Whilst no adult joins scouting for any form of recognition it is always welcome, and ranges from a grin of thanks from an excited muddy Beaver Scout to a more formal scouting Award.

Anyone in scouting can nominate any volunteer for a Scout Association Award but we know that the process can seem confusing, from how the process works to who you submit a nomination to. The guide below may help.

A key part of Scouting is ensuring that our adult volunteers are valued. There is always the opportunity for informal thanks for a job well done but there are also a number of more formal ways of recognising good service.

The Scouts Adult Awards fall into 3 main categories:

• Length of Service awards,
• Good Service awards, and
• Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry awards

National Honours can also be considered for exceptional achievement or commitment to service to the UK.

Length of Service awards are sent automatically from Scout HQ based on an individual’s Compass record and are not considered further here.

The Commissioner’s Commendation Award is locally awarded; read more here. There are no specific criteria for this and the award is made at the discretion of the relevant Commissioner. If you believe that someone deserves recognition for their contribution to Scouting but does not qualify for any other award please make a recommendation via your District Commissioner.

The Scout Association Awards for Good Service, Gallantry and Meritorious Conduct.
Further details of all the awards and how you can nominate someone can be found at Awards and recognition. Nominations for all awards can be submitted and awarded at any time of the year.

Good Service Award: The criteria and process for nominating someone varies but if you feel someone deserves an Award it is best to speak initially with your District Commissioner or contact awards@cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk

The decision as to whether someone should receive some of the awards can be decided locally but is monitored by the National Awards Advisory Group. District Commissioners (and above) can approve The Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service and The Award for Merit, while County Commissioners (and above) can also approve The Bar to the Award for Merit and The Silver Acorn. Nominations for The Bar to the Silver Acorn and The Silver Wolf have to be supported locally but submitted to HQ for approval by the National Awards Advisory Group.

Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry Awards should be made in a timely manner and even when more than one person is involved, individual nominations should be made. These nominations also require local support but awards are made by The Chief Scout in consultation with The National Awards Advisory Group.

Awards Advisory Panels

Each District within Cambridgeshire has an Awards Panel (consisting of local members) which assists the District Commissioner in preparing nominations and recommending awards. There is also a County Awards Advisory Panel which monitors locally approved awards for consistency and considers nominations for The Bar to the Award for Merit and The Silver Wolf. The County Panel also considers members with a County role, for instance those with a County Appointment, for awards. The County Panel will also assist in writing or amending citations and providing advice to Districts as required.
The Award Panels have a duty to ensure that mandatory training, including Wood Badge where appropriate, safety and safeguarding requirements as well as disclosure checks have been completed before recommending a recipient for an award.

Both District and County Awards Panels have a purely advisory role and the final decision on whether to recommend a nomination for an award lies with the Commissioner.
If you require any help with making an application for an award, please contact Tony Rogers by email awards@cambridgeshirescouts.org.uk