Two New Outdoor Awards Unveiled

Two new awards have been developed to promote "outdoorism" for Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts.

The National Outdoor Challenge (No. 430-016) is a unit award that recognizes troops/teams that maintain or increase the amount of outdoor activity when compared to the previous year. The information and application is available here: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/boyscouts/adults/awards.aspx and is due at the end of 2010. With the release of this award, the National Camping Award has been discontinued; however, patches for camping nights will be available until the inventory is depleted.

The National Outdoor Achievement Award (No. 430-509) recognizes Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts that excel in outdoor participation. The award consists of five areas of emphasis (camping, aquatics, hiking, riding and adventure) with rigorous requirements to earn each segment. Scouts looking for an extra challenge can earn the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement. This challenging award requires earning at least three of the National Outdoor Achievement segments, planning and leading a trek, earning Wilderness First Aid and becoming a Leave No Trace Trainer as well as several other requirements. The information and application is available at the following link: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/boyscouts/youth/awards.aspx