National Outdoor Badges/Medal for Outdoor Achievement

[razor_strop]

I wonder if this press release is legitimate, or it will follow the example of the historic merit badge program:

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2010/0 ... .html#more

[smtroop168]

This one is "more official"

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Boy ... s/NOA.aspx

[joshuapscouter]

I wonder if this press release is legitimate, or it will follow the example of the historic merit badge program:

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2010/0 ... .html#more

what happened with the historic merit badge program? that was eventually released, right?

that blog is the scouting magazine's official blog, so it's all coming from national.

[RWSmith]

First: Welcome to the board.

Second: Uh, his comment was, uh, a "tongue-in-cheek" swipe at their "Cracker Barrel" on this one (and, I think, kinda-sorta by inference, other recent National-level fumbles... Geocaching MB, Bugling MB, just to mention a couple), which he assumed would be recognized by all.

See: "2010 Historical" Merit Badges and Bugling MB being dropped in 2011

[mhjacobson]

It is real -- however some of the requirements for the medal seem to be very steep and do not make sense -- what do you do if someone from the troop has already performed the LNT training for the award? What does the second scout do -- repeat the training? What if it is a young troop? concerned about the "leading a trek" requirement.

I like the concept, but am concerned that it was not thought out thoroughly before being announced.

[razor_strop]

Thanks for the top cover, RW; I admit I was being a little snarky...probably should have used a smilie to better convey that.

I agree with the one blog comment on Aquatics...wow, Swimming AND Lifesaving AND Mile Swim (rather than 'or'). Not to mention we've always tracked miles for boating trips, not hours (which I agree does lend itself better than mileage for tracking swim time). We're going to have to go back into our activities records and try to figure out time spent on water during past events instead of distance traveled...I hope I get overtime for this.

[smtroop168]

Add one combined Citizenship MB, Communcations and Personal Management MBs to this and we've got our new Eagle Requirements.

[AquilaNegra2]

re: NOAA camping

#4 reads: "Complete 25 days and nights of camping—including six consecutive days (five nights) of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America—including nights camped as part of requirements 1 through 3 above."

Would you say that these are only troop/district campouts or can a Scout count the nights he spends working on his Backpacking and Wilderness Survival merit badges?

[jr56]

That would be up to his merit badge counselor.

[RWSmith]

That would be up to his merit badge counselor.

[Quailman]

I guess it would be up to his "Scoutmaster or coach", as that is who signs the application.

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/Outdo ... 509_WB.pdf

[cdwscout]

Note: The pages for the medal/badges are both stubs on the wiki.

[razor_strop]

As it seems the National Outdoor Badge for Camping (NOB-C) has replaced the old National Camping Award, we've been reviewing the requirements for the NOB-C and have come up with a questions for the masses. The "nights camped" requirement reads:

"4. Complete 25 days and nights of camping—including six consecutive days (five nights) of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America—including nights camped as part of requirements 1 through 3 above.

A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 nights of camping. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 nights of camping."

The old National Camping Award recognized a Scout for completing 100 nights of camping. The requirements seem to say that a Scout earns a silver device for the NOB-C segment after he completes 125 nights of camping rather than 100 (Rqmt 4 calls for 25, then a silver device after 100 additional nights on top of the initial 25 nights for Rqmt 4). Are we reading the NOB-C requirements correctly (emphasis on the "additional"), or should a Scout earn a silver device after he completes a total of 100 nights of camping.

This question also extends into the other NO badges; do the silver devices come only after the additional miles/nights/hours/etc. (e.g., 300 miles hiked, 150 hours on the water, 600 miles on a bike)?

Thanks for any guidance you may have.

[smtroop168]

Dunno. You can try asking Bill Evans at National as the Awards area, web page http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards_Central.aspx and soon to be publication belong to him.

Bill.Evans@scouting.org

[razor_strop]

Thanks Matt.

[ismellbacon]

I looked on Scouting.Org and was unable to find it... but, where does this go on the uniform? My son will be getting two of the tabs after summer camp.

Thanks!

[RWSmith]

I looked on Scouting.Org and was unable to find it... but, where does this go on the uniform? My son will be getting to the the tabs after summer camp.

Even though these (the patch and its segments (a.k.a., "rockers")) are restricted items, they're still classified as temporary insignia; ergo ...

... right breast pocket -or- the back or the MB sash.

[ismellbacon]

I looked on Scouting.Org and was unable to find it... but, where does this go on the uniform? My son will be getting to the the tabs after summer camp.

Even though these (the patch and its segments (a.k.a., "rockers")) are restricted items, they're still classified as temporary insignia; ergo ...

... right breast pocket -or- the back or the MB sash.

Thanks!

[razor_strop]

As a follow-up, I did receive a reply from National re: my question on silver device requirements. The stated numbers (100 additional nights, 200 additional miles, etc.) are indeed in addition to the numbers required for the segment--i.e., Camping silver device requires 125 nights, Hiking silver device requires 300 miles, Riding silver device requires 600 miles.

[Flaxin]

Dear fellow Scouters,

I have worked up an Excel Spreadsheet just for tracking multiple boys working towards the National Outdoor Achievement badges and medal.

Please let me know if you find it helpful.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a professional spreadsheet developer, and make no claims that my work doesn't include mistakes or ommissions.

Yours in Scouting,

Ray