Arrow of Light Award
Description: Square knot made up of the WEBELOS badge colors: a gold border, with kelly green and scouting red rope strands, worn with green rope to wearer's right; there is also a square knot, which is shown here, with the colors reversed. Either one may be worn, although the first one shown is the one which was originally designed for wear in 1973.
Worn by: Male Scouters
The Arrow of Light is the highest youth award earned by Cub Scouts. In order to earn the Arrow of Light, a WEBELOS Cub Scout must complete the seven requirements outlined in the WEBELOS Cub Scout Handbook,including learning joining skills and participating in a Boy Scout Troop visit, in addition to earning several WEBELOS activity pins. Youth members DO NOT wear the knot. They wear the Arrow of Light patch on their uniform in the places prescribed for the wearing of the Award. In 1990, two emblem manufacturers made an error when reordering this knot emblem to be worn upon the present tan shirts, and it was too late before the BSA's Supply Division caught the error. As you can see from the two knots above, in getting the new tan backgrounded knots to the field, the two companies reversed the colors of the strands. The BSA's Supply Division says that more than 40,000 of the "reversed" Arrow of Light knots exist out there. The BSA's Insignia and Uniform staff knows about the error, and has made plans to tell Scouters that EITHER knot is acceptable for wear but NOT both. Future orders will return the color combinations back to the original combination shown above to the LEFT.
Eagle Scout Award
Description: Square knot made up of the ribbon colors: red, white and blue, intertwined as one rope. Ends showing blue tips are worn to wearer's right.
Worn by: Male Scouters
The Eagle Scout Badge is the highest youth rank in the Boy Scouting program. It is earned by Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts whom complete a number of merit badges, including several which are from a required list of badges for the rank, a series of successful leadership positions in a unit, a series of service projects including a cumulating project in which he must plan, prepare, execute and evaluate, and personal appearance before a review board at the local Council level. Youth members DO NOT wear the knot. They wear the Eagle Scout patch on their uniform in the places prescribed for the wearing of the Award. Eagle Scouts may earn and wear Bronze, Gold and /or Silver Palms on the Knot for the completion of additional merit badges, leadership experiences and tenure since Eagle. These palms are worn in the highest combination which illustrate the number of merit badges over Eagle in multiples of five.
Exploring G.O.L.D. Award
Description: Old square knot made up of three Exploring colors: dark blue for Sea Exploring, amber for Air Exploring and red for "traditional Exploring", with red to wearer's left. Present square knot made up of silver knot with background colors from ribbon colors from second version of award: red, white and blue. Award is worn with red side or red strand to wearer's right.
Worn by: Male and Female Explorers, Male and Female Scouters
The Old Silver Award was created as a replacement for the Ranger and Ace Exploring Awards. National awarded 533 of the first version of the award before reformulating the entire Exploring program. The present Silver Award knot may be worn by previous holders of any Exploring advancement award less the Quartermaster Award and also by holders of a national or local Council Young American Award, a special award designed to recognize achievements in various areas by young adults (whom may or may not be Exploring members). The Exploring Growth Opportunity in Leadership Development (G.O.L.D.) Award (which was originally called the Exploring Achievement Award) is earned by male and female member of any Explorer Post or Ship after a period of service, leadership and tenure. Each Explorer creates their own set of of "requirements" for the award, which presently include learning the Explorer Code. At the end of the period of service and leadership, and at the conclusion appears before the Post or District Exploring Committee to review the path taken to complete the requirements for the award.
Quartermaster Award
Description: Square knot made up of sea blue ribbon color from Quartermaster Medal. Difference between old and new knot is only background in which worn on field uniform.
Worn by: Male and Female Explorers, Male and Female Scouters
The Quartermaster Award is the highest rank in the Sea Exploring portion of the Exploring program. In order to earn Quartermaster, Explorers must show natical profiecency, leadership, and service over a period of time, as well as to earn several rating awards. Quartermaster Awards are conferred after a review board at the local Council level.