Dr. William T. Hornaday, whose long life hes been spent in fighting for conservation, gives this medal for outstanding service.

Other Awards

Scouts who are interested in journalism may be interested in qualifying for the Gold Quill Award in addition to the Journalism Merit Badge. This can be earned by Scouts of any rank for outstanding achievement in journalism. The conditions are given in the Handbook jor Boys and the basis is actual published work. Applications for the award should be submitted to the Local Council.

The Scout Organizer Award is made in recognition of organization and leadership ability on a point basis for new members secured. This award is for Scouts only, not Scouters, and is presented through the Local Council to which application should be made.

Many Local Councils have developed Council awards for outstanding achievement in different lines. This is especially true in the case of camp awards. You and your Scouts should be familiar with recognitions that are available in your Council.

In many Councils and in States, special awards have been developed for achievement on the part of Scouts by outside organizations. For example, in New York State there is a "Future Farmers Award for Scouts"

Billy Tucker bravely tells his story of overcoming physicel handicaps end earning the Achievement Scout Awards.

for farm boys who meet certain requirements. It is hoped that this may be developed in other states. The State of Pennsylvania awards annually fifty medals for Scouts who qualify in forest fire prevention. Then there may be awards not limited to Scouts, but which Scouts are especially qualified to earn.

Scoutmasters are urged to inform themselves about this kind of recognition, not for the fact of the badges, the publicity and the fame attached, but because of the effect upon the Troop and the educational value to the parent institution and to the community. It gives the boys a sense of the dignity of Scouting and encourages them to further achievement when they see a member of their Troop recognized by an award. It gives the institution a realization that the Troop is really accomplishing something worth while when recognition is bestowed upon it. And the community comes to understand that Scouting is doing something more for boys than giving them fine recreation in the open, that it is actually training for citizenship, and the Boy Scouts are an asset to the community.

Achievement Scouts

There are many boys who because of a physical handicap cannot meet all of the Scout Requirements for the different ranks. Such Scouts are classified as Achievement Scouts. Scouts who cannot meet all the Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class requirements may qualify under the conditions given below:

"A Scout who is prevented by apparently permanent physical disability from meeting all the requirements for Tenderfoot, Second or First Class Scout Rank may qualify as an Achievement Scout under the following conditions:

"1. These provisions are only for those Scouts who are prevented by apparently permanent physical disability from meeting all the requirements for Tenderfoot, Second or First Class Scout Rank.

"2. There shall be no lowering or modification of the regularly prescribed standards of Scouting.

"8. The Scout shall meet all Tenderfoot, Second or First Class Requirements of which he is physically capable.

The Achievement Scout shall devise and pass some test or tests within his physical capacity in lieu of the prescribed requirements he is unable to meet, as evidence of his Scout spirit and eagerness to develop his ability to the fullest.

"5. A duly registered physician shall certify to the permanence of the disability and the Scout's inability to meet the requirements during the period of his Scout life.

An Achievement Scout meets every Tenderfoot, Second and First Class Requirement of which he is physically capable.

"6. Achievement Certificate and Badge No. 1 will be awarded to the approved applicant who qualifies in all possible Second Class Requirements. He will then be eligible to qualify for any five Merit Badges in the list of forty open to Second Class Scouts within his physical capacity, and for Achievement Badge and Certificate No. 2.

"7. Achievement Certificate and Badge No. 2 will be awarded to the approved applicant who has previously qualified as a Second Class Scout or has been awarded Achievement Certificate and Badge No. 1.

"8. The Scout earning Achievement Certificate and Badge No. 2 shall be eligible to qualify for any Merit

Badge within his physical capacity and for Veteran Registration. He may not qualify for Star, Life or Eagle Rank.

"9. All Achievement Awards shall be made by the National Court of Honor."

Scouts sometimes ask, "What should I substitute for the requirements that I can't meet?" This matter was purposely left undefined because the National Court of Honor feels this is a matter between the Scout's own conscience and himself. Only the Scout himself can know what, in view of his physical handicap, is really an equivalent to the requirement which he cannot meet. Note also the requirement that the handicap should be for the duration of the boy's life as a Scout. Scouts sometimes apply for classification as Achievement Scouts with a handicap which could probably be adjusted within a period of a year or so. Such boys should wait until they can qualify for the regular requirements.

The Scoutmaster should use his leadership to encourage the Scout to go ahead and qualify for such Merit Badges as are within his physical capacity after he has earned Achievement Badge No. 2 and set himself to be of as much service as possible through his Scout training. The Achievement Scout who does this is closer to the spirit of Scouting than many a boy who with no handicap to overcome and no obstacle in his path is able easily to meet the requirements. If he goes on with his Scout work in the right spirit his character will be the stronger and his whole life will be the richer for his experience.

If, as has happened in a few cases, a boy who has qualified as an Achievement Scout later overcomes his handicap, he may qualify in the regular manner for the rank that he wishes and without further formality may proceed with his Scout advancement. Such Scouts should inform their local Scout Office of their changed classification.

Happy, smiling, rising above their physical difficulties, these Hospital patients follow the Cubbing and Scouting trail.

No Exceptions To Requirements

The National Court of Honor receives frequent requests for a remission of the requirements for the different Scout Ranks because for one reason or another Scouts are unable to meet those specified. The committee in charge has considered these requests with the utmost sympathy, but in every case they have been refused because it has been felt that it is not in the best interests of Scouting or the individual Scout that there be any let down in the prescribed standards. One of the most difficult problems which the

Boy Scouts of America through the years has had has been to establish and maintain standards which will command the respect of boys.

While the National Court of Honor is very anxious to meet the needs of particular Scouts, to make exceptions to these standards would involve losses that we cannot afford for the best interests of the large number of boys to be served.

The basis on which all requirements for rank and for the Merit Badges have been developed is that the Scout must actually do the things that are involved. It is not knowledge about a subject such as could be obtained from a text book that is required, but the actual ability to do as proved by the Scout himself. "Learning by doing" is the Scout method of education and the award of any Badge means that the Scout himself has actually met and completed all the projects in that particular activity. Thus you see that it is not sufficient in qualifying for the Physical Development Merit Badge that you understand or illustrate or explain the broad jump, high jump, etc.—you must actually be able to do these things.