significant period of national service to a youth agency or in actions affecting youth.  The Silver Buffalo Award is the traditional award presented to the Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America sometime during his term of office.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The Silver World Award is presented by the BSA to world citizens who give outstanding service to their nation's youth or to young people in other countries. Award recipients must be citizens of countries whose Scout associations are members of the World Scout Conference. United States citizens may receive the recognition only if they are not registered members of the Boy Scouts of America.

There are no specific requirements for this award, and there is no form to fill out. If you feel you know of someone deserving, then write a detailed letter of nomination, explaining what you believe are this person's qualifications, and why you think they should recieve this award. Then turn your nomination letter into your local Scout Executive for processing. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

This knot is given in recognition of attaining Cub Scouting's highest rank, the Arrow of Light. If you earned the Arrow of light when you were a Cub Scout, you are entitled to wear this knot.
Note: prior to 1967, the rank following Bear was Lion, and the Webelos Award was the "getting ready for Boy Scouts" award...similar to the current Arrow of Light. If you earned your Webelos Award prior to 1967, you are also entitled to wear this knot.

This is not a restricted knot, and can simply be picked up from the Scout Shop.

This knot is given in recognition of attaining Boy Scouting's highest rank, the Eagle. If you are an Eagle Scout, you are entitled to wear this knot.

Unlike the actual Eagle rank patch, this is not a restricted knot, and can simply be picked up from the Scout Shop.

This knot is awarded to an Eagle Scouts who further enrolls as a Life Member with NESA (National Eagle Scout Association).

You may only wear one Eagle Scout knot. This knot is worn instead of, not in addition to the standard Eagle Scout knot.

This knot is given in recognition of attaining Venturing's highest rank, the Silver Award. If you earned your Silver Award when you were a Venturer, you are entitled to wear this knot.

This is not a restricted knot, and can simply be picked up from the Scout Shop.

This knot is given in recognition of attaining Sea Scouting's highest rank, the Quartermaster Award. If you earned your Quartermaster when you were a Sea Scout, you are entitled to wear this knot.

This is not a restricted knot, and can simply be picked up from the Scout Shop.

These knots were given in recognition of attaining Exploring's highest rank, the Silver, which later transformed into the G.O.L.D. Award. If you earned your Explorer Silver Award or G.O.L.D. Award when you were an Explorer, you are entitled to wear this knot.

The Explorer program has evolved into the present-day Venturing program.

This knot is given in recognition of attaining Exploring's high adventure award, the Ranger Award. If you earned your Ranger Award when you were an Explorer, you are entitled to wear this knot.

This knot is given in recognition of attaining Air Scout's highest rank, the Ace Award. If you earned your Ace Award when you were an Air Scout, you are entitled to wear this knot.

Meritous Action Knots

These knots are for scouts who have done something noteworthy.

Awarded to a youth member or adult leader who demonstrates unusual heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save a life at considerable risk to his or her own. In cases of exceptional skill or resourcefulness and extreme risk of life, the medal is awarded with crossed palms.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

Awarded to a youth member or adult leader demonstrating heroism in saving or attempting to save a life at minimum risk to self.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The Merit Medal honors Scouts, Venturers and Scouters that have performed some act of meritorious service above and beyond what is normally expected of a youth or adult member of the Boy Scouts of America. Key in the difference between this award and the heroism awards is that the action need not involve saving life, but must employ some aspect of Scouting learning or skills in the execution.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

Scoutreach Service Award Knots

These knots are for outstanding service to Scoutreach units.

The purpose of the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award is to recognize outstanding services by an adult individual or an organization for demonstrated involvement in the development and implementation of Scouting opportunities for youth from rural or low-income urban backgrounds—this is in fulfillment of Dr. Young's dream of justice and equality for all.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here for a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

Asian American Spirit of Scouting Service Award

The purpose of the Asian American Spirit of Scouting Service Award is to recognize outstanding services by an adult individual or an organization for demonstrated involvement in the development and implementation of Scouting opportunities for Asian American youth.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here for the nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

The purpose of the ¡Scouting…Vale la Pena! Service Award is to recognize outstanding services by an adult individual or an organization for demonstrated involvement in the development and implementation of Scouting opportunities for Hispanic American/Latino youth.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here for the nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

Religious Knots

These knots are to commermerate earning the religious award for your faith.

This square knot is worn by those whom have earned their religious emblem of faith particular to their own religion as a youth. This award is NOT a BSA award; it is an award administered and presented by a church body for education, service and devotion to faith. BSA then allows the youth or Scouter to wear a knot signifying his completion of that award.

Requirements for this award vary from religion to religion. For more information on the specific requirements of your faith, please click here to visit P.R.A.Y.

This square knot is worn by Scouters who have received a religious service emblem or award for their faith. This award is NOT a BSA award; it is an award presented by a church body for education, service and devotion to faith. BSA then allows the Scouter to wear a knot signifying his completion of that award.

