Nat. Outdoor Award - updates wanted

[Eaglemom2b 10]

I did a forum search regarding the NOA and noted that some of you said your sons were interested in earning this award (or portions thereof). How is it going? Are scouts earning the award?

 

My son earned the center segment and the Riding rocker with three gold devices. With the bike rides he put in this week he is well on his way to the silver device.

 

He is currently working on Cooking MB and wants to earn the Camping rocker as soon as he can.

 

His third choice will be the Adventure rocker, which appears to me to be the most difficult to earn.

 

Please update. I am curious to learn of the popularity of this award.

[Eaglemom2b 10]

Do any of you know of a scout who has earned the National medal for Outdoor acheivement? I just looked through the reqs and my son is about half way there. He earned the Leave No Trace Trainer in April. That was a long weekend of training but he completed it.

 

 

[IM_Kathy 32]

if my son was big on awards and wanted to turn in he'd have the camping and the adventure done and would be close with the hiking... doubt he'd ever do aquatics or riding though

 

also this just isn't something we see around this area

[NEPAScouter 10]

My troop had two scouts earn the camping segment, one with a gold device and the other with 3 gold devices. This year I thInk we'll have three or four more do the camping segment. There are one or two scouts who will probably also earn the aquatics segment.

 

Last year was when we started promoting this award program. I think it's a good way to bring recognition to the outdoor method of Scouting. We're gradually trying to promote the medal as a parallel recognition program to Eagle for the older boys.

 

A minor issue I have with the patch+segments portion of the award is that it looks as though scouts aren't keen on wearing them as temporary patches. I'm looking into getting neckerchiefs made and having the scouts wear the pentagon patch and segments and pins on that. Kind of like a varsity letter for outdoors. They'd wear it at summer camp, and at class-A events during camp outs.

[Eaglemom2b 10]

Thanks for replying.

NEPA - I like the neckerchief idea, really like it. I think I'll check with the SM and see if that would be okay to do for my son (if my son would agree to it, that is).

[bnelon44 17]

The troop neckerchief is suppose to be the uniform symbol representing the troop. Everyone in the troop is suppose to be wearing the same neckerchief. I have always had problems with it being used as a device to show personal achievement (for going on long hikes, going on high adventure camps, or gaining rank)

[NEPAScouter 10]

Hi bnelon44,

 

You raise a good point. We do have a troop neckerchief that we wear only for occasions like COHs, Scout Sunday services, Boys' Day in Government, troop meetings and BORs. It's white with gold trim and has a patch identifying our charter organization (we're chartered to a Catholic church). We don't usually wear this neckerchief at summer camp or campouts because, well, it wouldn't wear well. We're not about to change it, though, despite that problem -- 50-year tradition and all that. We figure the troop number on our shirts and on our class B t-shirts gives us a way to define our identity outdoors.

 

So, that was the thinking behind wanting to look into a NOAA neckerchief just for our troop's outdoor activities.

 

Interestingly, I agree with you when it comes to the Eagle neckerchiefs, buckles, and other Eagle doodads -- doesn't the Eagle patch or medal do a good enough job showing one's achievement? In the same vein, I'm not a fan of temp patch holders flapping over sewed temporary patches, either. Which is what I can see happening with the "segment and central patch and pin constellation" of the NOAA patch set in our troop.

 

Guess a little more pondering is needed before I propose this idea to the PLC. I really like the NOAA setup for recognizing Scouts who are excelling in the outdoors, just wish it was better executed than as a temporary patch set.

 

 

[Basementdweller 608]

So I have a question about this award and the OP.

 

It says

 

Complete 200 miles of riding activities, either on a non-motorized bike or a stock animal, under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including the miles in requirement 2.

 

 

So Auspices.....Does this mean troop, district or council event???? I was under the impression that you could not count hiking, canoeing, kayaking, biking or rock climbing with the family toward this award......

 

My son has enough time in and outings to have earned each of these awards.... He has been active in the outdoors since birth and his first backpacking trip was at 4 years old.

