The Scouter's Key Award is an adult recognition of the Boy Scouts of America. This award is available across several different program areas and can be earned more than once.

History

In 1927 the Boy Scouts of America began to recognize adult leaders who completed specific training and performance goals over a five-year period of service with the Scoutmaster's Key. In 1948, the award was renamed the Scouter's Key Award and the tenure requirement was changed from five years of service to three years. The award could now be earned by Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, Senior Scout Advisors and commissioners. The Skipper's Key, created in 1939, was discontinued in 1948 and replaced with the Scouter's Key. The medal emblem was changed from the First Class emblem to the universal emblem. The Skipper's Key was reinstated as a separate award in 2001 using the original medal and knot designs.

Award

The medal is a pendant suspended from a green, white and green ribbon. The current pendant is a Tenderfoot emblem on a keystone, all in a gold colored metal. Earlier versions had the keystone and emblem created in 10 or 14 karat gold; and with the First Class emblem as opposed to the Tenderfoot emblem. There is a matching certificate, signed by the Chief Scout Executive with spaces for it to be countersigned by the local Council's president and Scout Executive. The cloth square knot insignia is an embroidered green and white square knot on a cloth khaki patch. Multiple awards are denoted by the wear of program devices, worn on the square knot award and the ribbon of the award medal.

Requirements

Requirements vary, depending on position, but all requirements basically amount to creation and/or maintenance of a quality Scouting program, while serving for a period of three years. The award may be earned as a Boy Scout Scoutmaster, Varsity Scout Coach, Venturing Advisor, roundtable commissioner, district commissioner, assistant district commissioner, unit commissioners, council commissioner, assistant council commissioner, district committee chairman, or district committee member. District Committee Key may still be earned under the old requirements if the Scouter has already started working on it and will have requirements completed by December 31, 2014 These requirements are: New requirements are as follows: