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Varsity Scouts

Varsity Scouting is part of the Boy Scouting program of the BSA. It is available to boys ages fourteen to eighteen that takes the basic Boy Scouting program and adds high adventure, sporting, and other elements to accomplish the aims of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Varsity Scouts are organized into teams, which are separate chartered units from a Boy Scout troop. To learn more, please go the official BSA Varsity website.  You can access that website by clicking:

 

Varsity Ideals

Varsity Scouts may participate in the BSA advancement system for troops and also have their own recognitions.

 

The Varsity Scout ideals are spelled out in the Scout Law, the Scout Oath, the Scout Motto, the Scout Slogan and the Varsity Scout Pledge. The Varsity Scout learns to use these ideals as a measure of personal growth and continually tries to improve.

Varsity Scouting has five fields of emphasis.

  • Advancement

  • High Adventure.

  • Personal Development.

  • Service

  • Special Programs and Events

 

Varsity Scouting shares the Aims and Methods of the Boy Scout program.

Uniforms

Varsity Scouts wear the standard Boy Scout field uniform, but wear blaze (orange) shoulder loops and a Varsity uniform strip above the Boy Scouts of America strip. Adults wear the same Varsity Scout uniform and may wear the Scouter dress uniform as required.

 

The Varsity Letter is cloth patch that can be worn either on the front bottom of a merit badge sash or on the right breast of the Varsity Scout or Boy Scout jacket. This award can be earned every three months by an actively participating Varsity Scout.

 

Subsequent awards are represented by gold bars pinned on the letter. Activity pins can also be pinned on the Varsity Letter.

Activity Pins

Varsity Scouts can also earn activity pins in several areas of high adventure and sports. Program resources and official pins are available for backpacking, basketball, bowling, canoe camping, caving, cross-country skiing, cycling, discovering America, fishing, freestyle biking, frontiersman, mechanics, Operation On-Target, orienteering, rock climbing and rappelling, roller hockey, shooting sports, snow camping, soccer, survival, swimming, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, waterskiing, and whitewater canoeing.

 

The requirements for earning an activity pin are determined locally by the team captain and are usually awarded at the conclusion of each ultimate adventure or sports season.

 

Adult Varsity leaders may earn the Varsity Letter and activity pins

Denali Award

The Denali Award is the highest award in Varsity Scouting. The award is named after Denali, also known as Mount McKinley in Alaska.

 

Requirements include advancing at least one rank in the Boy Scout program (or earning a palm for those who are already Eagle Scouts), serving in a leadership position for six months, taking primary and supportive leadership roles for activities in all five areas of emphasis, living the Varsity Scout Pledge, and completing a progress review.

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