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Den Chief Service Award


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BSA policy states what is and what is not forbidden to wear with the uniform. I have never found anywhere that DC Award is forbidden with the adult uniform. I do know that the first class pin is forbidden with the campaign hat, and other specific instances where specific items are explicitly stated one way or another. I have never found any place where it says the cords cannot be worn as an adult.

 

Stosh

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The position of the BSA on wearing the Den Chief Service Award cord is implied when it states in a few different books that the Scout may wear the cord for as long as he is a youth member (meaning he could wear it up to age 21 depending on the type of unit he is in). The implication is that at 21, he can no longer wear the Den Chief Service Award cord, so therefore adults can't wear the cord.

 

I agree that the Den Chief Service Award should be granted a knot - and once suggested an overhand knot that is red, ehite and blue.

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That's what I thought. I knew I had read somewhere that said Boy Scouts could wear the cords but didn't mention "Scouters" when it had been clearly mentioned "Scouters" as being allowed to wear other awards.

 

Who would need to be written to about this suggestion?

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  • 7 months later...

I like the idea of a knot (square or overhand) for the Den Chief Service Award. As a Scouter it would be great to have that achievement displayed next to my other knots. It takes a year to earn and I think is the only cord worn the whole time a youth stays in Scouts. I wonder if the issue might be the color since red, white, blue are the colors for the Eagle knot. I was very proud to wear the service cord after I moved on to other jobs in the Troop. Hope somebody can figure this out for all of us old Den Chiefs. I think this award makes more since as a knot than some of the other knots out there.

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Question.

Should the Scoutmaster or Den Leader follow through with the Den Chief Service Award (paperwork), or should the Den Chief puruse this with the SM, DL, and/or CM?

 

I do have one DC who probably is unaware of the award, but he just really likes working with the den because he thinks it is fun. He has completed all the requirements except the 1 year of service.

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Buffalo,

 

My suggestion is that the SM, CM AND the DL should encourage a good Den Chief to earn the award. As you state, you have a good Den Chief who has already accomplished the tasks without time of service in and who is probably unaware of the award. Why wouldn't you - as SM, CM or DL not talk to the Scout about this award?

 

Why wouldn't any adult not enourage the Scouts to consider earning awards that aren't in the panopoly of rank advancement awards? When the PLC meets and starts thinking about planning a high adventure trip, isn't it an ideal time for the SM to place the requirements for the 50-miler Award in front of them? If a Scout shows a particular affinity for handling woods tools, why wouldn't a Scoutmaster suggest looking at the requirements for the Paul Bunyan Award? If a Scout is choosing to do the environmental merit badges as electives, why not suggest looking at the requirements for the Hornaday Award?

 

 

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While I do appreciate the service of Den Chief, this hardly seems to be something that calls for a knot. For starters, other than the religious awards few scouts even consider knots. They wear their AOL and that is it. I don't know of any that earn their AOL or Eagle because they get it wear a knot when they are adults. Those two knots along with the knot for Venturing, Exploring and Sea Scout the exist because they represent the scouter having earned the highest award in the various programs. The Den Chief Service Award does not rise to this level. Why not have a "SPL" knot or "Lodge Officer" knot. Those are more difficult than earning the DCSA. It certainly doesn't come close to something like the Hornaday.

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Certainly, not all knots are created equal, and that's not how this idea should be judged. (The Distinguished Commissioner Award isn't exactly on par with the Medal of Honor Award, for example. And the James E. West Fellowship Award ... well, 'nuff said.)

 

I would compare the Den Chief Service Award to awards given to Cub Scout adult leaders. The requirements are very similar, though on a different scale.

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