IRVING, TEXAS – When you stop by your Scout Shop in the near future, you may notice that an adult recognition knot that you have worn is missing from the shelves. Scouting has evolved over the years, and it becomes necessary for BSA to update its inventory.
After monitoring and reviewing recommendations, the National Council’s Awards Committee has consolidated several knots into a whole new knot. Training awards and the Cub Scouting awards are the ones affected.
The Cubmaster Award becomes the Cubmaster’s Key and the Scouter’s Key knot is used instead. The Cub Scouter and Pack Trainer Awards are being replaced with the Scouter’s Training Award knot. The Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Webelos Den Leader’s Awards are now recognized with the Den Leader’s Award knot. Devices to be worn on the knots indicate the exact award and for which Scout program were earned.
If you are wearing a knot that is no longer available, there’s no need to spend the extra money or hours of training, although additional training never hurts. Your recognition is grandfathered in and you may continue to wear the knot. Like an Eagle Scout, once something becomes a part of an official BSA uniform or insignia, it will always remain official.
Reviews are currently taking place to discuss the possibility of updating the awards’ requirements. We can expect more details in early 2012.
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December 9th, 2011 at 10:44 am
I cannot find any official information about this on scouting.org
December 10th, 2011 at 9:24 am
Thank you for your comment. Sources came to us from the Fall 2011 publication of The Training Times titled, “Are you training leaders, or just running training courses?” The Training Times is a publication issued by the Volunteer Training Subcommittee of the Program Impact Committee of the BSA. Click here for more information.