I'm sure that many of you are old enough to remember these. I was a scout in the '70s and we had skill award belt loops. I think that perhaps they were too similar to the ones the cubscouts do now and that led to their demise. Personally, I really like the idea of having a mini version of camping, cooking, hiking, First Aid merit badges etc. Where this really helped was that scouts could teach these. On nearly every campout we had time set aside for a few older scouts to teach skill awards. This helped the younger scouts progress more rapidly and the older scouts retain their skills longer. I wouldn't mind seeing them come back.

 

Do any of you know where I might be able to find a list of skill award requirements...I wouldn't make them current requirements but it would be a good basis for lesson plans on campouts.

Weekender-

 

Just find a copy of the BSA Handbook (9th Edition) with the Rockwell cover that was used from 1979-1990. There are millions of copies in print, so you should be able to find someone with a copy close to you.

Currently there is a nine book grouping of Boy Scout Skill Books on EBAY. Just search by "Boy Scout Skill"

 

and if you dont "win" this one, just wait, sooner or later more will come up

 

(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Does the current belt totem with the beads do a similiar type of thing? It looks like it tracks their progress to First Class.

 

Has anyone used it to track First Class?

 

I know some of you talked about using beads for some types of recognition.

The skill awards went away about ten years ago. I don't know why.

It's funny you should mention these, as we just came across a box full of these old belt-loop "skill awards" in our troop storage last night(we have a very old troop!) The boys were all very interested in them and we found them mentioned in a 1972 BSA handbook. Maybe I can find the requirements for you....

 

I agree that they look interesting - wonder why they got rid of them? One of our ASM's remembered that there was a plaque you could mount them on if you got all 12 - anybody remember whet it looked like?

 

I was a girl scout back then - so I wouldn't have any idea! LOL!