District Award of Merit

Download the Nomination Form

Purpose

The District/Division Award of Merit is awarded by a District or Exploring Division to volunteer and professional adults for service to youth in the District or Division. Normally, the award is presented for service to youth in excess of five years. A person may receive more than one District/Division Award of Merit, although there are no provisions for the wearing of a device or emblem officially to denote the second or subsequent awards. Unofficially, those Award holders that have received more than one may wear a small Universal device centered on the knot. The BSA has no records of any volunteer or professional earning the Award of Merit in more than two separate Districts or Divisions. Career members of the Boy Scouts of America may receive this award upon concurrence of the Council Scout Executive and the Director of Operations at the National office, BSA.

Candidates for this award must be nominated. Self-nomination disqualifies the candidate.

Requirements

  • A nominee must be a registered Scouter.

  • A nominee must have rendered noteworthy service to youth in Scouting, outside of Scouting, or both.

    • Note: The nature and value of "noteworthy service to youth" may consist of a single plan or decisions that contributed vitally to the lives of large numbers of youth or it may have been given to a small group over an extended period of time.

  • Consideration must be given to the nominee's Scouting position and the corresponding opportunity to render outstanding service beyond the expectations of that Scouting position.

  • The nominee's attitude toward and cooperation with the district, division, and/or council is to be taken into consideration.

Who Can Earn This Award?

Presented to registered adult volunteers by districts in the same manner that the Silver Beaver is, as a national award presented by councils; it is not appropriate to nominate a Scouter who has already received this award.