Ranger Award

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MeritBadge.Org offers Venturing resources for the Ranger, Quest, and TRUST Awards with cross-references for related Venturing Awards.

Ranger Award

1. Award medal
2a. Ranger bar (pin)
2b. Ranger bar (cloth)

Created:	1946/1998
Level:	Venturing

The Venturing Ranger Award is the highest outdoor skills award offered by the BSA. High adventure and the outdoors have always been of interest to young Americans as well as an important part of the BSA program. Because of the attraction of high adventure, the Ranger Award is available to all Venturing youth members of the Boy Scouts of America.

The purpose of the award is to encourage Venturers to achieve a high level of outdoor skills proficiency; recognize achievement of this high level of outdoor skills proficiency; provide a path for outdoor/high-adventure skills training; and establish Rangers as a highly trained leadership resource for crews, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the community.

The Ranger Award exemplifies a challenging high-level outdoor/high-adventure skills advancement program. Once earned, it will identify a Ranger as a person who is highly skilled at a variety of outdoor sports and interests, trained in outdoor safety, and ready to lead or assist others in activities. Rangers can be a great program asset to Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and others.

The Award medal is pinned immediately above the seam of the left pocket, Ranger bar (pin) is centered on left pocket flap, the Ranger bar (cloth) may be alternately used to avoid pin backing.

After completion of the Ranger Award, this award may be awarded at a crew recognition ceremony (similar to a Boy Scout Court of Honor), organized by the youth Vice President - Administration.

History

The first Ranger Medal was issued between 1946 and 1949 as part of the BSA's Explorer Program. The Ranger Award was re-introduced by the BSA in 1998 as part of the new Venturing program.

Ranger Award requirements

Core requirements

Do all eight of the following Ranger Award core requirements:

Standard First Aid

Requirement 1. Complete a standard first aid course or the American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Basics or equivalent course.

Communications

Requirement 2. Do 2(a), (b), or (c).

a. Take a communications-related training class that includes at least 15 hours of training. This could be a non-required course at school such as creative writing, technical writing, American Sign Language, or film production. It could also be a commercial course such as speed-reading or effective presentations.

b. Actively participate in a communications-related club or organization for at least three months. Participate in at least three activities of the organization where you practice or improve your communications skills. Examples include Toastmasters, debate clubs, or drama clubs.

c. Read at least two books approved by your Advisor on a communications subject of interest to you. Write or give a report to your crew on the important communications principles you learned and how you think you can apply these principles to improve your communications.

AND

Do (d), (e), or (f) in connection with an outdoor skill or area you are interested in. Have your Advisor approve your plan before you begin.

d. Make a formal, oral presentation of at least 30 minutes to your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another youth group. Include demonstrations, visual aids, or other techniques that will help you communicate more effectively.

e. Prepare and present an audio/video presentation at least 15 minutes long to your crew or other group approved by your Advisor.

f. Prepare a written pamphlet, set of instructions, or description and summary. It should be at least 1,000 words and provide a complete description of your chosen subject. Include pictures, charts, and/or diagrams to better communicate your topic. Have two people, one with expertise in the area you are presenting and one without expertise, read and critique your work. Make improvements to your draft based on their input. If your work is applicable to your crew, such as a work on caving skills, then share your work with your crew.

AND

Do (g).

g. Make a tabletop display or presentation for your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another youth group on communications equipment used in the outdoors with emphasis on how this equipment would help in a wilderness survival situation.

Cooking

Requirement 3.

a. Plan a menu and purchase the food for at least six people for a two night campout with at least three meals.

b. On the campout in (a) above, cook the three meals using at least two of the following three methods of cooking: fire/coals, charcoal, stove.

c. Demonstrate and explain proper safe food handling methods for outdoor cooking.

d. Demonstrate that you can prepare backpacking-type trail food using a backpacking style stove.

e. Without using any cooking utensils, prepare a meal with the four basic food groups for three people.

f. Cook an entree, a bread, and a dessert in a Dutch oven.

Emergency Preparedness

Requirement 4.

a. Discuss potential disasters and emergency preparedness with your family and then set up a family emergency plan.

b. Build a family emergency kit.

c. Make a tabletop display or presentation on what you have learned for your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another youth group.

