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Quartermaster Award (Boy Scouts of America)

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Country
  
United States

Founder
  
Boy Scouts of America

The Quartermaster Award is the highest rank attainable in the Sea Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America.

Contents

Award

The award consists of a medal suspended from a blue ribbon; the ribbon is suspended from a silver colored bar bearing the design of a double carrick bend knot. The medal is a silver ship's wheel with a compass inscribed inside the wheel and bearing the Sea Scouting emblem consisting of the universal BSA insignia superimposed on an anchor.

The blue stands for the loyalty to country; the compass suggests the importance of a carefully chosen direction in life; the wheel reminds Sea Scouts that they are the guides of their own future; the anchor reminds the Sea Scout that a truly worthy life must be anchored in duty to God.

The badge is a cloth patch bearing the wheel and compass emblem on a red background with a white border. Recipients may wear the corresponding square knot insignia, with a blue knot on a white background on the BSA uniform.

Requirements

After completing all previous ranks, Apprentice, Ordinary, and Able, the Sea Scout can earn the Quartermaster Award.

  • Ideals: Must lead a discussion on "participating citizenship" and submit a paper on the "World Brotherhood of Scouting."
  • Membership: Attend at least 75 percent of ship meetings and activities for 18 months. Present a talk on Sea Scouting and complete a service project.
  • Special Skills: Complete the 11 special skills required for Quartermaster, which include:
  • Boats
  • Marlinspike Seamanship
  • Ground Tackle
  • Piloting
  • Signaling
  • Swimming
  • Cruising
  • Safety
  • First Aid
  • Rules of the Road
  • Weather
  • Electives: Complete four of the following electives: sailing, engine, radio, boat maintenance, electricity, navigation, drill, piloting, rigging, yacht racing crew.

    • After completion of requirements, the Sea Scout needs to receive approval from the Skipper, typically by a conference, the Quarterdeck, by the Boatswain at the Quarterdeck Meeting, the Ship Committee, and the Council Advancement Committee by Bridge of Review.

    Origins

    It is currently unknown when the Quartermaster Award was introduced, however the first recorded Quartermaster was in May 1929. On December 12, 1930, the Quartermaster badge was approved by the National Executive board. It cost $3.00. Extensive changes to advancement requirements were made in October 1938 by the National Sea Scouting Committee. On September 1, 1949 Sea Exploring was created. The only change in name was from Sea Scouts to Sea Explorers, or Quartermaster Explorers.

    Highest awards in other programs

    The Quartermaster Award is the highest award in Sea Scouting. The highest awards in other BSA membership divisions are: the Cub Scouting Arrow of Light, the Boy Scouting Eagle Scout, the Venturing Summit Award, and the Varsity Scouting Denali Award. Other Scouting movements and many non-Scouting organizations have similar programs and awards.

    References

    Quartermaster Award (Boy Scouts of America) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA