Varsity Scout Portal

Varsity awards

• Letter & Pins
• Varsity Scout Letter Bar
• Varsity Scout Activity Pins
• Denali Award

Boy Scouts Ranks and Awards
Boy Scout Uniform

American Business
American Cultures
American Heritage
American Labor
Animal Science
Archaeology
Archery
Architecture
Art
Astronomy
Athletics
Automotive Maintenance
Aviation
Backpacking
Basketry
Bird Study
Bugling
Camping
Canoeing
Chemistry
Chess
Cinematography
Citizenship in the Community
Citizenship in the Nation
Citizenship in the World
Climbing
Coin Collecting
Collections
Communication
Composite Materials
Cooking
Crime Prevention
Cycling
Dentistry
Digital Technology
Disabilities Awareness
Dog Care
Drafting
Electricity
Electronics
Emergency Preparedness
Energy
Engineering
Entrepreneurship
Environmental Science
Family Life
Farm Mechanics
Fingerprinting
Fire Safety
First Aid
Fish and Wildlife Management
Fishing
Fly Fishing
Forestry
Game Design
Gardening
Genealogy
Geocaching
Geology
Golf
Graphic Arts
Hiking
Home Repairs
Horsemanship
Indian Lore
Insect Study
Inventing
Journalism
Kayaking
Landscape Architecture
Law
Leatherwork
Lifesaving
Mammal Study
Medicine
Metalwork
Mining in Society
Model Design and Building
Motorboating
Music
Nature
Nuclear Science
Oceanography
Orienteering
Painting
Personal Fitness
Personal Management
Pets
Photography
Pioneering
Plant Science
Plumbing
Pottery
Programming
Public Health
Public Speaking
Pulp and Paper
Radio
Railroading
Reading
Reptile and Amphibian Study
Rifle Shooting
Robotics
Rowing
Safety
Salesmanship
Scouting Heritage
Scholarship
Scuba Diving
Sculpture
Search & Rescue
Shotgun Shooting
Skating
Small-Boat Sailing
Snow Sports
Soil and Water Conservation
Space Exploration
Sports
Stamp Collecting
Surveying
Sustainability
Swimming
Textile
Theater
Traffic Safety
Truck Transportation
Veterinary Medicine
Water Sports
Weather
Welding
Whitewater
Wilderness Survival
Wood Carving
Woodwork

Note: Merit badges listed in bold italics are Eagle-required merit badges.

• Guide to Safe Scouting
• Buddy System
• Climb On Safely
• Safe Swim Defense
• BSA Swim Test
• Safety Afloat

Varsity Scouting is an active, exciting, year-round program for young men 14 through 17 built around five program fields of emphasis: advancement, high-adventure/sports, personal development, service, and special programs and events.

MeritBadge.Org is your online Scouting University with Varsity Resources, Letter, Letter Bar, Activity Pins, Denali Award, and Advancment.

• Varsity Scouts can also earn Boy Scout ranks from Scout through Eagle.
• Merit Badges cover over 120 different topics with printable Workbooks and Blue Cards.
• Additional Scout Awards challenge boys in dozens of other areas. Scouter Awards are for adults.
• The Team Program Features include 27 quarterly team programs that are tailored for Varsity Teams.
• Varsity Scouts Scouts can attend Summer Camp, Camporees, Philmont, National Jamborees, and more.
• Training is offered in areas as diverse as ecology, first aid, Knots, and Outdoor Skills.

A Varsity Scout Team is composed of one or more squads with youth team leaders, adult advisers, and is supported by an adult Team Committee.

Scouts who earn the Swimming merit badge will learn about safety when swimming and diving, how swimming can contribute to overall fitness and health, and gain some basic competitive swimming skills.

Required for the Eagle Scout Rank, the Swimming merit badge was one of the original 57 merit badges created in 1911.

• Nov 2015: New NYLT patch, Trained patch available to youth now as well as adults

• Dec 2013: Boy Scout program and awards will be changed in 2016. Future program updates

• Dec 2013: Cub Scout program and awards will be changed in 2015. Future program updates

• August 1-9, 1907 – Robert Baden-Powell holds the first (experimental) Scouting encampment at Brownsea Island. He began setting camp up on July 29, 1907.
• August 6, 1900 – William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, the father of American Scouting, is born in Denmark.
• August 8, 1909 – Scout camp half-held on the Training Ship Mercury (there was only room for 50 boys but it had earlier been advertised as a camp for the top 100 boys, so half camped on land then they switched half-way through), which led to the formation of Sea Scouts.
• August 21, 1912 – Arthur Rose Eldred becomes the first Eagle Scout in the history of Boy Scouts of America.
• August 22, 1908 – First official Scout camp at Humshaugh, England. The Scouting movement didn't officially exist during the 1907 Brownsea Island camp -- this was the first camp attended by registered Scouts.

• Merit Badges
• Boy Scout Ranks
• 50 Miler Award
• Amateur Radio Operator Rating Strip
• Boardsailing BSA
• BSA Complete Angler
• BSA Lifeguard
• BSA Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Cyber Chip
• Den Chief Service Award
• Donor Awareness Patch
• Emergency Preparedness BSA Award
• Firem'n Chit
• Historic Trails Award
• International Activity Badge
• Interpreter Strip
• Kayaking BSA
• Keep America Beautiful Hometown USA Award
• Leave No Trace Award
• Mile Swim BSA
• National Honor Patrol Award
• National Medal for Outdoor Achievement
• National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award
• NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award
• National Outdoor Awards
• National Youth Leadership Society
• NOVA Awards
• Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award
• Outdoor Ethics Action Award
• Outdoor Ethics Service Recognition Award
• Paul Bunyan Woodsman
• Physical Fitness Award
• Recruiter Strip
• Religious Emblems
• SCOUTStrong Be MedWise Award
• SCOUTStrong Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge
• Scuba BSA
• Service Stars
• Snorkeling BSA
• Totin' Chip
• William Hornaday Conservation awards
• Whitewater Rafting BSA
• World Conservation Award

Venture Patrol

• Venture Patrol Letter
• Venture Patrol Activity Pins

Honor Awards

• Medal of Merit
• Heroism Award
• Honor Medal
• James E West Award

Unit Awards

• BSA Ready & Prepared Award
• Conservation Good Turn Award
• Journey to Excellence
• National Outdoor Challenge
• SCOUTStrong Healthy Unit Award

Varsity Scouts and qualified Venturers may earn Boy Scout awards.
List of all Scouting Awards
Scouter Awards for leaders