THE highest award that the Boy Scouts of America bestows is the Gold Honor Medal of the National Court of Honor, presented to Scouts who save some one's life at the risk of their own. There is no more thrilling and moving chapter in the record of Scouting than the story of the heroism displayed by these Scouts. They have faced situations with courage and fortitude in which grown men have flinched. As a result of their Scout training they are prepared—they know how— to act when the emergency occurs. Thousands of persons owe their lives today to the courage and knowledge of Boy Scouts who were trained and ready to serve.

Every Scoutmaster should make it a great point to bring to the attention of his Local Court of Honor the heroic act of any member of his Troop. There is a regular blank for the purpose which can be obtained from the Local Council Office. Each case is passed upon by the Local Court of Honor. The records are then forwarded to the National Court of Honor, of which the National Scout Commissioner is Chairman, where the papers are carefully studied. In the event that the circumstances do not justify the award of a Gold Medal, Certificates for Heroism are sometimes presented. The following extract from the By-Laws, Article VI, Section 9 sets forth clearly the procedure involved:

"A Gold Medal may be awarded to a registered Scout or, in exceptional cases, to a Commissioned Officer, where the evidence presented to the National Court of Honor, in accordance with prescribed regulations, shows that he actually saved life under circumstances which indicate unusual bravery and heroism, the practical results of Scout training, and the risk of his own life. Should a high degree of Scout training lessen personal risk, the nominee is not disqualified, but on the contrary, the Court will give especial recognition to demonstrated skill in life saving methods and Scout resourcefulness.

"The Honor Medal may be awarded with crossed palms in exceptional cases, where m the judgment of the National Court of Honor, both heroism and exceptional achievement in the practice of Scout principles and training are shown.

"It shall be wholly within the discretion of the National Court of Honor to determine from the evidence presented whether or not an Honor Medal shall be awarded, in accordance with the prescribed condition; and when in their judgment the evidence does not merit the award of a Medal, a Certificate for Heroism may be issued in the name of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Gold Honor Medal. The award of the Boy Scouts of America to a Scout who helps save another's life at a risk of his own.

"In no case, however, shall a Medal be awarded where it appears that the risk involved, was merely in the performance of duty or the meeting of an obligation because of responsibility to supervise and give leadership to the person whose life was saved.

"All cases involving the consideration of the award of Honor Medals shall be presented to the National Court of Honor on prescribed blanks, and it shall be within the discretion of the National Court of Honor to require further evidence or personal investigation and report before reaching a decision."

Scholarship Awards

The records of Boy Scouts both in school and college have on the whole been outstanding. Not only do they excel in scholarship but in leadership ability according to the records. For this reason throughout the years a number of schools and colleges have developed special scholarship awards for Boy Scouts. Sometimes these include a partial remission of tuition fees, sometimes more considerable awards, sometimes the scholarship is in the form of a sum of money to be used by the Scout in securing higher training. If you have a boy of promise in your Troop whom you feel would benefit by vocational or college training, if his scholarship record is such as would justify your recommendation, get in touch with your Local Council Office and find out from them what scholarships might be available for which he might qualify.

Sometimes special scholarships are awarded. These are announced to the field through SCOUTING and other Scout periodicals. For example, the Veterans of Foreign Wars awards annually a scholarship to an Eagle Scout who has earned an Award from the National Court of Honor, and whose character and service qualifications justify such a high honor. Similar awards are made by other organizations occasionally. If one of the Scouts in your Troop, for example, shows unusual aptitude in forestry or some other Scout activity, it is possible that there is some college that would give special consideration to his case. In such an event, write to the college in question. They are always glad to hear of promising Scouts whether or not they have a scholarship available.

The Golden Book of Scouting contains the tales of numerous Scouts who have saved the lives of others with bravery and heroism.

Hornaday Award

An Award that is highly prized is the Hornaday Award for Distinguished Services to Wild Life, presented through the courtesy of the New York Zoological Society in honor of the late Dr. William T. Hornaday. This Award is granted to Scouts and Scouters who through a period of time show unusual ability and interest in conservation and wild life protection. In considering services that have been rendered, the actual results that have been accomplished count heavily. The exercise of good judgment is necessary in deciding what kind of service will be valuable to wild life.

A special blank has been developed for use in making application for the Hornaday Award for Distinguished Services to Wild Life. All applications for this Award should be submitted to the National Council, through the Local Council Office, and must include written and photographic records of projects carried out.

Special Awards

Occasionally special opportunities are made available to Scouts on a National basis. For example, when Admiral Byrd offered to take a Scout to the South Pole with him, every active Scout who could meet the qualifications was given an opportunity to apply. From time to time similar opportunities are made available to Scouts and are announced through SCOUTING and other Scout periodicals.

If you have a Scout who appears to be outstanding and whose record you feel justifies application, in justice to the boy and your own leadership, make it a matter of personal responsibility to see that application is made on his behalf. In most cases formal application blanks are required and may be secured from the Local Council or the National Council Office. Application is usually made on behalf of the boy although the boy himself may help in providing certain data. Anyone who has ever had the difficult task of passing judgment upon the applications that are submitted for an Award knows how hard it is to make a decision when so many excellent records are submitted. Be sure, in justice to the Scout concerned, that all the data requested is given in full. Do not let the Scout be penalized because you forgot to secure a statement from his school teacher or his pastor or someone else concerned. Another thing to remember is this: You know the boy. You know his fine qualities, but to the judges he is only what the evidence presents. Unless the evidence is of such a nature as to do the boy justice, to give fully and completely the same picture of the boy to the judges as you have who know him well, he will be handicapped. Therefore if you are making application on behalf of one of your Scouts, it is well worth while to take some extra trouble in connection with it in order to be sure that your boy's record is presented fully, clearly and convincingly so that the judges may have definite basis on which to make a decision.