National Outdoor Awards

The BSA National Outdoor Awards are very prestigious and show how active Scouts are in the Outdoors.  In Troop 60, you have opportunities to earn each of these awards.  They will take many weeks of outdoors fun and the rewards are more than the patches and metal shown below. 

National Medal for Outdoor Achievement

When a Scout excels in outdoor participation, there are awards to show for it! This program, conceived by the BSA’s National Camping Task Force, includes a series of six badges designed to recognize a Scout, Sea Scout, or Venturer who has exemplary knowledge and experience in performing high-level outdoor activities.

The award consists of up to six emblem segments positioned around the perimeter of a beautiful center emblem. All are embroidered in full color. The segments represent six areas of emphasis: Camping, Aquatics, Conservation, Hiking, Riding, and Adventure, with rigorous requirements to earn each segment. The center emblem features an outdoor scene with fleur-de-lis and the words “National Outdoor Awards.”

The six National Outdoor Awards badges recognize a Scout, Sea Scout, or Venturer who demonstrates knowledge and experience in camping, aquatics, conservation, hiking, riding, or adventure. Youth earning the National Outdoor Awards badges have demonstrated that they are knowledgeable, safe, and comfortable in the outdoor activity covered by the badge.

See scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/noa/ for specifics on each segement and device.

National Medal for Outdoor Achievement

The National Medal for Outdoor Achievement is the highest recognition that a Scout, Sea Scout, or Venturer can earn for exemplary achievement, experience, and skill in multiple areas of outdoor endeavor.

In order for a youth to earn the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, he or she must complete the following requirements:

1. Earn the First Class rank, Sea Scout Apprentice rank, or complete Venturing Ranger Award requirements 1-6 and hold the Venturing Discovery Award.

2. Earn the National Outdoor Badge for Camping with a silver device.

3. Earn any two additional National Outdoor Badges, each with two gold devices.

4. Complete the requirements for all of the following: Backpacking merit badge or Ranger Backpacking elective; Emergency Preparedness merit badge or Ranger Emergency Preparedness core; Nature merit badge; and Wilderness Survival merit badge or Ranger Wilderness Survival core.

5. Complete a 16-hour course in Wilderness First Aid from the American Red Cross, Wilderness Medical Institute, or other recognized provider.

6. Complete a 16-hour Leave No Trace Skills Course from a certified Leave No Trace Level 1 or 2 Instructor.

7. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an outing for your patrol, troop, ship, or crew in two of the following activity areas: hiking and backpacking, aquatics activities, or riding. Include in each outing a service element addressing recreational impacts resulting from that type of activity. With the approval of your unit leader, you may plan and lead the outings for another Cub Scout pack, Scout troop, Sea Scout ship, or Venturing crew.

8. Complete at least one of the following:

• 1. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an adventure activity identified in the National Outdoor Badge for Adventure for your troop, ship, crew, or patrol.

  2. Successfully complete a season on a council summer camp staff in an outdoor area, such as aquatics, Scoutcraft, nature/environment, climbing, or COPE.