Awards -- see http://usscouts.org/awards.asp for these items:
We now have information and the requirements for the "2010 - A Year of Celebration" awards.
Unit Leader's Award of Merit - A new award has been developed which replaces the old Scoutmaster's AoM, Varsity Coach's AoM, and Venturing Advisor's AoM, and which is now also available to Cubmasters. The award includes a new square knot (design as yet unknown) and gold bordered position patches.
We've posted some revisions and corrections to the Philmont Training Center Masters Knot, including an image of the PTC device which goes to recipients for the third level award.
Advancements - see http://usscouts.org/advancementTOC.asp for these items:
13 new Cub Scout Belt Loops and Pins (8 Academics and 5 sports) are now being released. The new awards should be in the shops any day now, and the new guide in January, but we've found and posted copies of what we understand to be the proposed requirements. Until the new Guide is available, these requirements are not official, of course.
The new Academics subjects are:
- Disabilities Awareness (originally discussed as "Abilities Awareness")
- Family Travel
- Good Manners
- Nutrition
- Pet Care
- Photography
- Reading and Writing
- Video Games
- Hiking
- Hockey
- Horseback Riding
- Kickball
- Skateboarding
Four other new merit badges will appear over the course of the coming year:
- Inventing (First quarter 2010)
- Geocaching (Second quarter 2010)
- Scouting Heritage (Second quarter 2010)
- Robotics (Fourth quarter 2010)
Nothing on any merit badges being dropped. Of course, come January, we'll have to wait until the new Boy Scout Requirements booklet comes out to see what else changes, including any clarifications on the new rank requirements in the new Handbook.