 

The problem is he did not do it with in scouting......

 

 

So OP did your sons patrol do the bike rides or was it a council event?????

 

 

[bnelon44 17]

I asked the same question a bit ago to the man who created the award. He said it is meant to recognize what Scout has done in Scouting, so the activities need to be Scouting activities. That is what "under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America" means.

 

Also note, all Boy Scout awards usually require that the Scout do it as a registered Boy Scout, Cub Scout activities don't count.

[bnelon44 17]

NEPAScouter

 

The important time to wear the troop neckerchief is when they are in front of Scouts from other troops.

 

I'll get off my hobby horse on this subject now...

 

 

[Basementdweller 608]

I am guessing the OP is not following the Under Auspices portion of the requirements....

 

I don't know of any boy scout troop that would ride 500 miles in a couple of years....

[JMHawkins 15]

Quick question on how the gold/silver devices work. For Camping, it's a gold device for every 25 nights of camping beyond the initial 25, and a silver device for every 100. When a scout earns a silver device, is he supposed to replace his 3 gold devices with the silver one? I assume so, but wanted to check here. It would be:

 

25 nights total = award

50 nights total = 1 gold

75 nights total = 2 gold

100 nights total= 3 gold

125 nights total= 1 silver

150 nights total= 1 silver + 1 gold

etc.

 

[Eaglemom2b 10]

I can assure you that if anything was done contrary to the spirit of the award it was not intentional.

All of the rides were completed following the standards set forth in the Cycling merit badge book (registered bike, helmet, buddy sytem followed) and were okayed by the SM and a registered MBC (non-parent). All rides have taken place within the last two years while DS has been a registered Boy Scout. It began as a troop badge but as soon as the other boys hit the longer rides (15+) they began to drop out. Partly due to the types of bikes the boys were riding; the little dirt bikes and trick bikes are not meant for distance riding. (Aside, no one in the Troop had ever attempted Cycling before because of the amount of work involved; earning Swimming at summer camp has been tradition for many years.)

 

Many of the miles were earned while working for the Cycling merit badge. It took my son 4 tries to complete the 50 mile ride. The first three attempts ranged from 32-45 miles each and added up to over 100 miles which did not count toward the cycling merit badge.

 

 

When the idea of applying for the NOA Riding segment was broughtup the SM, MBC, DS and I had a lengthy discussion aboutthe reqs. When we had questions regarding the requirements and approached the DE and the Council, no one could answer the questions; mainly because no one in our district has earned the award. However, DS was encouraged to continue riding.

 

When he completed the basic reqs for the NOA Riding and submitted his application for the main patch and the Riding segment the SM took it to the Council office and specifically inquired as to whether or not DS met the requirements. It was the Council who identified DS as not only having completed the segment but also determined the number of devices earned. The application was approved and DS was encouraged to continue riding.

 

Until this point no one has questioned the validity of the rides. Each ride has been logged onto Dailymile.com and submittd to the MBC. DS also has a computer attached to his bike that tracks his mileage so there is tertiary verification the miles were completed.

 

Just so you know - our family rides (when we all go out and ride around town for fun) aren't counted in the miles. My son's rides were specific toward earning the award.

--

At present my son has volunteered to help mentor any other boys who desire to earn the Cycling MB. We are trying to set up a summer riding program for the district. We have three MBCs ready to go but little interest from local boys. We were late in advertising, though, and summer baseball and swimming seasons have started; not to mention rising humidity and temps.

--

I don't know what else to say. If we did do something wrong it was not for lack of trying to follow the rules.

 

[bnelon44 17]

Eaglemom2b

 

sounds fine to me

[Eaglemom2b 10]

Re: neckerchiefs

 

The neckerchief isn't a part of our troop's uniform so I didn't think about it from the perspective of uniformity with the troop. I know there are adults who are working through or who have earned woodbadge that wear special neckerchiefs. That's more along the lines of what I was thinking.