Requirements for this award vary from religion to religion. For more information on the specific requirements of your faith, please click here to visit P.R.A.Y.

Other Knots

These knots don't fit neatly into any of the above categories.

The William H. Spurgeon III Award is the highest recognition for individuals and organizations contributing significant leadership to the Exploring program. Although the award may be awarded to an organization, on the direct-contact adult is entitled to wear the knot.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Candidates for this award must be nominated. Self-nomination disqualifies the candidate.

The Meany Award is presented to Scouters and to union organizations at both the national and local Council level for service and support given to the Scouting program at either the local Council or national levels.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here to download a nomination form. Self-nomination automatically disqualifies a candidate.

William T. Hornaday Award

The William T. Hornaday Award recognizes Scouts, Venturers and Scouters for their service to conservation and ecology efforts in their communities. To earn the Hornaday Award as an individual, youth members must earn a series of merit badges followed by a concentrated series of conservation and/or environmental education projects to be conducted in the member's community or nearby, under the advisement of a trained conservation, naturalist, or environmental engineering expert. The present adult Gold Award is nominative in nature, and extends over at least a ten-year span of working in or with conservation or environmental education/reclamation efforts in the community, state or nation.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

This square knot is worn by those whom have received an award from en external community organization, specifically recognized by the BSA's Relationships Division, while serving as an adult member of the BSA. This award is NOT a BSA award; it represents an award presented by some other community service, fraternal, corporate or governmental organization to one of its members for making significant contributions toward the education, service and/or devotion to youth through scouting. In recognition of being a recipient of one of these awards, BSA then allows you to sew this knot on your uniform.

There are currently twelve awards which fall into this classification. Eleven of them wear the Community Organization Award knot:

• The Marvin M. Lewis Award of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE)
• Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Scouter's Achievement Award
• American Legion Scouting Square Knot Award
• Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal of the US Military Department of Defense
• Herbert G. Horton Alpha Phi Omega Youth Service Award
• Raymond A. Finley, Jr. Sea Scout Service Award of the United States Power Squadrons
• Cliff Dochterman Award of the International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians
• Ruritan Scout Leader Community Service Award of Ruritan National Service Clubs
• Robert E. Burt Boy Scout Volunteer Award of The Sons of the American Revolution
• The Lions Clubs Scouting Service Award

The twelth, The George Meany Award of the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is also part of this category, but retains the use of the original square knot designed for the Meany Award. Occasionally, a recipient of the Meany Award, at their discression, they may choose to wear the more generic Community Organization Award knot instead of the specific Meany knot, but they may NOT wear both (unless, of course, they happen to be a recipient of BOTH the Meany, and one of the other eleven recognized community organization awards).

Click here for a general fact sheet on this award.

The James West Fellowship Award is presented through a local Council to any individual that gives $1000 or more to the local Council's West Fellowship Fund (local Councils have differing names for this special pool) on behalf of him/herself, or another individual to be honored or recognized through membership within the West Fellowship.  The money goes to support critical local Council and national programs which have suffered major losses due to diversion of funding for national-level resolutions of risk-management issues.

After you have made the contribution click here to download a nomination form, fill it out, collect the necessary signatures, and turn it in to your council office. If you know of a scouter who made this contribution to their local council, but for whatever reason did not fill out a form to nominate themselves for this award, you may also fill out a form to nominate them and turn it in to the council office on their behalf.

The William D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer Award is presented to recognize volunteers who organize one or more traditional Scouting units. The award may be worn on the adult uniform. The award is a square knot placed over the three colors representing the three phases of our program—Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing. A volunteer can earn the knot by organizing one traditional unit, and a program device can be earned for up to three additional units organized.

If you feel you know of someone deserving, then click here and fill out the form and turn it in to the District Committee Chair. You may nominate yourself for this award by simply downloading the form, filling it out, and turning it in to your District Committee Chair.

This award encourages Scouters to broaden their involvement in Scouting through participation in World Scouting activities and recognizes Scouters for their contributions to world Scouting.

Click here to download a Progress Record application card for this award. When you complete the card with all necessary signatures, turn it in to your District Training Chair at the next Roundtable meeting.

In order to spread the message of Scouting, the BSA is maintaining a list of officially registered speakers to get the word out about Scouting. After a registered speaker conducts a minimum of 20 speeches and provides feedback, the speaker will receive a knot. Knot recipients will receive recognition at the National Annual Meeting.

There is nothing else to do. If you are a registered BSA Speaker, and you give 20 speaches and then fill out the feedback, you will automatically be awarded this knot. Click here for a link to the official BSA Speaker's website.

This award is presented to registered Sea Scout adults that attend and complete the Seabadge Conference advanced training course. This course is similar to the Woodbadge course for general scout leaders. Additionally, at this time, in the Southern Region only, participants must also complete their Rudders (similar to the Woodbadge Tickets) to earn the right to wear this knot.

There are no additional requirements or signatures necessary. Completion of this course entitles you to wear this knot.