Special Awards

The Outdoor Activity Award may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts. Boys may earn the award in each of the program years as long as the requirements are completed each year. The first time the award is earned, the Cub Scout will receive the pocket flap award (shown to the left), which is to be worn on the right pocket flap of the uniform shirt.

Each successive time the award is earned, a Wolf Track pin may be added to the flap. Leaders should encourage Cub Scouts to build on skills and experiences from previous years when working on the award for a successive year.

Cub Scout Shooting Sports Tigers to Webelos Scouts can earn awards for learning the safety rules and participating in three different disciplines of shooting sports: archery, BB gun, and slingshot. Shooting sports can only be conducted on a district or council level such as council-organized family camps, Cub Scout resident camp, or Cub Scout day camps.

These activities require BSA trained adult leaders who have learned the specific rules and regulations around shooting sports with Cub Scout–aged children. Individual dens or packs may not conduct shooting sports activities even if they have an adult leader in their den or pack that has the appropriate training.

Lions are not eligible to earn Cub Scout Shooting Sports Award.

The World Conservation Award can be earned only once while you are in Cub Scouting (i.e. as either a Wolf, Bear, or Webelos Scout; but not by Lion nor Tiger Cubs).

Emergency Preparedness BSA Award

This award can be earned by Tigers, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts in addition to adult leaders.

There are age-appropriate activities to earn the award for each rank. The award is a pin that can be worn on everyday clothes or on the uniform on the left pocket flap.

Interpreter Strip

Scouting is a worldwide organization and encourages youth and adults to share their culture and heritage with others. The interpreter strip informs others that you can communicate in a foreign language, American sign language, or Morse code. Youth and adults may wear this strip if they show their knowledge of a foreign language or the sign language for the hearing impaired by:

• Carrying on a five-minute conversation in this language

• Translating a two-minute speech or address

• Writing a letter in the language (does not apply for sign language)

• Translating 200 words from the written word

Today, Scouts in dozens of countries are working for peace by solving conflicts in their schools, building links between divided communities, teaching their peers about health and wellness, and repairing environmental damage. To recognize their efforts—and to inspire more young men and women to help Scouting create a better world—the World Scout Committee has launched the Messengers of Peace initiative.

To participate all Cub Scouts have to do is go online and register the Messengers of Peace related community service projects they undertake. Doing so adds pins to a global Messengers of Peace map, which Scouts from around the world can click on to learn how their fellow Scouts are making a difference.

The National Summertime Award encourage packs to provide a year-round program by continuing to meet during the time periods when school is out of session for several weeks or months. Cub Scouts earn this pin by participating in three summertime pack events (one each in June, July, and August). This award may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

The BSA's STEM/Nova Awards program is designed to introduce and encourage further study of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) by Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturers. A Scout may earn all four Nova awards. The Supernova awards are designed to inspire further study. It is recommended that you complete at least two Nova awards before starting the requirements for the Supernova award. This award may be earned by all registered Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

The Recruiter Strip is awarded to Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and is worn below the right pocket on the uniform. This award may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

Religious Emblems, cloth, silver knot on purple, No. 05007, may be worn by youth or adult members who earned the knot as a youth member, above left pocket. Each faith has its own requirements for earning its emblem. A knot device may be used to indicate during which level of Scouting the award was earned. This award may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

To earn the SCOUTStrong Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge Award, you are required to meet a daily activity goal of 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 minutes a day for youth under 18 for at least five days a week, for six out of eight weeks. Stick with the program and you will earn an award in less than two months.

USA Ultimate assists tens of thousands of players in getting involved with ultimate each year. USA Ultimate’s Learn to Play kits will provide BSA adult leaders with the tools they need to introduce ultimate to their Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing units. Each kit consists of 10 discs, a Learn to Play clinic guide, volcano cones, posters, and stickers.

Service stars are a great way to encourage and recognize Cub Scouts for staying in Scouting. After being in the pack for one year, a Cub Scout is eligible to wear the one-year service star. There are stars for each year following. Service stars continue throughout the various programs and adult volunteer service. Special recognition pins are available for benchmark periods such as each five and 10 years.

Beginning at the Bear rank (third grade), Cub Scouts may earn the Whittling Chip. This is a required training for Scouts in order to use and carry a pocketknife during Scouting activities. The Scout must demonstrate to their adult leader the safe way to use a knife as a tool. In addition to a pocket card, a patch may also be presented but is not to be worn on the uniform.

Today’s youth are spending more time than ever using digital media for education, research, socializing, and fun. To help families and volunteers keep youth safe while online, the Boy Scouts of America introduces the Cyber Chip. In developing this exciting new tool, the BSA teamed up with content expert NetSmartz®, part of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children® and training expert for many law enforcement agencies.

The Conservation Good Turn Award is an opportunity for Scout units to join with conservation or environmental organizations (federal, state, local, or private) to carry out a conservation Good Turn in their home communities. Working together in the local community, the unit and the agency plan the details and establish the date, time and location for carrying out the project. It may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

The Donor Awareness Patch is worn on the right pocket of the uniform as a temporary emblem. BSA has reduced their emphasis on this program, but has not discontinued it completely. This award may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

The National Den Award recognizes dens that conduct a quality, year-round program. Service projects, field trips, character development, and Cub Scout camping are areas that are emphasized. Dens earn the award as a team, not as individual den members. The recognition is a ribbon for the den flag or den doodle. All Cub Scouts (Tigers through Webelos) may earn this.

The Hornaday Unit Award may be earned by a Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, Venturing crew or Sea Scout ship that plans and carries out at least one conservation project. This award may be earned by all registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.

• Polar Bear Award

  • May be earned by any registered Scout in any BSA program or registered adult leader on an overnight camping event sponsored by a unit, district or council.

    • Recipient must sleep in a tent or shelter they erected or built under the stars.

    • The majority of the daily activities must be help in the outdoors.

    • For Cub Scouts, the requirement is one night when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or less using a reliable source for measuring temperature or ice is visible (water has frozen, ice on tents, etc).

James E West Fellowship Award, cloth, green and gold knot on tan, No. 05026, Scout or Scouter. For a donation of $1,000 or more to a council endowment. This award may be presented to a registered Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scout.

Medal of Merit, cloth, gold and blue on tan, blue to right, No. 05025, may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has performed some outstanding act of service of a rare or exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others.

The National Certificate of Merit may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has performed a significant act of service that is deserving of special national recognition.

The Heroism Award, cloth, red knot on white, No. 5020, may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save life at minimal personal risk.

Honor Medal, cloth, red knot on tan, No. 05010. The Honor Medal may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated unusual heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save a life at considerable risk to self.

The Honor Medal With Crossed Palms may be awarded in exceptional cases to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save a life at extreme risk to self.