University of Scouting - Varsity Advancement

Circle 10 University of Scouting 2012

Varsity Advancement

Varsity Letter Requirements (Adult and Scout - Use Varsity Scout Letter Scorecard and Varsity Scout Leader Scorecard to keep track):

1. Be a registered Varsity Scout team member.
2. While a team member, actively participate in or accomplish at least one high-adventure/sports pin to the satisfaction of the Varsity Scout Coach.
3. Have an attendance record at team meetings and activities of at least 75 percent for three consecutive months.
4. Satisfy the Varsity Scout Coach that you know and live by the Scout Oath and Law.

Varsity Letter Bars are earned if the Varsity Scout completes the requirements of earning the Varsity Letter again. 

Denali Award Requirements (Use the Denali Award Scorecard to keep track):

(Earning the Varsity Letter is a prerequisite to this award.)

1. Be registered as a Varsity Scout Team member.
2. Advance one rank toward Eagle. If you are already an Eagle Scout, earn a Palm.
3. Hold leadership positions in a Varsity Scout Team for at least six months.
4.  
1. While serving as Team Captain or a Program Manager, act as primary leader on at least two activities. Program Managers should choose activities in their field of emphasis. Team Captains may be primary leaders of activities in any of the five fields of emphasis.
2. While serving as a Program Manager or Team Captain, demonstrate shared leadership skills by participating in supportive roles in each of the three remaining fields of emphasis.
5. Satisfy the Team Captain that you know and live by the Varsity Scout Pledge.
6. Complete a progress review (similar to Board of Review).
   
   

Varsity Pins:

There are no specific, set requirements for the Varsity Activity Pins as the boy leaders in the Team (Captain, co-Captain and Program Manager) set these requirements each time they plan an activity. High adventure activities are planned by the Team in advance with the focus on earning Activity Pins. Earning the pin should take effort and include training. One game of basketball does not earn a pin. Three months as part of a team might depend the pre-established requirements made by the Team youth leader.  Pins are worn on the letter. 

While there are 27 “set” programs created by the Boy Scouts of America, the Varsity program is flexible enough for boys to create their own program and go and find their own pin to award at the completion of that program and their High Adventure.  An example of this would be a Team who want to focus on cinematography.  There is no cinematography pin but they can write their own 1-3 month program with a version of a “High Adventure” and then shop around for a pin that would represent the cinematography program they planned and enacted to be worn on the Varsity letter.  This is the genius behind the Varsity Scout program.

Pin categories are:

Backpacking

Basketball

Bowling

Canoe Camping

Caving 

Cross-Country Skiing
Cycling

Discovering Adventure
Fishing
Freestyle Biking
Frontiersman
Mechanics
Operation On-target
Orienteering
Rock Climbing and Rappelling
Roller Hockey
Shooting Sports
Snow Camping
Soccer
Softball
Survival
Swimming
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Water-skiing
Whitewater Canoeing

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.  Know where you want to go and start stepping.

 
Change with the new 2012 Advancement Guidelines – Those who sit on a Board of Review for a Varsity Scout for any rank other than Eagle are:  Committee Advancement Chair, advancement program manager (this is a youth position!!!) and the Varsity Coach.  How better to ensure a boy lead program than by having a boy sit in on the Board of Review?