Land Navigation

Requirement 5.

a. Using a topographical map for your area or the area you will be navigating in, demonstrate that you know the following map symbols:

* Index contour	* Vertical control station	* Hard-surface, heavy-duty road	* Railroad, single track
* Power transmission line	* Building	* Checked spot elevation	* Marsh
* Map scale	* Intermittent stream	* Depression	* Ridge
* Trail	* Stream	* Hard-surface, medium-duty road	* Bridge
* Cemetery	* Campsite	* Water well or spring	* Unimproved dirt road

b. Explain contour lines. Be able to tell the contour interval for your map and be able to show the difference between a steep and a gentle slope.

c. Using a map and compass, navigate an orienteering course that has at least six legs covering at least 2.5 miles.

d. Learn to use a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Demonstrate that you can find a fixed coordinate or geocache at night using a GPS receiver.

e. Teach the navigating skills you have learned in (a) through (d) above to your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another group.

Leave No Trace

Requirement 6.

a. Recite and explain the principles of Leave No Trace.

b. Participate in three separate camping/backpacking trips demonstrating that you know and use Leave No Trace principles.

c. Make a tabletop display or presentation on the Leave No Trace principles and how they affect the environment and attitude of campers for your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another group or teach a Leave No Trace Awareness course.

Wilderness Survival

Requirement 7. (Before you begin wilderness survival, you must have completed the cooking, land navigation, and first aid core requirements.)

a. Write a risk management plan for an upcoming crew high adventure activity such as a whitewater canoing or rock-climbing trip. The plan should include nutrition, health, first aid, supervision, insurance, safety rules and regulations, proper equipment, maps and compass, in-service training, environmental considerations, emergency and evacuation procedures, and emergency contacts.

b. From memory, list the survival priorities and explain your use of each in a survival situation.

c. Learn about and then make a tabletop display or presentation for your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another youth group on the following subjects:

1. Emergency signals used in the outdoors

2. Search and rescue patterns

3. Evacuation procedures and value of when to move and when not to move in a wilderness emergency

d. Explain the following environmental exposure problems. Discuss what causes them, signs and symptoms, and treatment.

1. Hypothermia	2. Frostbite	3. Sunburn	4. Heat exhaustion	5. Heat cramps	6. Heat stroke

e. Hydration

1. Explain dehydration and the necessity of conserving fluids in a survival situation.

2. Explain at least four methods of obtaining water in the outdoors and demonstrate at least two ways to purify that water.

f. Fire making

1. Demonstrate at least two different fire lays-one for cooking and one for warmth.

2. Learn and discuss the use of fire starters, tinder, kindling, softwoods, and hardwoods in fire making.

g. Explain and demonstrate how you can gain knowledge of weather patterns using VHF band radio and other radios, winds, barometric pressure, air masses and their movements, clouds, and other indicators.

h. Knots and lashings

1. Explain the different rope materials and thicknesses that are best for wilderness use and how to care for them.

2. Know the use of and demonstrate how to tie the following knots and lashings:

a. Sheet bend	b. Fisherman's knot	c. Bowline	d. Bowline on a bight	e. Two half hitches
f. Clove hitch	g. Timber hitch	h. Taut-line hitch	i. Square lashing	j. Shear lashing

i. Food

1. Explain the usefulness and drawbacks of obtaining food in the wilderness, including things to avoid.

2. Prepare and eat at least one meal with food you have found in the outdoors.

j. Survival kit

1. Make a list of items you would include in a wilderness survival kit and then make copies to hand out to visitors to your wilderness survival outpost camp.

2. Using your list, make a wilderness survival kit. Explain the use of each item you have included.

k. Outpost camp

1. Set up a wilderness survival outpost camp and spend at least two nights and two days in your site.

2. Use and demonstrate several knots and lashings from requirement (h) in your wilderness survival campsite demonstration.

3. Know how to plan a wilderness shelter for three different environments and then build a shelter as part of your wilderness survival campsite demonstration.

4. Have your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another youth group visit you in your outpost for a presentation you make on wilderness survival (at least one hour).

(Note: Remember to use the Leave No Trace principles you learned.)

Conservation

Requirement 8.

a. As a Venturer, plan, lead, and carry out a significant conservation project under the guidance of a natural resources professional.

b. Make a tabletop display or presentation on your conservation project for your crew, another crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another youth group.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:
Venturer Handbook, 2016 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #621535)

Electives

Do four of the following Ranger Award elective requirements:

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:
Venturer Handbook, 2016 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #621535)

The text of these requirements may be locked. In that case, they can only be edited by an administrator.
Please note any errors found in the above requirements on this article's Talk Page.

Procedure

Ranger candidates can earn requirements. They can work on their own or with other Venturers. A crew may also work together. Candidates can work with outside consultants such as a scuba diving instructor, for instance. Advisors and consultants must sign a Ranger candidate's record sheet found in the Venturer/Ranger Handbook, No 33494C.